Report: 40 Percent Increase in Homelessness in Rohnert Park, Countywide

Rohnert Park's documented homeless population increased from 97 in 2009 to 446 in 2011, or 40 percent, according to a final homelessness study released this month. That number comes to 1 percent of the city's total population — higher than the countywide average.

The report — compiled by the Sonoma County Continuum of Care, a homeless outreach program run by the county — is based on a conducted in late January.

Organizers attributed the surge to better counting methods and fallout from the Great Recession.

Data show that Rohnert Park is no different than other cities in Sonoma County — countywide, the homeless population was on track with the city's, also at 40 percent.

Best estimates put the actual number at 12,565, or 2.6 percent of the county's population, which is up between 25 and 30 percent from 2009. Cloverdale, Healdsburg and Windsor's homeless population swelled to 421 from 284; the south county's (including Rohnert Park, Cotati and Petaluma) went from 637 to 1,025 collectively; Sonoma's increased to 183 from a mere 16, and in Santa Rosa, the uptick was almost double, at 2,320 from 1,487.

A staggering 55 percent of respondents said this was the first time they'd been homeless, and 48 percent reported a "disabling condition," including physical disabilities, substance abuse and mental illnesses.

More than 600 homeless individuals were interviewed at length following the count in an attempt to gather more detailed information.

Based on 617 profiles, 66 percent were males and 33 percent were female, 64 percent were white and the majority were between 31 and 60 years old. 

Of Rohnert Park's homeless, fewer than 20 percent were sheltered, according to the report. The 78 who did have a roof over their heads were living at , a transitional housing facility run by the Committee on the Shelterless (COTS).

Editor's note: The homeless census was done January 28 in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Sonoma County and Applied Survey Research.