FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For More Information Contact:
Patricia Macht
916-204-6618
pmacht@sacstepsforward.org

Sacramento, CA –June 28, 2022.   Sacramento Steps Forward, the nonprofit local planning body responsible for coordinating homelessness services in the region, announced today that a new three-year regional homelessness plan developed collaboratively with local entities has gained all the governmental approvals to move forward.

The last approval came Tuesday, June 27, 2022, with the formal adoption of the plan by the City of Sacramento’s Mayor and Council.

Other adopters of the plan include the County of Sacramento and the Sacramento Continuum of Care (CoC). Supported by SSF, the CoC is a 30-member board, that includes representatives from organizations experiencing homelessness and other interested organizations within the county.

Having a regional, unified plan gives Sacramento more opportunity to increase homelessness funding from state of California and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“This plan marks the first time our community has an endorsed unified list of strategies across jurisdictions to ensure we are all working in concert together,” said Lisa Bates, Chief Executive Officer of SSF. “It represents an incredible opportunity to transform the status quo and implement proven best practices that will help our community make homelessness in the Sacramento area brief, rare, and non-recurring.”

 Over the last several months, SSF worked with staff from the City, County, the CoC and SHRA to develop five key strategies, including:    

1. Build and bring to scale a countywide Coordinated Access System. It will create a single point of initial contact for those seeking help and will improve the efficacy of homeless and rehousing services across all 100 providers. This includes increasing the number of coordinated access navigators and dedicated 211 access staff and aligning the cities and counties’ shelter and interim housing programs with the Coordinated Access System. The city, county, SHA, and the CoC earlier this year have collectively allocated $14 million for this purpose.
2. Ensure current and new emergency shelter and interim housing programs also focus on permanent re-housing.
3. Increase permanent housing opportunities.
4. Expand resources that will prevent and minimize homelessness.
5. Ensure a robust homelessness workforce, including an investment in recruitment, retention, and training of homelessness-related workers, especially those from under-resourced communities and those with lived homelessness experience.

The City of Sacramento Mayor and Council also voted to add to the plan a sixth priority strategy that emphasizes mental health and substance abuse, two key factors that impact those experiencing homelessness.   

Progress, measured through consistent review of system level performance goals and information, will be published in an upcoming public-facing dashboard managed by SSF.  Results of a recent Point-In-Time Count of those experiencing homelessness revealed a 67 percent in homelessness over 2019.  

For more information on the local homeless action plan, please click here.