Board Approves $3.56M Emergency Shelter Repair as Federal Voucher Freeze Stalls Housing Aid

The Solano County Board of Supervisors confronted two sides of the same affordability crisis on April 14: a crumbling emergency shelter that needs immediate stabilization and a federal housing voucher program blocked from serving new families. Between those headline items, Sheriff DeWall's annual immigration report revealed just how narrowly California's sanctuary laws limit local cooperation with ICE.

• $3.56M approved to reroof and stabilize McCormack Hall, the County's designated emergency shelter at the fairgrounds, drawing down the capital reserve to one of its lowest levels

• Housing Authority plans adopted while 56 vouchers sit unused — HUD has frozen new issuance after a funding shortfall, even as rising rents shrink the number of households served

• Sheriff DeWall reports only 1 of 181 ICE detainer requests resulted in a transfer to federal custody in 2025, under a judicial warrant

• Rabbi Chaim Zaklos calls for "remembrance that leads to action" as the Board marks Holocaust Remembrance Day

• Supervisor Williams proposes first-ever State of the County event for fall 2026

Why it matters: McCormack Hall — a 20,000-square-foot building at the Solano County Fairgrounds — doubles as the County's designated emergency relief shelter and a busy community venue. A corroded roof and compromised structural framing threaten both functions, and $1M in ARPA funds earmarked for the project must be spent by December 2026 or be forfeited.