Santa Rosa National Guard Armory opens as temporary homeless shelter

Santa Rosa’s National Guard Armory opened Friday as a temporary overnight homeless shelter run by a local nonprofit, with volunteers on hand to serve a hearty after-Thanksgiving meal to those seeking shelter from a dayslong storm. 

The Santa Rosa armory site has been used as a temporary homeless shelter in years past.  However, it’s the second year St. Vincent de Paul Sonoma County is running the shelter, which this season will operate for ? 29 additional days with extended hours and increased occupancy during the coldest and wettest months.  Officials hope to serve a larger number of the county’s homeless population, which has increased nearly 6 percent since 2017. 

Providing more beds is critical, particularly after the shelter last year reached capacity many nights, the nonprofit’s executive director Jack Tibbetts said.  A street-level survey this February counted a total of 2,996 people experiencing homelessness around the county, up from 2,835 the previous year. 

For Michael Taylor, the shelter offers a respite from the “bloody cold” nights he spends shivering in his Dodge van, despite wearing three jackets and five pairs of socks.  He has been sporadically homeless since 2015, when he said he lost his apartment rental and belongings in a house fire.  He once again was displaced from a rented room in last year’s October firestorm, said Taylor, who’d like to spend at least two months at the winter shelter. 

“It’s being around people - it’s the camaraderie; there’s food,” the 53-year-old said as he stood near his sleeping mat in the cavernous building. “ It’s like we’re all on the same cruise ship that sank.” 

The shelter’s opening, originally set for Nov. 19, was delayed due to a scheduling conflict in getting a Cal Fire marshal to inspect the armory facility, said Tibbetts, a Santa Rosa city councilman.  It’s set to operate from 5:30 p.m. to ? 7:30 a.m. daily through March 3, but the nonprofit could push back the closing date based on weather and funding, Tibbetts said. 

Last year, the shelter operated from Jan. 3 to March 15, with its opening delayed for almost three weeks because of snags navigating several levels of government approval.  In 2017, the shelter served more than 200 individuals, offering more than 3,000 meals and 90 beds, Tibbetts said. 

This year, about 115 beds will be available, shelter manager Brandon Rojas said. 

The additional shelter space comes after Santa Rosa officials cleared out and shuttered several homeless camps across the city, and after Lake, Butte and Shasta counties were hit with devastating wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes, exacerbating the housing crisis. 

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved license agreements for the Santa Rosa Armory shelter and a second emergency shelter at the Guerneville Veterans Memorial Building earlier this month.  Supervisor Shirlee Zane, whose district includes the armory site near Santa Rosa Junior College, said providing shelter is critical as temperatures drop. 

“Giving it that extra month is very much needed, given how we went from summer to literally freezing nights almost in one week,” Zane said about the shelter at a Nov. 13 board meeting. “ We always need those extra beds during those coldest months.” 

The shelter costs as much as $140,000 to operate, Tibbetts said.  The county doesn’t incur any costs. 

While temporary shelters don’t necessarily align with the county’s priorities in providing long-term housing, Tibbetts said a staffer will help connect clients to housing resources.  His goal is housing ? 10 people through rental assistance. 

“Winter shelters are life-sustaining and should be provided in the absence of an adequate supply of housing,” Tibbetts said. 

For Patty Hlika, a retired teacher from Sebastopol who has volunteered seven nights a week at the shelter, it’s an “opportunity to give dignity” to Sonoma County’s homeless. 

“I can’t believe how many human beings are on the street corner with a backpack and nothing.  It’s the simplest of needs they are suffering for … we should see this as our greatest tragedy,” Hlika, 68, said before setting out water bottles to offer those lined up outside. 

The Santa Rosa location is one of three winter shelters operating in National Guard armories in the greater Bay Area, California National Guard Lt.  Col Jonathan Shiroma said.  Two soldiers will be posted at the Santa Rosa Armory, making sure fire codes are met and adequate access to exits is provided, he said.  A security guard also will be on-site, along with the St. Vincent de Paul staff. 

West County Community Services will open the shelter in Guerneville at the county-owned veterans building Dec. 1, providing up to 57 beds, said Dannielle Danforth, housing and homeless services director.  About ? 175 individuals last year were served at the shelter, Danforth said. 

The shelter, set to operate from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. through March 31, costs at least $160,000 to run, about $140,000 of which comes from county funds, Danforth said. 

In all, more than 300 additional beds across seven shelters will be available this winter, said Jenny Helbraun Abramson, Sonoma County Community Development Commission’s homeless and community services manager.  That adds to the more than?700 year-round beds. 

“We’ve had a certain number of people who have gotten very sick or died outside during the winter,” she said. “ These things happen all year, but the concern goes up as soon as the temperature goes down or it’s raining as hard as it’s been raining in the last couple days.” 

You can reach Staff Writer Hannah Beausang at 707-521-5214 or hannah.beausang@pressdemocrat.com.  On Twitter?@ hannahbeausang.