SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) – The Northern California city of Santa Rosa may soon declare a state of emergency on homelessness.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports Wednesday that the City Council asked staff members to return next week with three measures aimed at showing homelessness is the city’s top priority.
The council also moved to expand a season program to year-round, allowing people to sleep in their cars on specific approved private properties during the winter months, the newspaper reported.
The council is also considering allowing the city to use its own buildings to create additional shelter for the homeless.
The move comes about three weeks after a 32-year-old homeless man was stabbed to death in a doorway where he often slept.
If a state of emergency is declared by the governor, it would need to be reinstated every 30 days for it to remain in effect.
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Information from: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, http://www.pressdemocrat.com
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