Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approves $5.6 million to fund mental health, homelessness projects

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors today approved $4.2 million to fund local nonprofits working on projects that address behavioral health and homelessness solutions, and another $1.4 million in funding for homeless housing, assistance and prevention. The $4.2 million in funding is from Measure O, the sales tax measure that voters approved in 2020 to support mental health and homelessness services, while the $1.4 million comes from the State of California Interagency Council on Homelessness.

The Board awarded funding to 13 projects out of a total of 60 proposals that the County received. Funded projects include substance use prevention services for adolescents at six Sonoma County high schools, expanded mental health programming countywide, increased housing accessibility for families experiencing homelessness, and specialized counseling services for children and youth who have been victims of abuse and trauma. A full list of funded projects is available here.

“When voters approved Measure O, they recognized that behavioral health and homelessness were among the community’s most pressing challenges,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “With these awards of funding, the County is partnering with trusted community organizations that are on the frontlines of addressing these challenges. Still, though, we continue to see tremendous need from community-based organizations, need that surpasses available funding, particularly as nonprofits face unprecedented funding challenges due to federal cutbacks. We value the critical work of all applicants and remain committed to seeking additional resources to support our community partners.”

Since passed by voters, Measure O has generated roughly $30 million annually. The latest Measure O annual report is available in English and Spanish here.

The $1.4 million in State Homelessness Housing Assistance and Prevention funds were added to provide assistance for permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, and other critical areas to address homelessness. This includes $700,000 for interventions for transition age youth ages 18 to 24 experiencing homelessness, a critical investment for youth homelessness services after the loss of services due to the closure of Social Advocates for Youth in 2024.

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Media Contact:
Matt Brown, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040

Sheri Cardo, DHS Communications Specialist
sheri.cardo@sonoma-county.org 
(707) 565-8619