HAS tiny home project to end homelessness obtains its certificate of occupancy

After two and a half years of frustration and hard work, HAS secured a tremendous achievement last week on the 18th of April.

Twenty-two of twenty-two Tiny Homes received their final approval for Occupancy. This Certificate of Occupancy means that the existing and preliminary permitting process is coming to an end.

The emergency shelter at 18820 Sonoma Hwy 12 can now operate in perpetuity.

HAS was born when Founder President Emeritus Annie Falandes started doing volunteer work with the homeless and found she did not like, nor understand, the way the homeless were treated. Convinced there was a “better way”, Annie created a community “think tank” and for over a year, met with a variety of community members at the local library to discuss the complex issue. Everyone and and anyone interested in helping strategize a better plan was more than welcomed.

A bit more than 365 days later, the Four Pillar Approach was conceived and brought to life. Focussed on a unique way to end homelessness, the Four Pillar approach really examines the many current techniques used today, and strives for something far beyond “helping” those that are homeless to maintain homelessness, or bandaging their problems with only a temporary solution.

The pillars include education, innovation, integration. Through the Four Pillar Approach of Educating, Integrating, and Innovating, we can create a community that supports and provides the true support necessary to not just “bandage” homelessness, but end it. That’s what Homeless Action Sonoma has been doing. A group of many like-minded folks joined together to form a Board of Directors, and with many other passionate and big-hearted neighbors working alongside, HAS became an official 501(3)c non-profit organization in 2020.

To find out more about HAS, learn about the matching donation challenge, and to make a donation to this project to help the unhoused, CLICK HERE.