Horizon Shine Village Transitional Housing Shelter & Navigation Center
Horizon Shine Village The Dawning of a A New Day
Our mission is to deliver affordable, dignified solutions to homelessness. This transitional housing village provides participants a safe place to live with one-on-one care to help everyone navigate their path to permanent housing.
A Tour of Horizon Shine Village
Dignified, Affordable, Supportive Housing for Sebastopol SAVS Horizon Shine Village is an innovative concept that delivers dignified, affordable supportive housing to those sheltering RVs.
Read Below to Learn More About These Topics
- Village Management – A Co-management model
- Village Design – Security, Sanitation & Community
- Rules and Procedures – A community where everyone shares responsibility
- Get Involved – Community Advisory Committee, Volunteer or Donate
Village Management SAVS Horizon Shine Village is co-managed by SAVS employees and the Village Council, a team dedicated to improving the lives of villagers as they work toward securing employment and housing.
Village Services Team
Villagers will be assigned to one of SAVS Case Workers to ensure that every individual has access to the wrap-around services needed to address the complex issues that led to homelessness.
Village Council
The Council is made up of villagers who are elected by incoming villagers, an early step in SAVS democratic process for the Village. The Council assists in enforcing Village rules, and will make and modify rules as appropriate to internal and neighborhood relations.
Partnership with the City of Sebastopol
Additionally, SAVS is partnering with the City of Sebastopol Committee on the Unhoused to ensure the City’s needs are met during the life of the village. The City has ability to require SAVS to make changes / maintain the village in a way that benefits the City as a whole.
Village Design The village has space for up to 20 RVs and about 30 individuals. The village has bathrooms, sinks and showers, a dining tent / community hub, security cameras and a large fence surrounding the property. SAVS and our army of volunteers provide a hot meal every day and pantry that supplements the food our villagers buy and prepare on their own.
Key Components of the Village:
- The villagers are choosing to enter the village and to abide by the rules.
- A village creates a sense of community and calm. As we’ve seen at other villages, the participants quickly feel ownership and pride in their home.
- SAVS does not offer services to those outside the village – therefore, there is no build-up of people loitering for meals or social services – it is a self-contained RV trailer park.
- We encourage independence. This Village is a home. The participants can stay all day or go to work. They can have a normal routine without the distractions of dormitory life. Villagers can leave the property and check in at the security gate. visitors are allowed on preset days and times.
Rules & Procedures Villagers sign a written agreement when entering the village that includes:
- Registered sex offenders are not allowed
- No weapons, drug dealing, violence or open fires
- Immediate expulsion for drug dealing, violence, weapons, and open fires,
- For other offenses, a progressive discipline system is in place.
- SAVS is accountable for enforcing Village rules.
- There is also a 24-Hour hotline (707) 889-8776.
Get Involved! Community Advisory Committee
Based on the successful model from St. Vincent de Paul in Los Guilicos, SAVS has created a Community Advisory Committee, the purpose of which is to:
1) report to Village management the concerns of Sebastopol residents and businesses in the neighborhood of Horizon Shine Safe Parking Village at 845 Gravenstein Highway North.
2) work directly with the program management team to ensure these concerns are addressed, and any incidents that arise are promptly corrected.
3) note any progress in addressing community concerns and make regular reports to other Sebastopol residents.
To learn more and be added to the Community Advisory Committee mailing list, contact, tinyvillages@sonomavillages.org.
Volunteer
Help deliver dignity and affordability by joining SAVS’ group of energetic volunteers. Click here to complete the volunteer interest form.
We are going to implement a volunteer mentor program that will enable trained volunteers to work 1:1 with a villager – helping them achieve their goals in a caring, loving manner.
The State and County have funded the day-to-day operation of the village, but have not funded infrastructure development, We need your help to put in storage, a kitchen, bathrooms and showers.