Nine individual shelters have been built in Petaluma for the homeless with 16 more of the tiny-home structures on the way. The construction marks phase one of the People’s Village, a pilot interim housing program from the City of Petaluma in partnership with the County of Sonoma and Committee on the Shelterless (COTS).
Located at the Mary Isaak Center at 900 Hopper St., the village will welcome the first residents by the end of the month.
The shelter units are modeled on COTS’ dorm-style emergency shelter. Residents will not have to pay rent, but are limited to a stay of 180 days. COTS staff will work with residents during that time to find permanent housing.
In September 2021, the Petaluma City Council declared a shelter crisis in Petaluma in recognition of the urgent need for shelter faced by a significant and growing number of people in the community. Declaring a “crisis” empowers the City of Petaluma to take necessary steps to address these important issues.
The annual Sonoma County Point-in-Time Count provides a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness on a given night. Across Sonoma County, it is estimated that 2,745 are experiencing homelessness. In Petaluma, 295 community members are experiencing homelessness, which includes 133 people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
“Petaluma has a long, demonstrated history of taking care of our own,” said Petaluma City Manager Peggy Flynn. “The People’s Village will allow these community members the opportunity to stabilize, restore hope and dignity, and provide a pathway to permanent housing. We are incredibly grateful for the support of our partners, COTS and the County.”
To facilitate movement to permanent housing, the COTS staff, as well as community partners, will be looking at any and all options to support housing placements – Emergency Housing Vouchers, Veterans Housing Vouchers, Coordinated Entry Permanent Supportive Housing Placements, Rapid Rehousing, and case management support.
“This is a tremendous project that continues to reaffirm our commitment to delivering long-term housing solutions,” said Supervisor David Rabbitt, whose district includes the People’s Village project. “The project truly exemplifies the amazing work that can be done when the county, city and community come together.”
The remaining emergency shelters will be erected at a later time, according to COTS. The emergency shelters are built with metal framing, locking doors, operable windows, and standard residential insulation to provide safety and comfort to residents.
The units are said to offer long-term durability, and can be built by three people with standard tools. This reduces maintenance costs over time and allows for future site adjustments should COTS and city staff wish to add units to the existing site or move them to a new location in the future.
In conjunction with the announcement of phase one being completed, the city will be hosting a ribbon-cutting event onsite on Tuesday, Feb. 22, from 4:30-6:00 p.m.
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