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Indybay Feature

What Policies can help the homelessness issue in Sonoma County?

by Chromwyll Romero
What policies can help the homelessness issue in Sonoma County?
Sonoma County currently has one of the highest per-capita rates of homelessness in the Country and is very high in the cost of housing. Defining homelessness means for families who lack a stable home, including those who live in shelters, transitional housing, couch surfers, and people who live in their vehicles. The 2020 Sonoma County Census and Survey, reports on the demographics of those individuals experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County.
With the topic of homelessness becoming a more pressing subject during the pandemic, the County has no choice but to address this problem that has been ongoing for years. With the lack of policies addressing the homelessness issue, many programs and cities believe that it can’t just fall under their responsibility but must come from a regional effort. Each city in Sonoma County has different approaches for their homelessness issues, so creating programs for both immediate need and longer-term programs is necessary for eliminating homelessness.
Try to name a policy in Sonoma County that addresses the homeless issue. Very little to no results show up, other than the policies that are implemented by the whole state. Now ask yourself, what have you done to help in the issue of homelessness? What can you do? Is it enough? The reason I ask these questions is that, after X # of interviews I conducted, the biggest issue for these programs on homelessness is finding space to build permanent housing. . Officials have been gatekeeping their cities because they don’t want a shelter or homeless housing a few miles away from where they live. This issue is not one that these programs can solve on their own, we as a community have to come together and be open to helping these other human beings.
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