Council appoints Gregory Fearon to Santa Rosa Housing Authority after interviews

The Santa Rosa City Council appointed Gregory Fearon to the Santa Rosa Housing Authority on Dec. 10 after conducting interviews with four candidates. Councilmember Fleming made the motion and council voted in favor with six affirmative votes; Councilmember Benuelos recused from that item.

During his interview, Fearon described decades of local work: he said he had been a resident for about 50 years and previously was executive director of the Community Support Network and a developer of housing serving formerly homeless and mentally ill residents. He emphasized building partnerships with developers, county boards, and service providers, and described integrating behavioral health into homelessness services as a priority.

Councilmembers commended all candidates for bringing diverse experience. Councilmember Rogers explicitly recommended Fearon, saying he is “well rounded” and would be a good asset to the community; Councilmember Fleming noted the importance of appointing someone willing to speak up and hold staff accountable. Public commenter Duane DeWitt urged the council to provide appointees independence and asked for imaginative, forward-looking approaches, including revisiting past programs that once allowed Section 8 vouchers to be used toward homeownership.

The clerk recorded the roll call for the appointment: Rogers (Yes), McDonald (Aye), Fleming (Yes), Benuelos (recused), Alvarez (Aye), Vice Mayor O'Krepkie (Aye), and Mayor Stapp (Yes). The motion passed with six affirmative votes and one recusal. Council directed the city clerk to finalize the appointment and return any necessary administrative documentation.

What this means: The Housing Authority will have a new member with experience as a developer, nonprofit director and community advocate; councilmembers said they expect the appointee to push for creative, collaborative approaches to housing and for stronger coordination with county behavioral health programs.