Sacramento Approves Sites for Homeless Shelters, Tiny Homes

The city council has approved 20 locations for homeless shelters, tiny homes and sanctioned tent encampments to help serve 2,209 people at any given time. But no locations were in the city’s wealthier neighborhoods.

August 12, 2021 •

Theresa Clift, The Sacramento Bee

(TNS) —The Sacramento, Calif., City Council unanimously approved 20 sites for homeless shelters, tiny homes and sanctioned tent encampments Tuesday, part of what the city has described as its Comprehensive Siting Plan to Address Homelessness.

"This is the most aggressive plan in the history of the city," said Mayor Darrell Steinberg, who led the initiative. "No question about it."

The idea was to approve a large group of sites at once, putting less attention on each individual site in an attempt to avoid individual neighborhood opposition.

"Implementation will be the matter of highest urgency and will not require additional actions by the City Council," Steinberg said.

Council members had proposed some of the sites earlier this year, while some were new. The 20 sites can serve a total of 2,209 people at any given time.

Several callers to Tuesday's meeting raised concerns that none of the 20 sites were in East Sacramento, Curtis Park, Pocket/Greenhaven, North Natomas or Land Park south of Broadway. City Councilwoman Mai Vang also raised that issue.

"We see it clear in the plan that wealthier neighborhoods don't have sites," Vang said.

To address those concerns, the council added an amendment that every aspect of the plan would include a lens for racial equity, geographical equity and socioeconomic status. The details of what that will mean are unclear, however. The council also changed the name from "master plan" to "comprehensive plan" due to the history of the word "master" as it relates to slavery.

While North Natomas didn't have one of the 20 sites, a homeless shelter and housing project for families will open there, at the current Staybridge Suites in the Promenade shopping center, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby announced. It will have 119 units and serve 200 to 600 people, opening early next year, she said.

Nearly 60 people called in to the meeting to voice support or opposition to the comprehensive plan. Several homeowners called in to ask the council to remove sites from the plan, complaining they would decrease property values.

Where Are Homeless Sites Going?

"The plan is a burden on District 2," one homeowner named Gordon said, noting that three of the proposed sites in the district are relatively close to each other in the North Sacramento district. "When do we ever get our break?"

Homeowners near the W-X freeway also voiced concerns. One caller said opening tiny homes at five spots under the freeway between 18th and 24th streets, as included in the plan, would effectively create a "skid row" in Sacramento.

The council did not remove sites from the plan.

Multiple callers complained there was not enough public outreach or advanced notice. The plan was preceded by seven months of public outreach before it was released Wednesday, Steinberg said. The council also added an amendment for more public outreach, but none of the sites will be removed, Steinberg said.

The plan also names an additional 19 sites that could be used in the future, but need further study. It also includes opening a large 350-bed campus-style shelter at a location yet to be disclosed, converting six motels into shelter or housing, increasing motel and housing vouchers, and adding more scattered site housing.

Steinberg expects people to cycle into permanent housing every six months, getting more than 9,000 people off the streets annually, he said.

Researchers in 2019 reported there were 5,570 homeless people on any given night Sacramento, and an estimated 10,000 to 11,000 would experience homelessness at some point throughout the year.

The city plans to use $100 million in funding mostly from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and the 2021 state budget to fund the new sites, Steinberg said.

Many of the sites could open within a couple months, Steinberg has said. The sites owned by the city will open first, while those owned by Regional Transit still need board approval. City Manager Howard Chan said he would return to the council with an implementation plan within two weeks.

PRIORITY Homeless SITES

— Roseville Road RT parking lot — safe parking lot for 100-300 cars, 360 people

— Colfax Street and Arden Way — 25 tiny homes for 75 people in families

— Eleanor and Traction avenues — 10 tiny homes for 15 veterans

— Lexington Street and Dixieanne Avenue — 50 tiny homes for 100 people

— End of Rosin Court — Safe Ground and safe parking site for 100 cars, 120 people

— Northgate Boulevard and Patio Avenue — Joshua's House hospice for 15 people

— Under the W-X freeway from 18th to 24th streets — 200 tiny homes for 400 people

— Florin Road RT station parking lot — safe parking lot for 125 cars, 150 people

— 24th Street and 48th Avenue — Safe Ground and safe parking for 25-50 people

— 2740 29th Ave. — 10-12 tiny homes for 30-36 people in families

— 3331 Fruitridge Rd. — safe parking for 30-40 cars, 36-48 people

— Riza Avenue and Jimolene Drive — 110 manufactured homes for 330 people

— 63d Street and 21st Avenue — 30 tiny homes for 90 people

— Franklin Boulevard RT parking lot — safe parking for 40-100 cars, 120 people

— 2875 Meadowview Rd. — 125 tiny homes for 200 people

— 700 N. Fifth St. — shelter expansion, increasing existing capacity from 104 to 204