Sonoma County announces homeless services reorganization, new director

Sonoma County has named Dave Kiff as the director of its newly established Homeless Services Division, signaling a push to establish a more unified response to rising homelessness in the region.

The move, announced Wednesday, is part of a larger reorganization that transfers the team focused on homeless services from the Community Development Commission to the Health Services Department, one the largest agencies in county government.

Kiff, who has served as interim director of the Community Development Commission since July 2021, will step into his new role on Jan. 10.

“Dave brings to this position strong collaboration skills and is equipped with a fresh perspective about homeless services and the Continuum of Care system within Sonoma County,” Tina Rivera, the county’s health services director, said in a press release. “He’s a respected leader within the community, and we’re grateful to have someone with his knowledge and skill set to oversee this all-important new division.”

The reorganization comes amid widening interest from nonprofits, advocates, cities and county officials in establishing a more coordinated network to address homelessness in Sonoma County.

The spate of freezing temperatures in November and December most recently highlighted that need as nonprofits, cities and county officials scrambled to provide enough warming shelters for unsheltered individuals.

“This consolidation is an investment that will knock down silos and better support our community as a whole,” Supervisor James Gore, chair of the Board of Supervisors, said in the news release. “It will provide critical housing resources for the unsheltered and is a major step toward the goal of ending homelessness.”

The Board of Supervisors approved the reorganization in June 2022 and allocated an additional $830,000 annually for the consolidation.

The Homeless Services Division will encompass a pair of teams to handle regular outreach and long-term aid efforts, including at encampments. The division will also include a team dedicated to inter-agency coordination and a group dedicated to working with housing sites acquired through state Homekey funds, according to the release.

Kiff, 58, who grew up in Healdsburg, has worked in government for 30 years, including 21 years in the city of Newport Beach, where he was city manager for nine years. He returned to Sonoma County in 2019 and served as interim city manager in Healdsburg and Sonoma before joining the county.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Cal State Sacramento and a master’s degree in government administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

His annual base salary will be $178,880.

The county’s annual homeless point-in-time count for 2022 revealed a 5% increase in Sonoma County’s overall homeless population, to an estimated 2,893 homeless residents.

It also showed a more dramatic 43% increase since 2020 in chronic homelessness. Those residents who have been continuously homeless for one year or more and/or those who have become homeless on four or more occasions within the past three years.

The findings buoyed calls from advocates and county officials, including Kiff, for more robust investment in housing solutions.

According to the county report, 63% of people experiencing homelessness said an inability to afford rent was an obstacle to obtaining permanent housing.

“Sonoma County — from its county government to its cities and service providers — has in place today a really terrific team that, with the right focus and resources, can make significant progress toward achieving functional zero in homelessness. I’m excited to be a part of that team,” Kiff said in the release. “I also hope that our entire Sonoma County community stays involved in homelessness solutions, because it takes nothing less than that.”

The Community Development Commission will continue with its other responsibilities under Sonoma County’s Housing Authority, including rental assistance programs and supporting affordable housing development, said Gilbert Martinez, a county spokesperson.

The county is expected to launch a search for Kiff’s replacement leading the commission in mid-January, Martinez said. An interim director to replace Kiff will be named around that time, he added.

You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.