The effects of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson continue to unfold as communities across California interpret Governor Newsom’s July 25th executive order to clear state properties of encampments and his call to action for cities and counties to do the same. Across varied reactions, a common sentiment emerged: a compassionate approach is required in closing encampments.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg emphasized, “Compassionate enforcement and aggressively increasing capacity on the shelter side, on the services side and on the housing side, is the key.” He also noted that “the directive will not significantly change the way the city handles homelessness.”
Emily Halcon, Director of the County’s Homeless Services and Housing, highlighted the continued use of a “collaborative, multi-pronged approach balancing the needs of both the unhoused and the community.”
The City of Sacramento developed a FAQ resource that notes a commitment to “a balanced and compassionate response to the homelessness crisis by providing intensive outreach to PEH [people experiencing homelessness] while also seeking compliance with the law.”
Here at Sacramento Steps Forward, the order serves as a reminder of the unique role we play as lead for the Continuum of Care to support efforts to end homelessness. Amidst an ever-changing landscape, we continue building a regional response system that seeks and administers funding and other supports, collects and analyzes data for decision-making, advances evidence-based practices (such as the recently adopted community-wide standards), and coordinates among partners and providers.
This work, undertaken in collaboration with the City of Sacramento, Sacramento County, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Authority, and numerous providers, advocates, and volunteers, is guided by the All In Sacramento Action Plan—our community’s guiding framework and north star for resolving homelessness.
Integral to this effort is the involvement of partners with lived experience of homelessness. Through their expertise and passion, they inform our work on every level, from helping shape our region’s plan to informing the implementation of every solution through participation in local Continuum of Care committee meetings.
The solutions and actions within this plan have been proven to work across communities—including our own—where we saw a 29% point-in-time decrease in homelessness since 2022.
We are committed to continuing the implementation of these guiding best practices for our community and monitoring and reporting on their impact. In the coming months, we will launch a new, centralized website to proactively report on the plan’s collaborative work in greater breadth and depth.
Using this plan’s strategies, we can and will continue to meet the challenges that lie ahead, with compassion and respect for all residents while building our community’s capacity to serve, shelter, and house our neighbors.
With deep appreciation,
Lisa Bates, CEO