To: County of Sonoma Board of Supervisors
Department or Agency Name(s): Department of Health Services
Staff Name and Phone Number: Nolan Sullivan, 707-565-4774; Hunter Scott, 707-565-7095
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Homelessness Services Interim Housing Site Management Services Agreement
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute an agreement with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa for interim homeless shelter site management at Mickey Zane Place and Eliza’s Village for the period of July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029 including two optional one-year extensions, in an amount not to exceed $5,731,842, subject to review and approval as to form by County Counsel.
B) Authorize the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute modifications to the above-mentioned agreement which do not significantly change the scopes of service in order to address increased service needs, payment or reimbursement methodologies. All such amendments are subject to available funding and approval by County Counsel.
end
Executive Summary:
The Department of Health Services (hereinafter, ”DHS” or ”the Department”) is requesting the Board authorize the DHS Director, or designee, execute an agreement with Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa for interim homeless shelter site management at Mickey Zane Place and Eliza’s Village for a three-year term July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029 with two optional one-year extensions, in an amount not to exceed $5,731,842. Additionally, the Department is requesting the Board authorize delegated authority to the DHS Director, or designee, to execute any modifications to this agreement which do not significantly change the scope of service in order to address increased or changing service needs, payment or reimbursement methodologies, subject to available funding and approval by County Counsel.
Discussion:
Over the last few years, the Department contracted with various partners to provide homeless shelter and site management services as part of multiple emergency events like the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Joe Rodota Trail encampment emergency response. The County currently operates two non-congregate interim shelter sites providing supportive shelter and stabilization services for individuals who meet the federal definition of homelessness: (1) Mickey Zane Place, a 44-room interim shelter site at 635 Healdsburg Avenue, in downtown Santa Rosa; and (2) Eliza’s Village, a 80-room interim shelter composed of two reconditioned Juvenile Hall dormitories at 538 Eliza’s Way, in eastern Sonoma County.
On July 23, 2024, the Board approved the award of a contract for homelessness interim shelter site management services at both interim shelters to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, Inc. (SVdP), for a term of three years (August 1, 2024 through July 31, 2027). The award was a result of a formal Department Request for Proposals (RFP) conducted between April 26, 2024, and June 5, 2024. On October 6, 2025, SVdP sent the Director of DHS and the Board a thirty-day notice to terminate the awarded contract. Due to the potential of a break in critical services for clients at both sites, the Department negotiated with SVdP to extend their current contract through June 30, 2026, allowing enough time for the Department to release a new competitive Request for Proposals (RFP), compliant with federal and state procurement standards. SVdP agreed to extend services through June 30, 2026, allowing DHS sufficient time to complete a new competitive procurement process, allowing DHS to complete its due diligence.
A new RFP was released on February 17, 2026. The RFP allowed the Department the ability to award the resulting agreement to either one or multiple contractors. On February 26, 2026, a non-mandatory pre-bid informational conference was conducted for all interested parties with over 20 attendees, followed by a site tour at Mickey Zane Place and Eliza’s Village on March 6, 2026, attended by 20 individuals. Formal questions were received on March 10, 2026, with the Department providing formal answers on March 17, 2026. Six proposals were received by the due date April 2, 2026. All proposals were rated by a three-person panel composed of staff representing DHS and the Sonoma County Community Development Commission. Proposals were rated based on organizational information, qualifications/experience, project approach/schedule, compliance, privacy, fiscal information, cost of service, supporting information, and completeness of proposal forms. After evaluations were complete, the scoring panel unanimously recommended awarding a single agreement for both sites to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, as the top scoring proposer. Catholic Charities demonstrated significant experience operating homelessness shelter and supportive service programs within Sonoma County, including experience serving individuals with complex behavioral health and housing stabilization needs. The proposal demonstrated a comprehensive operational approach, realistic staffing model, strong compliance and safety protocols, and the organizational capacity necessary to operate both sites continuously without disruption to client services. The evaluation panel also determined the proposal reflected a financially sustainable operational model capable of supporting the full scope of required services over the proposed contract term.
Homelessness interim shelter site management services include 24-hour site operations and staffing, guest intake and exit coordination, maintaining Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) guest records, Coordinated Entry System enrollment support, coordination with County-designated case managers, facility and room inspections, enrichment and engagement programming, volunteer coordination, low-barrier shelter operations, enforcement of County-developed guest conduct standards, trauma-informed de-escalation and crisis response, emergency preparedness training, and overall site safety and security management.
Total costs for three years of service are $5,731,842 which include a 2.5% annual cost of living wage increase for staffing. DHS notes that homelessness shelter operations have experienced significant cost pressures in recent years due to increases in labor costs, 24-hour staffing requirements, security and safety needs, insurance costs, regulatory compliance requirements, and workforce retention challenges within the homeless services sector. The selected proposal reflects the operational realities associated with maintaining continuous low-barrier shelter operations at two County interim housing sites while ensuring adequate staffing, client safety, and service continuity. DHS will work closely with the current operator and Catholic Charities to support a coordinated transition process intended to minimize disruption to shelter operations and services for clients residing at both interim housing sites.
Strategic Plan:
This item directly supports the County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Pillar: Healthy and Safe Communities
Goal: Goal 4: Reduce the County’s overall homeless population by 10% each year by enhancing services through improved coordination and collaboration.
Objective: Objective 3: Increase investment in programs that treat underlying causes of homelessness, including substance abuse, mental illness, poverty, and lack of affordable housing.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
The Department of Health Services have brought numerous Board Items associated with site management for interim shelters. The most recent items include:
On July 23, 2024, the Board authorized the Director of Health Services to execute an agreement with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, Inc. for interim shelter support services and site management at Mickey Zane Place and Eliza’s Village for the period of August 1, 2024 to July 31, 2027, including the two one-year optional extensions, in an amount not to exceed $4,649,820.00 and to execute an amendment with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, Inc., to cover current services at Los Guillicos Village for the period July 1, 2024 through August 31, 2024 or until such time as LG Village guests and operations are transitioned to Eliza’s Village, at a not-to-exceed amount of $354,321.00.
On April 16, 2024, the Board rejected all proposals received for RFP #23-013 Interim Housing Support Services and Site Management and directed staff to issue a new RFP.
On January 30, 2024, the Board authorized the Director of Health Services or designee, to extend the end date of previously approved interim agreement with Michelle Patino dba DEMA Consulting & Management for continued site management and security services at current shelter sites (Mickey Zane Place and the Emergency Shelter Site at the County Campus) for an additional month, covering services from February 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024 at an additional $1,168,422, for a total not to exceed amount of $2,235,148.
On November 28, 2023, the Board authorized the Director of Health Services, or designee, to execute a temporary agreement with Michelle Patino dba DEMA Consulting & Management for continued site management and security services at the current shelter sites in an amount not to exceed $1,100,734 for the period December 1, 2023 through January 31, 2024.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY25-26 Adopted |
FY 26-27 Projected |
FY 27-28 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
|
$1,891,087 |
$1,898,206 |
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
|
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
|
$1,891,087 |
$1,898,206 |
|
Funding Sources |
|
|
|
|
General Fund/WA GF |
|
|
|
|
State/Federal |
|
$1,844,589 |
$1,898,206 |
|
Fees/Other |
|
$46,498 |
|
|
Use of Fund Balance |
|
|
|
|
General Fund Contingencies |
|
|
|
|
Total Sources |
|
$1,891,087 |
$1,898,206 |
Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Funding and appropriations for this agreement are included in the FY 2026-2027 Recommended Budgets of the Homelessness and Behavioral Health Divisions as follows: $46,498 Measure O, $719,024 Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP-6), and $830,916 Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) budgeted in Behavioral Health, and $294,649 HHAP-6 budgeted in Homelessness. Approval of the recommended actions will authorize the transfer of $294,649 in appropriations between divisions to align appropriations with the annual contract maximum of $891,087. Transfer will occur during the Q1 Consolidated Budget Adjustments.
Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
None
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Request for Proposals
Attachment 2: Draft Agreement
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None