City of Rohnert Park

Based on the annual Homeless Survey, the number of homeless individuals in Rohnert Park at any one time has increased from about 45 people in 2015 to 130 in recent years. Due to increased development, staff presence in the creeks to address water quality, and the completion of the SMART train tracks, homeless individuals may be moving to different parts of the city, which can make them more visible. While the number of homeless individuals in Rohnert Park has increased over the past 5 years, it stayed about the same between 2018 and 2019.

There is no evidence that Rohnert Park is attracting homeless individuals from out of the area. The 2019 Homeless Survey showed that 87% of homeless individuals were already living in Sonoma County when they became homeless, and 70% have lived here for ten or more years. Rohnert Park does not have homeless services such as emergency shelters or places to get a free meal, which are often accessed by those experiencing homelessness.

While there are some who may never want to move into housing, 89% of individuals experiencing homelessness report that they would gladly accept affordable permanent housing if it became available (see 2019 Homeless Survey.) The reality is that, for most, affordable housing – often with supportive services they need to remain safely housed – is not available to them.

There are many reasons. Two of the main ones: Wages have not kept up with the rising cost of housing for lower-income people, and the epidemic of opioids, fentanyl and methamphetamine use. People living in RVs and cars —a population that probably at one point had stable housing but lost it for various reasons — make up one of the biggest parts of the recent increase nationally.

California has 12% of the overall U.S. population, but about 25% of the nation’s homeless population (about 130,000 total). The cost and lack of housing is a primary reason. If people lose their housing, it is much harder to find another place to live in California, which is short millions of housing units. California’s population is the largest in the United States as well. A 2018 study by Zillow Research showed that homelessness increases more rapidly where rent exceeds a third of their income. As of 2017 renters in Rohnert Park were paying an average of 38% of their income on rent, however, per the Zillow study, as of 2018, renters in Santa Rosa were paying an average of 43.7% of their income towards rent.

“Home Sonoma County” is the County’s homeless services system of care and provides mostly state funding to local non-profits for services related to homelessness. Rohnert Park’s Assistant City Manager, Don Schwartz, sits on Home Sonoma County’s Leadership Council, which makes most funding decisions for funds allocated County-wide.  

You can learn more about what Home Sonoma County is doing here.

Rohnert Park does not have a homeless shelter and refers individuals to services and shelters in Santa Rosa and Petaluma, which are usually full with waitlists. There are year-round shelter beds available for about 23% of the individuals experiencing homeless in Sonoma County, leaving 77% unsheltered most of the year. In the winter, shelters expand their capacity and can shelter about 33% of those experiencing homelessness.

While homeless individuals are able to access public restrooms at the parks or library during open hours, the City does not have facilities with public showers other than the Sports Center, which is open to members of the public for a fee. The City does not operate any 24-hour restrooms.

If a homeless individual – or any individual – is on your private home property and was not invited by you, they are trespassing and you should contact Public Safety to assist in removing them. If you see homeless individual on public property and they are not breaking any laws, they are allowed to be there. While it is not acceptable for anyone to break any laws, being homeless is not a crime and homeless individuals enjoy the same rights as any other residents.

Learn more about how you can help by clicking on the “How to Help” page.

The City is partnering with COTS, a non-profit focused on helping people experiencing homelessness. COTS has an outreach team which regularly visits encampments and offers services to individuals there, which may include substance use and mental health support. Unfortunately, in Sonoma County, there are not sufficient mental health and substance use services available to adequately meet the need.

City parks are closed at night, so no one should be in them overnight. Creeks are protected waterways, and state law prohibits anyone from depositing trash or debris within 150 feet of them. For this reason, people cannot set up camps within 150 feet of the creeks or do anything that may result in trash getting in the waterway. Beyond parks and creeks, the City can require people to move if they are interfering with the public’s use of a public facility (such as blocking a sidewalk), however, the City cannot prohibit individuals from sleeping on public property. If an encampment on public land is causing health and safety issues, the City can post a 72 hour notice, remove belongings left behind and do a camp clean-up. In these cases, the City stores valuable belongings for 90 days so that the owners have the opportunity to retrieve them.

Designated homeless encampments are challenging for cities to implement and operate. They often require substantial funding to provide restrooms, trash pick-up and security, and it can be difficult to find locations to host them. Additionally, they do not lead to permanent housing.

The City requires COTS to provide quarterly reports for the Rapid Rehousing program, funded through the City. The report details how many people have been housed through the program and what percentage kept their housing after financial assistance ended. Additionally, the City has a Homeless Taskforce of City staff that meet weekly to discuss through the most effective and ways to address homelessness in our community.

If you see homeless individuals in public places and they are not breaking any laws, they are allowed to be there. While it is not acceptable for anyone to break any laws, being homeless is not a crime and homeless individuals have the same rights as any other resident. If anyone is dumping trash, or interfering with your use of a park, path, sidewalk, or other facilities, call Public Safety.