Update (11.19.20)

Closure of the Safe Social Distancing Program (SSDP) in the parking lot at Finley Community Center is completed and a virtual community meeting is scheduled for December 7 to help evaluate the program. Established in May as a temporary measure amid COVID-19, the SSDP site was closed last week in preparation of winter and alternate shelter placements were provided for all residents who remained on site. Neighbors, Finley Park patrons, and other interested citizens are invited to share their thoughts on the overall operation of the program during the upcoming meeting.

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Update (11.10.20)

Following two rounds of COVID-19 testing and all tests coming back negative, closure of the Safe Social Distancing Program (SSDP) in the parking lot at Finley Community Center has resumed and those individuals still residing at the site will be relocated this week to alternate shelter placements. The City of Santa Rosa and its contracted homeless services provider, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, postponed the October 31 closure date after being made aware of a potential COVID-19 exposure at the SSDP.  The City and Catholic Charities worked closely with the Sonoma County Department of Health Services to conduct testing. The relocation of individuals on site is expected to be completed by Thursday, November 12, and clean-up of the program site will begin thereafter. The SSDP was established in May as a temporary measure in response to COVID-19 and served 154 individuals between May and September.

_{Save the Date – We want your Feedback!}

To help evaluate the SSDP in the Finley parking lot, the City will host a Virtual Community Meeting at 6 p.m. on December 7 to get feedback from neighbors and park patrons. This will be a chance to share your thoughts on the overall operation of the program. Zoom participation information for the meeting will be available soon.

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Original post (10.29.20)

The Safe Social Distancing Program (SSDP) in the Finley parking lot, which was slated to close by October 31, may be extended to mid-November. The City of Santa Rosa and its contracted homeless services provider, Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Santa Rosa, were recently made aware of a potential COVID-19 exposure at the SSDP. Accordingly, the City has postponed the closure of the SSDP to prevent the potential spread of COVID-19. The City and Catholic Charities are working closely with the Sonoma County Department of Health Services which began testing on-site this week. Additionally, Catholic Charities is working with the individuals currently residing at the SSDP to ensure COVID-19 safety protocols are being followed. The City estimates the SSDP may close by mid-November barring unforeseen circumstances and will keep the community informed should this timeline change.

For information on the City’s efforts to address homelessness amid the public health emergency, visit SRCity.org/COVID19HomelessSupport