State Trailers Arrive to House Vunerable Unsheltered at Fairgrounds

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Twenty four state trailers will be in place by late Monday at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds to help house vunerable homeless people who will be moved from Sonoma State University housing this week.

The emergency deal with the state Office of Emergency Services means some of the 100 plus homeless individuals now being housed at SSU will find a place at the fairgrounds. The majority of the population will be housed in hotel rooms provided by the county.

The contract between Sonoma County and SSU to provide shelter for vunerable individuals including the homeless during the coronavirus emergency is about to run out, after Sonoma State declined to extend the contract. The university says it wants the campus ready for students when classes begin in the fall.

Besides shelter for those considered at most risk, two gyms on campus were setup to provide overflow space in the event of a coronavirus surge. That surge never materialized, but recent case numbers and a rise in hospitalizations indicate that may be happening now.

The county is considering buying a 42 room hotel as part of a plan to more permanently house the homeless. The trailers are seen as part of a transition to a more permanent solution.

With the deal with the county ending, SSU requires campus housing to be cleared by the end of this week, and the gyms to revert back to university control on August 4th.