Sonoma County explores housing for veterans in Santa Rosa

Sonoma County is seeking to convert three homes on Russell Avenue in Santa Rosa into housing for homeless veterans, a move being touted as critical especially for homeless families as rents continue to rise.

The Board of Supervisors today is expected to sign off on the project, which would transform the properties at 695, 697 and 699 Russell Ave. into long-term housing for homeless veterans who receive vouchers through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. If approved, veterans would receive on-site supportive services from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The houses, which were previously leased by Social Advocates for Youth, provided temporary housing for at-risk teens from 2013 until last year. This year, the nonprofit agency opened the Dream Center, relocating its programs to a new facility on Summerfield Road in Santa Rosa.

County officials now are hoping to lease out the single-family homes to homeless families or individuals who hold HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers, which would provide rental subsidies of $1,414 to $2,061 a month per house. Support services such as counseling, substance abuse treatment and financial management courses would be offered on site.

If the board signs off, the General Services Department would lease the properties to the Community Development Commission, which operates county homelessness programs. The commission, acting as the landlord, would in turn lease out the homes to VASH voucher-holders and collect the monthly rental subsidies.

The city of Santa Rosa provides the vouchers to veterans.

Top priority for the housing is expected to be given to homeless veterans who are on probation, a request sought by the county’s Probation Department, according to Kathleen Kane, executive director of the Community Development Commission.

“It’s easier for someone on probation to be successful if they have stable housing,” Kane said.

Local Veterans Administration officials have tentatively identified three homeless families for the project, according to county officials.

In the future, the properties also could be used as single-room occupancy units, housing up to 17 individuals, according to the county.

The county bought the houses in 2003 for a county-run homeless shelter, according to John Haig, capital programs manager for the Community Development Commission. If approved, the housing will help the county meet its goal of providing permanent housing tied with support services for homeless people.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. ?On Twitter @ahartreports.