Homeless individuals face 3.5 times the mortality rate of those who are housed, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
In a sad end to 2024, the County of Sonoma reported this month that 58 members of the county’s unhoused community had died over the course of the year. Of those lost, the average age was 57, with the youngest being 34 and the oldest 89. The majority of this year’s group were men.
Homeless individuals face 3.5 times the mortality rate of those who are housed, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The Sonoma County Department of Health Services and homeless-services nonprofit HomeFirst will host a memorial Dec. 20 to honor those county residents who died in 2024 while living without housing. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Arlene Francis Center, 99 Sixth St., Santa Rosa.
The upcoming memorial is intended to give members of the unhoused community, service providers, local officials and the public a moment to recognize the individuals who passed away this year while experiencing homelessness, county officials said in a statement.
Homelessness remains a critical issue in Sonoma County. According to the Sonoma County 2024 Homelessness Point-in-Time Count, an annual count of people experiencing homelessness in the region, 2,522 people are unhoused in the county, with 32% of those surveyed facing chronic health conditions.
“These statistics represent lives affected by homelessness,” continued the announcement. “They underscore the importance of coming together to remember those who have passed and renewing our commitment to supporting those in need.”
