In a letter to the Sonoma County Bord of Supervisors, the Sonoma County Commission in Human Rights requests additional funding to close the gap caused by the Trump Administration cutbacks in funds for the unhoused.
With the Federal cutbacks introduced last week the homeless organizations of Sonoma County are in absolute turmoil. Remember back in 2020 when we were in lockdown and so many individuals and families lost their housing? This will be a hundred times worse.
The first round of cutoffs will result in 209 housing vouchers lost. That could mean individuals and families. That could mean 200 to 500 people back on the streets that were previously successfully housed. In Measure O there is a caveat of a 4/5 vote from the Board of Supervisors (BOS) to alter the percentages of funding. At the moment only 2% of Measure O is granted to permanent and or transitional housing.
The Commission on Human Rights humbly asks for that percentage to be raised to at least 7%, enough for a little safety but not enough to harm the percentages to Behavioral Health. CHR also asks for immediate interim assistance from the $435M General Fund from the County to keep the 209 individuals/families housed through HUD assistance, so the Behavioral Health and Crisis Services and Response Networks of our County are not immediately overwhelmed and in crisis themselves with 200 plus people becoming homeless in one day.
Yes, all of this is unprecedented. We must create new ways as a County now to deal with our issues. The Commission on Human Rights is imploring the Board of Supervisors to please work with us to develop new funding, repurpose vacant public buildings for service hubs and shelters, bolster Homelessness Services in Measure O by at least 7% instead of 2%, and from General Funds to maintain current Vouchers. Our homeless service organizations cannot handle 200+ individuals and families in one day.
As you know, we could not handle the increase even during lockdown. That increase happened over several months. This will happen in one day. No one was prepared for this. We weren’t prepared for this. We ask the BOS to keep the current Vouchers up to date and not let people and families have to start from scratch, ground zero, again.
If the Joe Rodota Trail was any indication when thousands of residents raised tent city and then forcibly displaced, let that be seen now. Housing is Healthcare. Housing saves lives. And understanding how to integrate Behavioral Health into housing for the homeless can save even more lives.
In committed solidarity,
Sonoma County Commission on Human Rights
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