Board approves $4.1 million in grant funding to support homeless action plan projects

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved the allocation of nearly $4.1 million in grant funding to support affordable housing projects, emergency shelters for the homeless, rental assistance programs and other initiatives to address the region’s housing and homelessness crises. 

The grant funding advances objectives outlined in the Healthy and Safe Communities pillar of the county’s five-year Strategic Plan, which seeks to provide quality and equitable housing, health and human services for all. 

“These action plans demonstrate our commitment to securing long-term solutions to our local housing crisis,” said Supervisor James Gore, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “This investment will provide critical housing resources for the unsheltered while assisting in locating permanent supportive housing.”

Projects include the investment of $866,472 in Community Development Block Grant funds and $400,00 from HOME Investment Partnerships for the Dry Creek Commons in Healdsburg. The funding will assist in building 57 new affordable housing units for households with incomes between 30 and 60 percent of the area median income. It represents a crucial component in reducing homelessness as the county continues efforts to sustain and rapidly expand housing for those experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of becoming homeless.

While the county is focused on locating long-term solutions, today’s approved action plans include items that will also have an immediate impact. The board allocated $500,000 to the Sonoma County Housing Authority for tenant-based rental assistance to keep individuals housed while also allocating $148,739 to Sam Jones Hall Emergency Shelter in Santa Rosa.

Sonoma County’s emergency shelter and transitional housing programs establish safety through trauma-informed care, to stabilize and more quickly house participants. The action plan includes funding for 91 women and children at Community Action Partnership’s Sloan Women’s Shelter; 33 youth at Social Advocates for Youth’s Transitional-Aged Youth Emergency Shelter and another 81 youth at SAY’s Dream Center Emergency Shelter. 

Other projects included ADA accessibility improvements and infrastructure updates, funding to support Fair Housing, and legal services to provide eviction defense for residents and housing stabilization.

The county obtained federal grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund projects identified in the 2020 Consolidated Action Plan. The amended plan identified the needs of lower-income people and the proposed actions to serve those needs. It includes funding from the Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships and Emergency Solutions Grants.

The Community Development Commission issued a Notice of Funding Availability for CDBG, HOME, and CDBG-CV funds in December with funding proposals due for submission to the commission by Jan. 21, 2022. The Community Development Committee held public workshops on March 16 and public hearings on April 20 to review and discuss all eligible proposals submitted for funding. At the conclusion of the committee’s March 16 meeting, which included public comments and clarifications from applicant organizations, the committee voted to make funding recommendations to assist the activities listed in the draft fiscal year 2022-23 Action Plan and the fiscal year 2021-22 Amended Action Plan. 

For a full list of all the grant awards please visit SonomaCounty.ca.gov. 

For more information on the county’s five-year Strategic plan visit socostrategicplan.org.  

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Contact Information:
Gilbert Martinez, Communication Specialist  
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org 
575 Administration Drive, Suite 104A
Santa Rosa, CA 95403
(707) 565-3040