The Abridged version:
- A meeting on homelessness will bring together the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, the Sacramento City Council and mayors from Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Galt, Folsom and Rancho Cordova.
- No votes will be taken at the meeting, but leaders may set “measurable objectives” for responding to Sacramento County’s homelessness crisis.
- Nonprofit leaders say that more communication between local jurisdictions is good, but they do not expect many tangible policy changes to come out of the meeting.
Nineteen local elected officials will gather Tuesday morning for what Sacramento County is touting as a “first-of-its-kind” meeting to take on homelessness.
The slate of regional leaders will include all members of the Board of Supervisors, the Sacramento City Council, plus the mayors of Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Galt, Folsom and Rancho Cordova.
The full-day meeting has an agenda that does not feature any new agreements, resolutions or contracts, but rather lists a “countywide visioning session” and presentations on the “progress and possibilities in addressing homelessness.” Leaders also will hear presentations on the impact of cuts to state and federal funding and strategies for legal pathways to expand behavioral health treatment.
Homelessness is top issue for constituents
Between state, federal and local dollars, about $418 million went toward addressing homelessness across Sacramento County in the most recent operating year, according to Sacramento Steps Forward. There were 6,615 people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County during the most recent point-in-time count, conducted in 2024. Local leaders often say homelessness is the issue they hear about most from constituents.
“We’re working together to address homelessness,” said Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty, in a press release. “This partnership is just the beginning. This first-time-ever meeting of Sacramento County, Sacramento City, and our neighboring cities is a good start, and we will keep building.”
The meeting is also intended to provide a space for elected officials to ask each other and staff questions, as well as discuss regional coordination. By the end of the day, leaders may set “measurable objectives” and definitions for “what success looks like,” according to the county’s press release.
Creating ‘measurable objectives’ is meeting goal
No votes are expected to occur, but more guidance for county staff to take action could result, according to county spokesperson Janna Haynes.
A lineup of local nonprofits and organizations that provide services to homeless individuals will also be at the meeting.
“I think it’s the right approach of coordinating across jurisdictions. I’m optimistic,” said Scott Richards, CEO of St. John’s Program for Real Change, which provides shelter space and job training to women and children who are homeless.
Richards said that his organization has a strong relationship with both the city of Sacramento and the county but that he’s seen the local friction over coordinating resources.
‘Vision, direction and strategy’ needed
“I’m relatively new, but even I’ve seen that tension,” Richards said. “From a provider perspective, I see that I’m able to coordinate with them but there’s constraints for what they are going to fund and where the funding is going.”
Richards said that he wasn’t sure if any concrete policies would come out of the meeting but that “we do need to have a conversation about vision, direction and strategy.”
He added that he also wants to see a more “holistic approach” that acknowledges the causes of homelessness and the gap between local incomes and housing costs.
Crystal Sanchez, founder of the Sacramento Homelessness Union, said she was disappointed to see that the meeting does not feature any voices of people who have experienced homelessness firsthand.
“It is about communication, it is about connection, but if we’re not hearing from the people and impacted voices, it’s going to continue to be a problem,” Sanchez said.
“They’re trying to make decisions from left field,” Sanchez added.
Sanchez is skeptical of proposals that would consolidate the local response to homelessness. She said county government’s response is starting to work, by adding housing units and expanding public health resources.
“The city (of Sacramento) has taken a lot of money without any real tangible results,” Sanchez said.
Felicia Alvarez is a reporter at Abridged covering accountability. She’s called Sacramento home since 2015 and has reported on government, health care and breaking news topics for both local and national news outlets.