City of Petaluma, County of Sonoma and COTS announce the completion of Phase One of People’s Village Project

The City of Petaluma, in partnership with the County of Sonoma and Committee on the Shelterless (COTS), announced today the completion of the first phase of the People’s Village, a pilot interim housing program that will provide 25 individual shelters for our most vulnerable community members experiencing homelessness. The People’s Village is located at the Mary Isaak Center at 900 Hopper St. 

This phase includes the completion of the first nine units and the welcoming of the first residents to the village by the end of the month. The units will be reserved for service-resistant individuals or couples who would like to access wraparound services on the path to permanent housing without being locked into a shelter stay. These shelter units are modeled on COTS’ dorm-style emergency shelter. Residents will not have to pay rent, just as they would not for a shelter bed. However, there is a limit to the length of stay. Individuals are capped at 180 days. COTS staff will work with residents during that time to find permanent housing.

On Sept. 13, 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. “However, solutions to homelessness are complex and require a multi-faceted, interdisciplinary approach that addresses the unique needs of each individual, and it has been through this partnership of our local service providers, the County, our community, and the city to bring this project to fruition. 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 working to leverage 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. The emergency shelters are built with metal framing, locking doors, operable windows, and standard residential insulation to provide safety and comfort to residents. They 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 down the road. 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. 

For more information on People’s Village, visit https://cityofpetaluma.org/peoplesvillage and https://cots.org/interim-housing-faq/

People’s Village is a project of the City of Petaluma, in partnership with the County of Sonoma and COTS.