New Year’s Eve Party
All districts on deck Sacramento mayor looks to outflank NIMBYs by drafting entire city into homelessness response by Dylan SvoboDa
No Place Like Home was born out of Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is hoping to Proposition 2, approved by voters in November to outflank an old adversary in a bid to expand homeauthorize the state to distribute $2 billion in bonds less shelter capacity—NIMBYs. to counties for the development of permanent Steinberg recently asked his eight City Council supportive housing for those experiencing mental colleagues to identify locations in their districts illness. The bonds would be repaid through the that could accommodate at least 100 shelter beds. Mental Health Services Act, the 2004 “millionaires The goal is to broaden the response to a growing tax” introduced by then-Assemblyman Steinberg. homelessness crisis rather than burden any one part At the board meeting, Supervisor Don Nottoli of the city. expressed preliminary support for First Step Councilman Larry Carr, who represents South Communities’ tiny home Sacramento, said that’s fair. “No approach, which provides resione district is responsible for dents with sleeping cabins and the homeless crisis,” he said. an on-site community center and “At the same time, we’re all health clinic. First Step execuaffected by it. It’s in all of our tive director Stephen Watters neighborhoods.” said tiny homes offer flexibility. The eight sites would “If the community wanted include at least three lowto cater to veterans or domestic barrier shelters that Steinberg violence victims only, help and wants to open on city-owned care can be customized for that property by the end of 2019, specific group,” Watters told with possible locations SN&R. “Also, we often think discussed in the coming that the optimal community size months. An overnight survey Homeless encampments are scattered is about 100, but it can be built estimated that countywide along american River Parkway just a quarter-mile from the city’s Railroad Drive for 30 to 50 just as easy.” homelessness rose 30 percent triage shelter. The city anticipates $7.7 in two years, to more than Photo by Dylan SvoboDa million in state funding follow3,600 people in 2017, with ing its emergency shelter crisis most residing in the city. declaration in November, with most of the money Currently, the city operates just one triage to be spent on shelter, said Emily Halcon, the city’s shelter, which opened a year ago in North homeless services coordinator. Sacramento and was supposed to close at the end Currently, the mayor’s office is considering of March. On December 18, the council agreed to the “sprung structure” model, which are portable, extend the city’s lease on the shelter on Railroad tent-like structures that can house as many as 200 Drive for a fourth time, this time through April. But that shelter’s capacity will soon be halved to as little people at a time. But Mary Lynne Vellinga, the mayor’s communications director, noted that each as 100 beds. Christie Holderegger, a spokesperson district could accomplish its 100-bed goal through for Volunteers of America, which runs the shelter, scattered-site shelters like the county. said the city ordered the reduction due to financial Finding shelter locations that residents won’t constraints and Steinberg’s 100-bed-per-district call. oppose has proven tricky. Steinberg pulled back Holderegger stressed that guests aren’t being forced on his proposal to open a permanent shelter on to leave; the shelter has just stopped accepting new Evergreen Street near the Royal Oaks light-rail residents. station after North Sacramento Councilman Allen Carr said homeless shelters are typically the Warren and some local residents pushed back. purview of the county, which made its own modest One of those residents is Jane Macauley, who moves this month. Addressing the state’s No Place lives in Woodlake and said she was doubtful that Like Home program requirements, the Board of the other districts would share North Sacramento’s Supervisors on December 12 approved a plan to burden. build on the existing scattered site shelter model, “If you really want to do something, you can which houses folks in small residential shelters, find a place for these shelters,” Macaulay said. “I and to collaborate with the city for at least one don’t see them making this plan happen.” Ω permanent triage shelter.
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12.27.18
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