Housing & Homelessness

Annually, a Homeless Point-In-Time survey of homelessness occurs in Sonoma County. This year, it occurred on January 26, 2024. Based upon that count, there were 2,522 people experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County. There were 118 people who were experiencing homelessness in Sebastopol. Additional information can be found in this link, 2024 Sonoma County – Homeless PIT Count.pdf. While the County may not capture all of those experiencing homelessness, it is the best source of information available. 

Yes. According to the count, the number of homeless people (sheltered and unsheltered) increased by 31 people, from 87 in 2023 to 114 in the 2024 survey, or 36%. In Sonoma County, the number rose from 2,266 to 2,522, or 22% from 2023-24. 

The difference in the significant rise in the count is due to a different method for the count being used. In the past, on a specific day, volunteers would physically walk areas, hoping they would stumble upon people and they could be counted. During this recent count, our outreach provider, West County Community Services, had been doing ongoing outreach prior to the day of the count and knew who was where to count them and they had logged previous contacts with individuals. Based on those relationships and already knowing who was homeless and where they were located, a truer count was achieved which resulted in the increase. Prior counts were likely to result in inaccurately lower numbers due to the method used at that time. 

Sebastopol helps fund a Homeless Outreach Coordinator in collaboration with West County Community Services (WCCS). The coordinator routinely contacts our homeless to register them for eligibility for housing, navigation of services, and assessment of needs. The Sebastopol Police Department works with the Outreach Coordinator to assist individuals obtain services The Sebastopol Police Department contacts homeless people daily to gain compliance with laws and we take enforcement action regularly when we observe and encounter individuals who are camping illegally, creating health hazards with illegal dumping, using or possessing illicit narcotics, possessing possible stolen property or any other form of illegal contraband and we pay particular attention to violations with vehicles leaking sewage or other fluids such as anti-freeze, oil or gas that could create a significant health or environmental hazard. 

According to the Point-In-Time survey, 79% of homeless people lived in Sonoma County when they became homeless. Homeless people migrate throughout the county for various reasons. These include the level of enforcement and availability of services and support such as meals and shelter. Sebastopol is unique in that our downtown area is only a few blocks away from the Laguna, which provides what is perceived as a safe haven for the homeless. Based on proximity to the Laguna, they frequent the downtown Sebastopol area which has increased their visibility within the community. 

Some homeless people continually refuse services and state they wish to remain unhoused, 93% of individuals experiencing homelessness said they would accept affordable permanent housing if it became available, according to the 2024 Point-In-Time survey. However, there are not enough affordable housing units with the supportive wraparound services necessary for our homeless to keep them successfully housed. Additionally, some homeless individuals who are willing to accept permanent housing are unwilling to accept temporary shelter for various reasons (such as the shelter not allowing pets or requiring couples to separate). 

No, there is not a homeless shelter in Sebastopol. In Sonoma County, shelter beds are available for about one-third of the homeless population countywide. The other two-thirds remain unsheltered. Our Outreach Coordinator works with our homeless to locate available shelter beds and get them registered for housing placement, so when space becomes available, they can take advantage of it. 

In addition, the City of Sebastopol in collaboration with West County Community Services have added 12 units for homeless individuals and families at the City owned Park Village complex. 

Homeless people can access public restrooms at parks, the library, and other public places during open hours. The Sebastopol Christian Church offers free showers on Mondays and Thursdays from 8 am to 11 am every week. 

Homeless individuals are allowed to be in public places, and they are not breaking any laws solely by being in a public place. It’s never acceptable for anyone to break any laws, however, it is not a crime to be homeless, 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, sidewalks, or other facility, contact the Sebastopol Police at 707-829-4400. 

In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a decision in the case of Martin v. Boise (Boise Decision). The Boise Decision generally prohibited cities in California from enforcing anti-camping ordinances unless there were enough shelter beds available for the city’s homeless population. Earlier this year, the United States Supreme Court overturned the Boise Decision as part of the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson case. Specifically, the Supreme Court held that it did not violate the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment to enforce anti-camping ordinances (although other legal limitations might apply in certain circumstances). Enforcement includes the ability to issue fines or criminal citations for violation of anti-camping ordinances. Governor Newsom recently ordered State agencies and departments to adopt clear policies to address homeless encampments on State property while respecting the dignity and well-being of all Californians. The Order also encouraged cities and counties to do the same. 

The court cases and the Governor’s order were not blanket directives to immediately clear homeless encampments, nor did they authorize homeless encampments to be cleared except in compliance with applicable laws. 

Yes, the City removes homeless encampments from public property. Prior to removing an encampment, the City is legally required to provide notice (generally 72 hours before removing property). The City is legally required to store the materials it removes from the site so that homeless individuals can retrieve their belongings. We have conducted homeless “sweeps” of the Laguna area and will continue to do so. We conducted one “sweep” in the past 6 months which occurred in October 2024. These operations and the planning and coordination that go along with them are labor intensive and require bringing in officers on overtime, tying up public works staff from their normal duties for most of a work day, coordinating with the homeless outreach coordinator to be present with us during the advance notice and on the day of the operation and require bringing in heavy equipment to haul out the debris left behind.

The majority of violations that homeless people are arrested for are misdemeanors. These types of crimes can result in a physical arrest where a person is taken into custody and booked into the county jail, or they can be issued a Notice to Appear citation. 

The Sonoma County Jail was experiencing a critical staffing shortage over the past 18 months while simultaneously the jail was nearly at capacity. The situation got to a critical point where Sonoma County had to enter into an agreement with Solano County to house some of Sonoma County’s prisoners. 

To reduce and manage the jail population, local police agencies had to get advance clearance from a supervisor at the jail to be allowed to book misdemeanor offenders into the jail. The result was that often, clearance to book someone into jail was denied, resulting in people being issued a citation in the field and released. 

Even when people are booked into jail on a misdemeanor crime, they often are held only for a few hours to allow for processing and then they are released with a Notice to Appear (for a future court hearing). Individuals who are booked for misdemeanors are not held awaiting trial. Once they are released, they tend to return to the area they are familiar with and sometimes they are back in less than 24 hours. Additionally, even if convicted of a misdemeanor crime, the conviction usually results in little to no jail time with the person being placed on some form of probation, which results in their return to the community.

Camping, setting up housekeeping, or sleeping in city parks overnight, specifically between the hours of 11 pm and 6 am is not permitted per section 9.24.180 of the Sebastopol Municipal Code. The portions of the Laguna de Santa Rosa within Sebastopol are designated as a city park, and the same rules apply there. Park hours vary with specific parks and can be different from the hours listed in the camping ordinance. Park hours specific to that park become the enforcement guidelines for that park. For example, the Laguna de Santa Rosa is open from sunrise to sunset. Most of our parks are open from sunrise to 10 pm. 

All people have the right to enjoy our city parks. Lawful activities include being in the park without time limitations during open hours; napping or sleeping in the parks with or without a blanket, or on or in some type temporary shelter to avoid overexposure of the elements similar to what people bring to the beach to get relief from overexposure to the sun; and being on city parks property engaging in any lawful behavior during open hours to include just “hanging out”. 

Storage of personal property in parks is prohibited in City Parks under section 9.24.170. This means people cannot set up camping equipment such as a tent or lean-to on park property and then leave the park without removing these items. 

If any individual – including a homeless individual – is on your private property and was not invited by you, they are trespassing, and you should contact the police to assist in removing them. If you see homeless individuals on public property and they are not breaking laws, they can be there.

The City of Sebastopol utilizes our homeless outreach coordinator to help connect people to available mental health resources in conjunction with West County Community Services. 

Additionally, the City of Sebastopol utilizes the services of the Sonoma County Mobile Support Team (MST), which is managed by the Sonoma County Department of Health Services Behavioral Health Division. The MST field team is staffed with mental health clinicians, alcohol and other drugs counselors and senior support specialists that can respond independent of law enforcement when appropriate. They respond to a variety of situations and provide in-field crisis assessments. The Mobile Support Team can be reached 24/7/365 by the public at 1-800-746-8181. The capacity of MST is limited and they cover a large area in the County, so are not as readily available as we would like. 

Unfortunately, the mental health system in Sonoma County, as in many other places, is significantly overburdened. The Sonoma County Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU), which is the facility where people are taken to be evaluated, and if need be held for up to 72 hours, has only 16 beds. Due to staffing shortages, they could only operate 8 beds if folks needed to be held overnight. 

To further add stress on the system, the CSU recently had to relocate their facility due to a mold infestation and they currently do not have the capacity to house people overnight. They are having to find placements for patients elsewhere and relying on local hospital emergency rooms for assistance. The situation is expected to last through the end of this year. 

The City of Sebastopol is continually evaluating additional options to provide access to these types of services.

Welfare and Institutions code Section 5150 permits qualified people such as law enforcement, physicians, and certain mental health professionals to place a temporary hold on individuals and detain them for transport to a mental health facility for evaluation for up to 72 hours. The standard to be able to place a hold on a person is that they must demonstrate behaviors that show they are a danger to themselves, or to other persons, or they are gravely disabled to the point they cannot care for themselves. 

Being homeless, talking to oneself, yelling out loud, or being disheveled or out of sorts are behaviors that do not generally meet the legal definition to qualify for being placed on a hold. The standard for placing a person on a hold is strict because we are involuntarily taking somebody’s freedom away against their will. 

Making threats to inflict harm on oneself or others, not having the capacity to remain nourished, to seek shelter from the elements even in a makeshift fashion, or the inability maintain basic hygienic care for oneself coupled with other behaviors are examples of what may qualify for placing a person on a temporary hold for evaluation. 

Should you see an individual in our community that you believe should be checked on to determine their welfare, you can always call the Sebastopol Police Department at 707-829-4400. We are always more than willing to respond and check on a person to see if they need assistance or resources and to place on a 5150 hold if appropriate. 

You can also call the Mobile Support Team without notifying the police and they will determine if a response from their mobile team is needed. They can be reached at 1-800-746-8181. 

There is also a variety of information available regarding mental health and available resources on the website for the County of Sonoma, Behavioral Health Division which can be found here: 

Behavioral Health Division (ca.gov) 

The resources throughout the County are limited. This can lead to slow responses from the Mobile Support Team, and a lack of facilities to accommodate those placed in 5150 holds, and those needing other services. Additionally, if a person is exhibiting behaviors that are so disruptive that they are causing a blatant and ongoing disturbance, they may be subject to arrest. Should you believe that is the case, please call the Sebastopol Police Department at 707-829-4400. We will respond and if we observe the behavior we can arrest them. 

Oftentimes however, once the person sees the police officer approaching, they stop the behavior. We will still make contact with the person causing the disturbance and explain to them how their behavior is being disruptive to the community and that many find that frightening. Another option is for the officer to accept a citizen’s arrest of the person if the complaining party wishes to participate in the citizen’s arrest process. 

In any of these situations, we will also evaluate whether the person needs other resources or if the person needs to be placed on a temporary hold in lieu of an arrest.

Care Court (Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment) was established with the passage of SB 1338 to provide community-based behavioral health services and support to eligible Californians living with schizophrenia spectrum or other psychotic disorders through a civil court process. The CARE Act authorizes specified adult people to petition a civil court to create a voluntary CARE agreement or a court-ordered CARE plan that may include treatment, housing resources, and other services. Counties in California are responsible for the administration and management of this program. First responders are among the people who can initiate the petition process. Locally, the City of Sebastopol is partnering with West County Community Services in identifying people in our area who may be eligible and who might benefit from this program. More information can be found in this link: 

https://sonomacounty.ca.gov/carecourt

The City of Sebastopol partners with our Homeless Outreach Coordinator and West County Community Services to provide outreach services to all individuals experiencing homelessness in Sebastopol including those living in RV’s or vehicles. This includes locating and providing housing and shelter options, obtaining government identification, and connecting with medical, mental health, and substance use services. 

The City of Sebastopol passed the Recreational Vehicle Parking Ordinance in 2022. That ordinance, Chapter 10.76 of the Sebastopol Municipal Code, prohibits the parking of, or being left standing, any recreational vehicle on any public street zoned residential in the City. RV’s are also prohibited from parking or being left standing on any public street that is zoned commercial, industrial, or a community facility between the hours of 7:30 am and 10:00 pm. There are various exceptions to this noted in the ordinance. 

A lawsuit was filed against the City challenging various aspects and legalities of the RV Parking Ordinance. The City recently prevailed in that lawsuit, and will began enforcing the RV Parking Ordinance on January 6, 2025. The City will also begin increased enforcement of other parking regulations for all vehicles, including prohibitions on vehicles parking in the same location for longer than 72 hours. Enforcement includes warnings and then tickets, and possibly towing of vehicles under certain circumstances. 

In addition, the City will continue enforcing other parking ordinances and vehicular violations that are in effect in the Sebastopol Municipal Code, the California Vehicle Code and the California Health and Safety Code. These include expired registration, not having a license plate, equipment violations when the vehicle is moving such as headlights or taillights not working, broken windshields, leaking vehicle fluids or grey water, speeding or impeding traffic, excessively worn tires, driving while unlicensed to name a few.