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Board approves Measure O and state HAP awards from new NOFA after robust review and public comment
Summary
The Board of Supervisors approved staff recommendations to allocate Measure O and state HAP funds through a new NOFA process, awarding multiple community providers from roughly $6.4 million available; public commenters urged additional outreach to LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups.
The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve recommendations from the Department of Health Services for awards under a new Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) using Measure O and state Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HAP) funds.
Assistant Director Gabriel Kaplan and program analyst David Hyatt described a competitive NOFA that offered a maximum award of $500,000 per project, received more than 60 proposals requesting roughly $25 million, and had about $6.4 million available for awards split between Measure O (approximately $4.4 million) and HAP (about $1.4 million).
Kaplan said the county assembled a five‑member community advisory panel to evaluate applications with an eight‑criteria scoring rubric; the panel prioritized fully funding fewer programs at amounts they judged sufficient to create multi‑year impact. He told the board the panel awarded maximum amounts in many cases because “over three years $500,000 is really sort of the minimal amount that you really need to make an impact.”
Staff presented recommended awards including (examples from the recommendation list): $500,000 to Aldea Inc. for its SOAR program; $294,000 to Aldea for adolescent substance‑use prevention; $500,000 to Alliance Medical Center for a behavioral‑health workforce pipeline; ~$499,000 to Catholic Charities for expanded mental‑health programming; $500,000 to West County Health Center for services to geographically isolated residents; $500,000 to the YWCA for specialized counseling for children and youth; and multiple HAP awards including rapid rehousing and transitional‑age‑youth housing projects.
Board members asked whether awards would expand services to new clients and how the county will monitor equitable access. David Hyatt said the recommended projects were a mix of expansion and new services and that the Department of Health Services will develop scopes of work with milestones, tracking client counts and expansion outcomes. Kaplan and Hyatt said unsuccessful applicants can reapply to future NOFAs but will likely need to resubmit application materials with updated dates.
Public comment included several speakers urging the county to prioritize access for LGBTQIA and other marginalized communities. Chase Overholt, interim executive director of Positive Images, said his organization was “doing the direct service work of mental health for our trans community” and said funded organizations still “accidentally cause undue harm” and urged Measure O funding for Positive Images. Board members acknowledged those concerns and directed staff to accelerate the next NOFA round and consider inclusivity and procurement steps to increase accessibility.
Supervisor Rabbit moved to approve the recommendations, Supervisor Corsi seconded, and the motion carried unanimously among members present.
Staff told the board they expect to return with a program update and interest‑rate reevaluation May 20, 2025, and said they are exploring operational improvements to better track Measure O spending and fund balances before issuing another NOFA.
The board’s approval authorizes Health Services to finalize awards and negotiate scopes of work and monitoring requirements with each recipient.
