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Council weighs cuts to homeless services; nonprofit partners urge preservation of drop‑in, shelter, and rental-assistance programs
Summary
City staff proposed reductions to several homeless-service contracts; nonprofit providers urged council to keep programs that prevent homelessness and maintain the area drop-in center, while proposing alternative savings and phased reductions.
Santa Rosa’s budget study session featured extended public testimony from nonprofit providers who urged the council to preserve major homeless-service contracts and administrative funding that they said leverages substantial private donations and prevents people from losing homes.
City staff had included several proposed reductions in the homelessness package to reduce the general‑fund subsidy. The revised package presented at the study session retained funding for a daytime drop-in center (a hub that also would host warming-center activations) and moved to reduce other contracted components. Key items discussed included the host outreach contract, Sam Jones Hall operational funding, the warming center, safe parking, and the city’s contribution to the annual Seasons of Sharing program.
Providers including Catholic Charities, YWCA Sonoma County, Sonoma CAN and the Secure Families Collaborative described the services they run with public funds: short-term shelter, a 24/7 domestic-violence hotline and safe house (YWCA), coordinated street outreach and crisis response, family shelter and diversion funds (Catholic Charities and Sonoma CAN), and legal and social services for immigrant households. Catholic Charities and other operators told council the drop-in center functions as a necessary daily hub for outreach, benefits access and warming‑center operations on adverse-weather nights.
Several nonprofit leaders urged the council to preserve the drop-in center funding while identifying some program adjustments. The housing department told council Catholic Charities could operate warming‑center activations within the drop-in center footprint and that staff recommended the warming center funding remain available but that daytime services be prioritized.
The council and staff agreed to continue adjusting the proposed reductions: council members requested that staff and nonprofit partners explore phased reductions, alternative funding streams and further creative options (including county and philanthropic support) before council adopts the final budget in June. Providers asked for clear short-term bridging funds and pledged to pursue private and county resources if council trims city funding.
