The County of Sonoma had planned to sell the Chanate Hospital, a 72-acre property for 8 million dollars. The Newport Beach sellers have backed out of the deal as of December 23rd, 2020. We MUST DEMAND that the County of Sonoma use Measure O funding to end the homeless ands housing crisis through the Chanate Hospital! We have a proposal that could change how Sonoma County handles the homeless crisis, and possibly almost eliminate this issue. By stopping the sale of Chanate Hospital, you can eliminate a housing crisis and eliminate chronic homelessness. 

Why Chanate Hospital?
The Chanate Hospital is 72 acres of property, center to Santa Rosa and transportation, but away from large groups of home. The Chanate Hospital, if retrofitted, already has a cafeteria, kitchen, beds, bathrooms, showers, offices, clinics, and more. The Chanate Hospital would be more cost effective and fiscally appropriate in the long run. While the hotel SRO model is an excellent idea, the County has a space to permanently solve our issue. The Chanate Hospital could be the perfect investment, if the County helps work to implement the same SRO model at the Chanate facility.

How?
Instead of investing 8 million dollars into hotel SRO’s, use the 8 million dollars and the Measure O tax to retrofit the Chanate Hospital into an SRO and resource hub for the homeless community. The Measure O tax can provide millions of dollars annually to this cause. With the support of big homeless shelters and organizations in Sonoma County; Redwood Gospel Mission, Catholic Charities, SAY, and more, we can provide a resource hub for the homeless crisis. With the support of the Sheriff’s department and Emergency Medical Services Department we could reduce the spending on the homeless community during the year. With County and City support, we could invest in our community’s crisis and come out with rehabilitated members of our economy.

How can the Chanate Hospital Become a Resource Hub?

The Chanate Hospital has so much space it could provide a multitude of resources for hundreds(if not more) of people. The Chanate Hospital can:
-provide homes for: women and children victims of domestic abuse, people with mental health disabilities, people with addiction issues and in addiction recovery, ex-convicts, those who lost their jobs during the pandemic, those who lost their homes in the fires or pandemic, children, and more.
-provide services such as: addiction recovery services, mental health services, career management resources, counseling and therapy resources, health services, food services, clothing donation services, education management resources, childcare resources, onsite eligibility services for food stamps and government assistance, parent/child reunification services, reentry services
-provide jobs in our community: volunteers, cooks, healthcare workers, therapists and counseling services, career counselors, AA and NA meetings, education counselors, daycare providers, and more
-close by transportation: there is a bus stop at the location
-close to community: important for job resources

What is the Outcome of Making the Hospital an SRO?
By making the hospital an SRO, you will provide your community with permanent resources. In the midst of a pandemic, you will provide jobs to a stressed community that is living on the edge. With the resources listed above you will allow the homeless community of all forms to reenter society, and rather than draining it, they will rejoin it. Those who are close to the community and provided the right resources can start a path of rehabilitation, and become contributing members of Sonoma County’s economy. We will reduce overall hospitalization and jail costs. We will reduce crime rate and drug use among the homeless population. We will greatly reduce homelessness in Sonoma County. We will add contributing members to our community. We will clean our streets. We will bring back tourism to Santa Rosa and other parts of the county. Lastly and most importantly, we will hold you to your promise and your vow to help the community members struggling, uphold the Housing First Initiative, and find a permanent solution to the housing and homelessness crisis in Sonoma County.