Why is a HEAPA being started?

The Homeless Emergency Aid Program Association is following in the footsteps of successful groups of activists who recognized that working together at moments of confusion proved crucial to policy and program implementation.  Taking the time to share our thoughts and questions, and exploring our similarities and differences, has always made us stronger.  Whatever our role in the movement to address California’s homeless housing crisis, we must make time to reach out across the state.  

An important need voiced frequently in Sonoma County is for a website to collect the service contracts and quarterly performance reports between the County of Sonoma and community-based nonprofits. Here are the contracts from the Human Services Department. Here are the contracts from the Sonoma County Homeless Coalition. Finally, the FY 24-25 Sonoma County Community Development Contracts forwarded to the Board. On June 4, 2024, the Board of Supervisors received a report from the Human Services Department on the progress of $39 million in ARPA grants made in December of 2022.

Here are those shelter contracts and reports from the County Health Services Department. They were supplied upon our request, along with the current homeless shelter standards, so that a performance report could be developed for an Oct 8th presentation to the Board of Supervisors.

On June 10, 2024, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors adopted its “Boards and Commissions Plan and Community Engagement Tools”. The attachments to the Agenda Item #10 on that day are contained in a folder on the HEAPA G Drive.

And for those of you who really want to get to know what the County is planning on doing with its staff and grants next year, here is the Entire County Budget document for next year.