COTS needs help to fight homelessness

Petaluma’s Committee on the Shelterless is a tremendous community asset, providing shelter and other services to some of Petaluma’s most vulnerable residents, many of whom would be forced to live hard on the city’s streets.

But the much celebrated nonprofit is itself in a vulnerable position, the victim of state and federal funding cuts to homeless service providers. The funding that COTS receives to operate its Mary Isaak Center is declining this year by 72 percent, which amounts to a $260,000 reduction.

While Sonoma County and the city of Petaluma have stepped up with contributions to help bridge the funding gap, COTS could still be forced to cut programs or even face closure. The emergency funding will get COTS through the next fiscal year, but the agency needs a more permanent solution.

Petaluma is well known for its philanthropy with charitable residents pitching in to help other residents or organizations that make a difference in the community. It’s one of the reasons Petaluma is such a desirable place to live. COTS is one of those organizations that has made a meaningful difference in the community, and it needs our help.

The most immediate way to help COTS is to donate at cots-homeless.org. Financial contributions are badly needed and will help COTS to keep the lights on and continue services to those without homes.

Participation is also needed. In August, Sonoma County will be convening a homelessness summit in south Sonoma County to facilitate a community dialogue. More details will come on that, but organizations like COTS need members of the community to advocate for more funding.

At the root of the financial shortfall is a change in the way the state distributes federal aid for organizations that combat homelessness. Communicating with state and federal elected officials about the importance of shelters like the Mary Isaak Center will go a long way toward averting this disaster in Sacramento and Washington.

A legislative proposal co-authored by state Sen. Mike McGuire has the best chance of fixing the funding problem in the longterm, and it deserves our support. The “No Place Like Home” initiative is a multi-pronged approach to homeless service funding that would provide both immediate and long-term resources for chronically homeless individuals and families.

The proposal would amend Proposition 63, the 2004 initiative that taxes the wealthiest 0.1 percent of Californian’s for mental health services, and put aside $135 million annually to finance a $2 billion bond that would be used for solutions to ease homelessness. That’s an unprecedented amount of funding for this sector, and would surely provide COTS with a steady funding stream.

COTS serves a vital role in making Petaluma the community that we love. Just as the organization has supported so many in our community to get off the street, out of substance abuse problems and into jobs, COTS now needs the support of the community.