There are no easy solutions to the homelessness issue that affects many of our communities across the country. In California alone, the population is estimated at 172,000, or 30 percent of all homeless people in the United States, according to 2022 data from the U.S. Department of Housing Development. Some experts believe those numbers are underestimated, and the population could balloon even more as federal emergency rental assistance and other programs during the pandemic have come to an end. As such, the homelessness crisis needs to be treated as an emergency. We need bold and creative thinkers to get a foothold on this growing problem, which stems largely from California’s exorbitant housing prices. That’s where Dignity Moves comes in. The charity organization’s innovative approach provides interim supportive housing in such California communities as San Francisco, Alameda, Rohnert Park, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.

1. A Place for Stabilization, Rebuilding Lives The interim housing gives those in need a stop-over between the streets and permanent housing or, as described in the Dignity Moves website, a “place where people can get out of survival mode, take a breath, and have the mental and emotional capacity to focus on stabilizing and rebuilding their lives.” I am proud to say that I recently became a member of Dignity Moves’ Advisory Task Force, and am looking forward to working within the organization to advance its innovations. In 2023,DignityMoves has plans to expand beyond California and reach out to communities around the country similarly overwhelmed by homelessness. We spend billions on the issue at the federal, state and local levels, but the majority of those dollars are diverted toward permanent supportive housing. They are, of course, necessary, butthey are just one part of the solution. Dignity Moves has found that up to nine of 10 unhoused people will refuse placement in“ congregate” shelters. They might fear for their safety or that their belongings will be stolen, or perhaps the shelters do not allow couples or pets. But the organization says no one has yet turned down one of its temporary private rooms, and the first step in helping unhoused people rebuild their lives is simply to get them off the streets. Model for Success

Rohnert Park will welcome the first residents to its new $15 million homeless housing site on Monday.

The 60-unit project on Labath Avenue is Rohnert Park’s first effort to house some of its estimated 250 unsheltered residents.

Officials in Sonoma County’s third largest city hope the new space provides them with an additional tool to address rising homelessness, particularly a large encampment on Roberts Lake Road that has caused growing concern among residents and businesses.

“Labath Landing gives us a really important asset to respond to homelessness in Rohnert Park,” Assistant City Manager Don Schwartz said.

The project provides people experiencing homelessness with temporary housing and wraparound services while they work with a case manager to find lasting homes. The city anticipates serving about 100 people a year there, Schwartz said.

The facility, less than a mile south of Graton Resort and Casino, was paid for through the state’s Project Homekey. The $3.6 billion program launched in 2020 gives local jurisdictions and tribal governments money to repurpose motels for housing and build new shelters.

On Wednesday, about 50 construction workers raced to finish work at the city-owned acre lot, paving the parking lot and access road, nailing down decks and installing landscaping.

Volunteers were expected to be on site to set up furniture and decorate the rooms in the coming days.

Rohnert Park officials on Sunday will celebrate the completion of the project with tours of the facility and a ceremony before transporting new residents to the site on Monday.

The city anticipates units will be 90% occupied when it opens, Rohnert Park’s Housing Administrator Jenna Garcia said.

Officials have made offers to about 50 people camping in the commuter parking lot on Roberts Lake Road and in an encampment in Hinebaugh Creek to move into Labath Landing, Garcia said.

“People are really eager to move in,” she said.

Officials will reorganize remaining residents at the commuter lot into a smaller, managed camp on the east side of the lot after transitioning people into the new units.

Labath Landing is made up of about a dozen prefabricated modular homes.

People will be housed in small private rooms, each outfitted with a lofted twin bed with storage space below and a desk. Twelve of the rooms are compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and are slightly larger with capacity for up to two people such as a couple.

Residents will share communal bathrooms and there is a community room with a dining area, conference room and computer lab. The campus has laundry facilities, additional storage space, a community garden and pet relief area.

Labath Landing will be operated by Milpitas-based nonprofit HomeFirst, which will have staff on site to provide case management, mental health counseling and other services. Prepared meals will be given to residents.

The majority of the units are reserved for individuals with high needs such as those considered chronically homeless, older residents and people with disabilities or health issues, Garcia said.

Chronic homelessness, where a person has been continually homeless for a year or more or has experienced homelessness on several occasions within the past three years, spiked in Sonoma County over the past two years despite a surge in government spending, according to a February point-in-time count.

In approving the project last year, city officials said Rohnert Park needed more housing for the homeless to effectively enforce camping and overnight parking rules.

The City Council last October voted to seek financing for the project, over objections from Graton Casino operators and two nearby hotels. The state approved the city’s full $14.6 million funding request in December.

Crews broke ground on the project in June and have been working round-the-clock to finish construction under a tight deadline from the state to open within 10 months of being awarded funding, Garcia said.

Rohnert Park has received a subsidy from the state to help pay for operations and has qualified for a $600,000 early occupancy bonus that will be put toward operating costs. The city will also receive money from a funding framework set up by Sonoma County to provide operating funds to Homekey sites for seven years.

Garcia said the site will provide a safe environment for people to get stabilized and the private setting will help better meet residents’ needs compared to a congregate shelter, which can be a deterrent for people seeking services.

“Labath Landing demonstrates the city’s commitment to addressing homelessness,” Mayor Jackie Elward said in a statement. “It will address the crisis on our streets by providing a place for people to gain stability as they transition to permanent housing and help people move out of homelessness for good.”

You can reach Staff Writer Paulina Pineda at 707-521-5268 or paulina.pineda@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @paulinapineda22.

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