Agenda Item #13.2
For Council Meeting of: September 29, 2026
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MEGAN BASINGER, DIRECTOR
HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES
SUBJECT: EXTENSION OF PROCLAMATION OF LOCAL HOMELESS EMERGENCY AGENDA ACTION: RESOLUTION
RECOMMENDATION
The Housing and Community Services Department recommends that the Council, by resolution, determine that the need for the local homeless emergency continues and extend the proclamation of local homeless emergency originally made by Resolution No. 28839. This item has no impact on the current fiscal year budget or the General Fund.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On August 9, 2016, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 8630 through 8634, the Council adopted Resolution No. 28839 proclaiming a local homeless emergency within Santa Rosa. Government Code Section 8630 requires the Council to review the need for continuing the local emergency at least once every 60 days until the Council terminates the emergency. In light of continuing homelessness-related conditions within the City, staff recommends that the Council determine that the need for the local emergency continues and maintain the proclamation in full force and effect. If approved, this will be the eighty-eighth extension of the proclamation.
GOAL
This item relates to Council Goal #5, Plan for and Encourage Housing for All and Reduce Homelessness, by preserving the City’s flexibility to respond to homelessness-related conditions.
BACKGROUND/PRIOR COUNCIL REVIEW
On July 19, 2016, staff presented to Council three options for emergency declarations concerning homelessness, including declaration of shelter crisis, declaration of local emergency, and request for a gubernatorial state of emergency proclamation, and sought direction regarding Council’s interest in pursuing these options. Council directed that staff return with documentation for all three options.
On August 9, 2016, the Council: 1) adopted Resolution No. 28838 declaring a homeless shelter crisis; 2) adopted Resolution No. 28839 proclaiming a local homeless emergency; and 3) directed the Mayor, by motion, to submit a letter requesting a gubernatorial proclamation of a state of emergency.
Government Code Section 8630 requires the Council to review the need for continuing the local homeless emergency at least once every 60 days until the Council terminates the emergency.
Since the original proclamation in August 2016, the Council initially reviewed and extended the local emergency monthly. After Government Code Section 8630 was amended effective January 1, 2019, the Council began conducting the required review at least once every 60 days.
The City is engaged in a range of efforts to address homelessness as part of its Homelessness Solutions Strategic Plan, including increased investment in short and long-term solutions, improved coordination across City departments and with stakeholders, and participation in regional efforts with the Sonoma County Homeless Coalition (formerly known as the Sonoma County Continuum of Care, CoC). City investments to support persons experiencing homelessness include daytime drop-in services, street outreach, low-barrier housing-focused emergency shelters and a Safe Parking Program, a winter warming center, homeless prevention services, housing assistance, and supportive services focused on moving people from homelessness to housing and keeping people housed. The City has also implemented the City Encampment Team, an interdepartmental team that proactively addresses the health, safety, and environmental concerns associated with encampments.
The declarations provide the City with greater flexibility to address homelessness, including by waiving certain health, safety, and zoning requirements applicable to the use of public property under the shelter-crisis declaration and private property under the local-emergency proclamation to create additional shelter for persons experiencing homelessness.
ANALYSIS
A local homeless emergency continues to exist in Santa Rosa as described in Resolution No. 28839, adopted by Council on August 9, 2016, including as follows: (Note: the statistical information contained in Resolution No. 28839 has been updated with current data.) Sonoma County’s preliminary 2026 point-in-time count identified 1,951 persons experiencing homelessness on a given night, including 1,098, or approximately 56%, who were unsheltered; and The 2026 point-in-time count identified 1,074 persons experiencing homelessness in Santa Rosa, representing approximately 55% of the countywide count, including 492, or approximately 46%, who were unsheltered; and The community’s homeless population includes veterans, women, children, persons with disabilities, seniors and other vulnerable populations; and There is a shortage of available and affordable housing units in Santa Rosa due to the very low rental vacancy rate; and Although current programs offered by the City and local nonprofit service providers are providing assistance to many persons living without permanent housing, a significant number of persons within the City remain without the ability to obtain shelter; and Many of those unable to obtain shelter continue to reside on the streets, along creeks and pathways, in alleys and doorways, and in unauthorized encampments throughout the City; and Persons without shelter are also often without adequate cooking or sanitary facilities, are at risk from theft, crime and extreme weather conditions, and are without security; and Such conditions result in a critical threat to the physical and mental health and safety of those experiencing homelessness; and Such conditions also result in a threat to the natural environment and the public health and well-being of the surrounding community; and To address these conditions, significant additional public and private resources must be brought to bear, with efforts focused on both short-term immediate health and safety measures and long-term solutions to homelessness; and The scope of the local homeless crisis is beyond the resources of the City standing alone and will require the combined forces of adjacent jurisdictions and state agencies; and The causes and effects of homelessness are complex and can be addressed only with dedication, coordination, and flexibility.
These conditions continue to pose extreme peril to the safety of persons and property within the territorial limits of the City, thus necessitating the continuation of the proclamation of local homeless emergency at this time.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the recommended action does not appropriate or authorize the expenditure of funds and will have no impact on the current fiscal year budget or the General Fund.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5), the recommended action is not a project subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it continues an existing emergency proclamation and does not approve, authorize, or commit the City to any specific shelter, construction project, or other physical activity that may result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. Any future activity undertaken pursuant to the proclamation will be subject to separate environmental review, as applicable.
In the alternative, the recommended action is exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that continuing the proclamation, by itself, will not have a significant effect on the environment.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Resolution – Extending a Proclamation of Local Homeless Emergency
PRESENTER
Sasha Brown, Program Specialist II
EXTENSION OF PROCLAMATION OF LOCAL HOMELESS EMERGENCY
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