Northern Sonoma groups tell Cloverdale council homelessness dropped sharply; capacity gap remains

Cloverdale — Representatives of Reach for Home told the Cloverdale City Council on June 24 that collaborative street outreach and interim housing strategies have reduced the regional unsheltered population by more than 80 percent since 2020.

Margaret, the Reach for Home speaker representing the northern Sonoma County collaboration, described the by‑names list approach, the L&M Village interim housing program, and placements into permanent supportive housing. She said the network has placed more than 70 people into permanent homes since 2022, but the program is now slowed by the lack of individual housing vouchers and reductions in county funding.

"When we did that the first time, we realized that 90% of the people surveyed are from here or have lived in northern Sonoma County for a really long time," Margaret said, describing the by‑names outreach model the program uses to tailor case management. The group asked the council for continued partnership and highlighted a pending application for encampment resolution funding that could expand capacity.

Council members praised Reach for Home's collaborative approach, noted the importance of continued local support and flexible funding, and discussed potential budget amendments to support programming. Several residents in the audience expressed gratitude and reported the visible change downtown.

Speakers quoted: Margaret (Reach for Home) on placements, the by‑names list and program metrics; multiple council members expressed appreciation and interest in site tours and potential funding.

What happens next: Reach for Home is preparing a grant submission and said it would welcome city partnership on encampment resolution funding and operational referrals. Councilmembers indicated interest in follow‑up, including facility tours and possible budget amendments.