|
RUMOR CONTROL AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON HOMELESS ACTION SONOMA (HAS)
Recently, it was posted on Facebook that the Homeless Action Sonoma Program, now being run by Catholic Charities, was evicting some of their residents in January 2026 when their current contract runs out, and then the residents would be back out on the street. We have dedicated a lot of our mutual aid efforts to this organization because we have much care for our unhoused community members. I reached out to the Catholic Charities staff with an inquiry, which ended up with the below statement from the Director of Communications, Ashley Juricich. She submitted this for us to post in our newsletter. I am very grateful for their quick response to voiced concerns. “Catholic Charities of Northwest California (CCNWC) entered into a contract with Homeless Action Sonoma (HAS) in June 2025, taking on the operations of the Home and Safe Village adult temporary shelter. When we stepped in, we sat down with every program participant to walk through a new program agreement. This gave everyone a fresh start with a new 180-day stay under Catholic Charities’ case management, ensuring we’re aligned with the Sonoma County Homelessness Coalition emergency shelter standards. “Catholic Charities leads with a “Housing First” approach, pairing participants who are open to services with case managers who connect them to resources such as community programs, employment support, and pathways to permanent housing. Our ultimate goal is always to help our participants move into stable, long-term housing. When permanent housing is not immediately available, we work closely with participants and community partners to secure another shelter option. On occasion, some participants opt out of case management, in which case we are limited in our ability to provide housing after their shelter stay ends. Across California, emergency shelter stays typically follow a 180-day model. This timeframe allows organizations like ours to help participants become housing-ready while also ensuring we can help as many unhoused neighbors as possible. That said, we do recognize that some participants may need a longer stay, and if someone has housing secured and is preparing for their move, we extend their shelter stay to ensure a smooth transition. We’re truly grateful for the chance to be part of the Sonoma Valley community and to stand alongside our neighbors as they take steps toward housing and stability. For over 70 years, Catholic Charities has walked with people experiencing homelessness, and we’ve learned that success comes not only from finding housing, but from helping people build the skills and support networks they need to thrive. That’s the heart of our work, and it’s what we look forward to bringing to more of our neighbors here in Sonoma Valley.”
|
