Sonoma’s winter homeless shelter draws support, concern
“Oseguero, a vineyard worker who has lived in Sonoma Valley for more than 20 years, said his years of work allowed him to buy a home in Boyes Hot Springs. Building a homeless shelter next to his family-oriented neighborhood isn’t ideal, he said.
‘I don’t mind if those guys get something, but it should be outside of the city,’ Oseguera said. ‘I don’t mind even helping, but I think that’s the wrong place. Not only for me, but the whole city.’
Demarest said he was apprehensive about the new development at first, unsure about what it would mean to the neighborhood. Falandes set up a meeting with Demarest and his wife to explain their shelter model.
‘We heard rumors just like everybody else… It was going to be like a homeless place where homeless people are going to congregate,’ Demarest said. ‘(HAS) came with a bunch of information about what it was. And to be quite honest, it was it was totally different than what I thought it was going to be.'”