Newsom announces big grant to help built stalled Sebastopol housing

Conversion of the site to a used car lot likely to be short-lived.

photo credit: Marc Albert/KRCB
A vacant lot that served as a 'Safe RV Parking' area in Sebastopol during the height of COVID will become a complex of permanently supportive housing for people without shelter.

A big pile of money may have just ended an acrimonious battle over a vacant lot in Sebastopol.

Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a nearly $6.5 million dollar infusion into on-again, off-again plans for 21 permanent supportive apartments for people lacking homes.

The site is a vacant lot along State Route 116 at the north edge of town.

It was most recently "HorizonShine Village," a sort of RV park for people living out of their vehicles. The future "Gravenstein Commons" will also have an apartment for an on-site manager.

The funding, from the state's "Homekey" initiative, was applied for by the City of Sebastopol and the local chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Last year Sebastopol withdrew its support from the project on liability concerns.

Officials feared that should the project go awry, the city would be held financially responsible, leading city council members to revoke their support.

The project is also set to receive three million dollars from Sonoma County.

In total, nine new Homekey grants were announced Wednesday, totaling 130 million dollars to deliver 533 new permanently supportive housing units for homeless people.