Safe overnight parking for Sonoma homeless gets tentative go ahead

A pilot program in Sonoma to allow homeless people to sleep in their vehicles overnight near the police station is moving ahead, despite misgivings about its location and limited scope.

The City Council on a 3-2 vote this week gave tentative approval to a plan allowing five parking spaces between the police department and the Council chamber to be used by homeless people to park overnight.

Advocates say the “safe parking” program scratches the surface of homelessness, which has relatively low visibility in one of the more affluent Sonoma County cities.

“I call it a Band-Aid. But if we get five cars, we get 10 people safe. We can work with them to maybe get them permanent housing, or something else,” said Kathy King, executive director of Sonoma Overnight Support, the nonprofit that runs The Haven, the only homeless shelter in Sonoma Valley.

The 10-bed shelter two blocks north of the Plaza operates at capacity and has a waiting list that can stretch for more than a year.

“This is a huge step for the City Council to acknowledge ‘Yes there is a homeless crisis and yes, we have to do something,’?” King said.

There were 86 homeless people counted in Sonoma Valley in 2016, according to the annual census conducted by the county, including unincorporated areas outside the city.

Shelter officials initially asked the city to establish the safe parking program directly in front of their modular shelter, in a parking lot used by people who come to the nearby dog park and Field of Dreams sports fields.

But the proximity of the Little League park was not considered a good fit, even though the homeless parking program would only be in effect overnight, from?9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

“The reality of homelessness is there are other issues that come with it,” said City Councilwoman Madolyn Agrimonti. “A percentage are chemical-dependent, alcoholic and possibly mentally ill. Possibly, families are fearful.”

The council majority, including Agrimonti, Rachel Hundley and Mayor Laurie Gallian, directed city staff to pursue setting up the parking program in a more secluded area on the south side of their chambers, where council members park for their twice monthly meetings.

The spaces are also used by planning commissioners, and school and hospital trustees for their meetings. The plan still requires formal approval by the council, but would operate from November through March.

It would be overseen by a Haven employee who would screen and monitor participants, making sure, for example, there is no alcohol or drug use and the vehicles are functioning.

Safe parking programs for the homeless have functioned relatively smoothly in the more than two years they have been in effect in other Sonoma County communities.

The county contracted with Catholic Charities to oversee safe parking operations for homeless people in nine locations in Santa Rosa and Sebastopol.

The number of spaces vary from three at various churches, to 50 spaces at the county center parking lot.

Last winter, the program worked with 595 people who were living in their cars, not only providing a secure place to spend the night, but also warming stations in cold weather and sanitary facilities for more than 200 people nightly, according to the county Housing Authority.

The Haven identified ?17 people this month sleeping in their cars in Sonoma.

“They’re not coming from other places,” King said. “They’re from Sonoma. They’re people’s sisters, brothers and cousins.”

The Haven also provides day services that include showers, laundry and use of a computer.

The homeless living at the shelter or in their cars typically have low-paying jobs, are day laborers or doing temporary work.

“They can’t afford to live in Sonoma, but want to be around their relatives or their job,” King said.

Of the four women at the shelter, three are in their 60s, what she calls “the new homeless” who have lost their husband or jobs.

Sonoma Councilman David Cook, who voted against the pilot parking program along with Councilman Gary Edwards, said it was hard to vote “no,” but he believes it should be somewhere else.

“What happens when the sixth car pulls in at 10 o’clock at night? We have to turn them away,” he said. “I think it’s a great program, but I would like to see a bigger spot that can be maintained well by Catholic Charities or another group.”

Council members generally agreed that it makes sense to pursue a larger overnight parking area for homeless in another location in Sonoma Valley, in conjunction with county officials.

The program could also provide meals, medical referrals and link to job programs and housing.

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 707-521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@clarkmas.