Sonoma County supervisors OK Santa Rosa housing for homeless veterans

Sonoma County supervisors on Tuesday approved a plan to convert three houses on Russell Avenue in Santa Rosa into housing for homeless veterans, with preference given to those who are on probation.

The houses, at 695, 697 and 699 Russell Ave., were previously leased out by the nonprofit Social Advocates for Youth, which provides young people with housing, counseling and job training. The county will now lease the properties to homeless veterans who have low-income housing vouchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Three families, totaling 11 people, have already been selected for long-term housing at the Russell Avenue houses, according to Kym Valadez, a social worker with the Veterans Administration who oversees the local voucher program. Two of the women being housed are pregnant, Valadez said.

“Finding housing for these families is very difficult right now,” Valadez said.

Supervisor Shirlee Zane said the county must continue to develop similar projects to provide housing, tied with supportive services, for homeless people.

“This is the right thing to do,” Zane said.