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San Luis Obispo rancher Dan DeVaul dead at 82

April 6, 2026

Sunny Acres

By KAREN VELIE

Dan DeVaul, best known for opening his Sunny Acres ranch to the homeless, has died. He was 82 years old.

DeVaul died on March 6 with long-time health issues and dementia.

Located on DeVaul’s 72-acre ranch on the outskirts of San Luis Obispo, the Sunny Acres facility housed and provided sober-living services to hundreds of low-income residents. Even so, DeVaul and San Luis Obispo County repeatedly battled over code enforcement disputes pertaining to the property.

The county accused DeVaul of violating regulations by allowing people to live in non-permitted structures, including sheds and RVs. Sunny Acres had a history of code enforcement violations dating back to 2001.

In 2011, a local judge forced the rancher to evict effectively homeless individuals who were deemed to have been staying in non-code compliant structures. Sunny Acres later went into receivership, and then in 2013, DeVaul and the county entered into a stipulated agreement requiring the rancher to comply with various regulations in order to continue his operation.

In June, 2021, the county obtained a civil inspection warrant, and code enforcers went onto DeVaul’s property, accompanied by sheriff’s deputies. During the inspection, county staff again found violations on the property, including non-permitted tiny homes.

DeVaul also acknowledged the main residential building on the ranch was not property permitted because of a dispute over water. DeVaul had sought to connect the building to the city of SLO’s water.

In 2022, the county sued De Vaul over the living conditions at the ranch.

In 2023, a court order placed the ranch in the hands of the California Receivership Group, which led to a removal of unpermitted structures and a cleanup of the property. The group is working towards developing a recovery center at the ranch.

Suffering with dementia, DeVaul spent his last years out of state near his children.

 


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Is this the same place that houses all those guys on the Megan’s Law website? Pretty sure it is. Hey, at least it’s easier to keep track of em when they all live in the same spot. No trick-or-treating there kids. Yet, don’t they have a pumpkin patch ea year??? Well isnt that just swell…


0

This man had the right idea. Dealing with homeless drug addicts should be no more than tent facilities in rural areas. Anything beyond that, then the administrators are getting rich. A Newsom-inspired, too much money, debacle.


55

This property now appears to be being looked at by a non profit, Restorative Partners, who is working with the state Dept. of Housing and Community Development to use a Project Homekey grant to purchase the property and re-develop it into a recovery center according to the recent Tribune article. Not sure everyone in that area will be in favor of this so the controversy regarding this property may not be over.


38

Just another homeless industrial complex (HIC), taxpayer funded grifting opportunity.


Except for homeless veterans, take the rest of the homeless to the edge of SLO County and release them with instructions to NOT return without a permanent address.


CALIFORNIA TAXPAYERS HAVE BEEN BILKED OF TENS OF BILLIONS OF OUR HARD EARNED DOLLARS FOR THIS NOW ENDLESS (WELL) DOCUMENTED HIC SCAM!


19

Looks like its with a Grant! So the money was already allocated for a recovery center?

I agree the money for the homeless was stolen! But that is really on our Governor, and nefarious NGO’s he did not “Vet” or manage well, Completely unacceptable! Not on Restorative Partners!

I don’t even think RP deals with the “Homeless” issue specifically. I have to say though, Restorative Partners is an Amazing program! They have helped many in their recovery from drug addiction, Really changing lives and making a difference in our community! They are one of the very few that actually follow through with real results. Homelessness for many is a result of their bad choices, right? About people who find themselves in that nasty rollercoaster of drug addiction.

IF Anyone is going to take over that property, and honor DeVaul’s vision of recovery, Restorative Partners IS the one to do it, they’ve been doing it right for many years! That means less homelessness, less crime, less people in our jails, less drugged out wanderers in our streets! I’m all for Restorative Partners taking over DuVaul’s property and finally making it a legit recovery center! Maybe then the City will finally let them hook up to city water?

At least it’s on the edge of town, and not in your neighborhood? And God Bless A-Town, you don’t find your Best Friend’s daughter on the streets because of being addicted to drugs! And needing a REAL Program that actually helps her change her life!


13

It’s only on the “edge of town”, because DeVaul and Madonna refused to sell property to the city for expansion on the LOVR corridor.


18

Ya, DuVaul was a stubborn man! LoL I guess he really gave the city a hard time. But the city got their revenge by not giving him the water, which I thought was underhanded. But I have to say, I do enjoy driving by the open space out there, and I will miss that old Barn!


4

Well said .


6

Thanks, Dan, for keeping many homeless and mentally ill people off the streets and out of our parks. Instead of assisting you, the government did everything imaginable to get these residents off your ranch and back into homelessness. But don’t worry, everyone, I’m sure the internment camp at Johnson and Bishop Streets in San Luis Obispo will be a wonderful alternative place for them.


63

Can Christine Mulholland finally stop?



50

She got her untouchable green space outside her back door, the razing of the Dalidio ranch for the exact same housing he wanted to put in, and the ire of every fair minded person in SLO and the county.


You can bet on, that she will have her dirty hands in the future of the Devaul ranch property.


28

Mulhholland was only successful in her harassment of Dan thanks to many cooperating individuals in government.


15