Creative financing directly from Sonoma County may soon help local home and business owners add solar and other energy-efficiency improvements to their properties.

County Supervisors have scheduled their public hearing on the proposal for 9:30 am on Tuesday March 24.

 The vast majority of the projects expected to get funding through the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program will be retrofits of existing structures. The program will also fund installation of tankless water heaters, such as the one described below.

One personal encounter was the turning point that brought a Petaluma man into his present role, leading one of the county's largest provider of services to the homeless.

 John Records, Executive Director, Committee on the Shelterless.

In the second part of this report on the ways in which COTS is responding to the upturn in demand for their services, Records defines what are being called th "new homeless," and outlines some of the measures being developed to serve them.

The history of COTS is a tapestry of many individual stories, some of which have been compiled in a book recently published by the agency. Invitation to Service:  Stories from COTS relates the stories of clients, families volunteers and friends and their experiences through COTS. Tours of their facilities in Petaluma and Rohnert Park are offered monthly. You'll find dates and other information here.

Beyond the pursuit of happiness lies the bigger question of how to sustain it.

Read the article here:  10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy

Sarah van Gelder, executive editor of Yes!Magazine says that one of her favorite things about this issue was learning about Colin Beavan,  the New York resident who calls himself "No Impact Man."

Beavan's article describes how he and his family observed a gift-less Christmas. You can read his blog here.

Researchers say thankful people tend to be happy people. Click here to take a test to find out your gratitude score. 

 The staff of Yes! has also prepared this Resource Guide for Sustainable Happiness.

How many people are homeless in Sonoma County? The bi-annual Homeless Census is attempting to find out.

Who better than people who are or have been homeless themselves to guide the census takers to the hidden places where other  shelterless individuals take refuge, such as underpasses or thickets along creekbeds. 

 Many local organizations teamed up to support and participate in this year's census, including the following:

You can find out more about Sonoma County's 10-year plan for ending homelessness here.