Santa Rosa reports 31% drop in homelessness after three years of strategic investments
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Summary
City staff told the Council the 2025 Year 3 report shows a 31% drop in homelessness since 2022, 718 people housed in FY24-25, and about $40 million invested in affordable housing over two years; staff warned results depend on continued external funding and rising pressures on placements next year.
City housing officials presented Year 3 of the Homelessness Solutions Strategic Plan and told the Santa Rosa City Council on April 8 that homelessness in the city fell 31% between the 2022 and 2025 point-in-time counts.
"Between 2022 and 2025, homelessness decreased in Santa Rosa by 31%," Sasha Brown, program specialist for housing and community services, said. Brown and manager Kelly Kuykendall described a combination of investments and programs: a $3.9 million homelessness-prevention pilot (Keep People House Sonoma), $2.3 million in HOME-ARP funds administered through Catholic Charities for financial assistance and services, round-2 Encampment Resolution Fund grants, and local housing authority investments totaling roughly $40 million over two years.
Staff reported that 718 individuals were housed in the 2024—25 fiscal year (a 24% increase from the prior year), the safe-parking program received county funds to continue operations, and the city's encampment team reduced the number of occupied vehicles (RVs and trailers) by an estimated 95% citywide. The housing authority said about 500 affordable units have been completed recently and roughly 142 units are under construction.
Council members asked for clarity on funding composition. Brown said the larger $39.4 million figure includes substantial state and federal grant dollars and that the city's general-fund contribution was a smaller slice (about $7 million over two years). Brown said the city had expended one-time disaster-recovery CDBG funds that had supported about 200 of the recent affordable units and cautioned that fewer one-time funds will likely reduce the pipeline going forward.
Councilmember McDonald asked staff to break down city general-fund contributions during upcoming budget discussions. Councilmembers also pressed staff on voucher availability and the status of emergency housing vouchers; Kuykendall said roughly 100 emergency housing vouchers are leased up and in use, and that those came from COVID-era allocations.
The Council unanimously voted to receive the Year 3 report (motion made by Councilmember Benuelos; second noted), and staff said they will pursue additional grants (including an encampment-resolution fund application due June 30) and return with Year 4 implementation plans for 2026.
What it means: staff credited regional collaboration and targeted investments for the declines but warned results are sensitive to outside funding and the availability of new affordable units. Councilmembers asked staff to provide detailed budget breakdowns during the next budget cycle so the public can see the composition of local versus outside funding and the cost implications of not sustaining those investments.
