City of Sacramento
City Council - 2PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2023-00441 10/24/2023 Discussion Item 4.
Approval of City-County Affordable Housing Plan
File ID: 2023-00441
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Adopt a City Council Resolution approving the City-County Affordable Housing Plan.
Contact: La Shelle Dozier, Executive Director, (916) 440-1319, [email protected]; Christine Weichert, Director, Development Finance, (916) 440-1353, [email protected], Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency
Presenter: Christine Weichert, Director, Development Finance, (916) 440-1353, [email protected], Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-Resolution
3-Exhibit A - Affordable Housing Plan
Additional Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: Over the past several years, the City and County have made significant investments to increase the availability of shelter, services, and permanent housing for people and families experiencing homelessness. Yet, despite these efforts, homelessness and its impacts continue to rise.
According to the 2022 Point in Time Homeless Count released by the Sacramento County Continuum of Care (CoC), there were 9,278 individuals experiencing homelessness in the County of Sacramento, an increase of 67 percent since 2019.
As the City and County mutually desire to improve coordination and combine efforts to move individuals out of homelessness, a Partnership Agreement was executed on January 25, 2023, to
File ID: 2023-00441 10/24/2023 Discussion Item 4.
coordinate homeless-related activities. Key provisions of the agreement include:
· Five-year term with annual updates
· Outlines of the roles and responsibilities of each agency · Addresses key provisions of the Emergency Shelter and Enforcement Act of 2022 · Demonstrates shared commitment to the Sacramento Local Homeless Action Plan and Coordinated Access System
· Sets forth provisions for accountability and measuring progress with reports in open session to both the City Council and Board of Supervisors every six months.
The City/County Partnership Agreement also requires that the City and County work together to “aggressively meet the permanent supportive and affordable housing needs identified in the Local Homelessness Action Plan. Within 180 days of the effective date of the Agreement, the City and County will finalize an Affordable Housing Plan that follows the strategies outlined in the Local Homeless Action Plan (LHAP) to increase permanent housing opportunities.” In addition to the LHAP and City County Partnership Agreement, a variety of other activities are currently underway to address homelessness. In particular, there is a 2024 sales tax measure proposed by Mayor Steinberg which, if successful, would raise funds for both affordable housing and improvements to transit and neighborhood infrastructure. Another proposal is “Sacramento Forward” which is a multifaceted effort proposed by City Councilmembers Valenzuela, Maple, and Mayor Pro Tem Vang. This effort includes elements related to funding for affordable housing, tenant protections, minimum wage standards, and a proposed ballot measure.
The Affordable Housing Plan would seek to build on these and other efforts and serve as a long-term guide to address and coordinate activities related to the production of permanent supportive housing and rehousing amongst the various partners. Toward this effort, staff from the City, County, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), and Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) have authored an Affordable Housing Plan (Plan).
The Plan’s major areas of focus are Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rehousing which come from guidance in the LHAP. PSH is defined in the Plan as permanent subsidized rental housing with supportive services for individuals and families who are homeless.
Rehousing is defined as the provision of time-limited financial assistance, housing search and placement, landlord engagement, and case management for individuals and families who are literally homeless. The two focus areas are considered to be the most effective short and long-term solutions for homelessness. PSH provides long-term housing, which is the most desired solution, but rehousing is also important as it is designed to move people quickly into interim housing.
Community engagement was conducted throughout the formation of the Plan with presentations and workshops at the following organization’s meetings.
File ID: 2023-00441 10/24/2023 Discussion Item 4.
· Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission
· Sacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT)
· Sacramento Housing Alliance
· Sacramento Steps Forward Continuum of Care Board
· City of Sacramento Housing Policy Committee
· Sacramento Steps Forward Lived Experience Committee
· Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness
Workshops to review preliminary findings and obtain feedback were held at both the Board of Supervisors and the City Council on July 25, 2023. A public comment period was held from September 13th through 28th to provide the public with an additional opportunity to comment on the Plan. To the extent possible, input received at all of these meetings and during the public comment period was incorporated into the Plan.
The Affordable Housing Plan is included as Exhibit A. Once the Plan is approved, staff will report back to the Board and Council regarding progress made toward meeting the goals as part of SHRA’s Annual Housing Reports.
The Plan is comprised of the following sections:
■ Executive Summary and Background
Outlines the series of events and commitments that led to development of the Affordable Housing Plan and provides an overview of the current gaps, needs, and costs that exist within the permanent supportive housing and rehousing systems. The section describes the focus of the Affordable Housing Plan, which was derived from the Local Homeless Action Plan and the “Legally Binding Partnership Agreement to Address Homelessness Crisis” with particular emphasis paid to the systemic challenges that currently exist that negatively impact the development and construction of permanent units.
1)
· Measurable Targets and Activity Summary
Presents the Plan’s measurable targets for both permanent supportive housing and rehousing which are modeled after those included in the LHAP. It also provides a summary of the individual activities that will be undertaken to achieve the goals outlined in the Plan. · Permanent Supportive Housing and Rehousing Activities Details individual activities that the contributing partners will begin and continue to implement related to permanent supportive housing and rehousing. This section provides information on the type of activity, initial action steps, the gap that the activity will help address, whether new funding
File ID: 2023-00441 10/24/2023 Discussion Item 4.
is required for the activity, the timeframe for implementation, and the partner that is primarily responsible. An overview of activities currently underway is also included. · Related Planning Documents
Synthesis of goals, policies, and programs from existing plans and documents that address affordable housing for homeless populations, permanent supportive housing, and rehousing.
Permanent Supportive Housing Goal - Develop and fund a pipeline of 2000 units of PSH and other affordable housing over the next five years.
Overview of Activities in Support of Goal
· Planning/Administrative Activities
· Complete County zoning code amendments to eliminate zoning barriers to permanent supportive housing. Develop a compatible plan check process for permanent supportive housing projects.
· Facilitate the development of additional affordable housing by amending the current program (s) or creating a new affordable housing fee deferral program in the County. · Encourage the development of publicly owned parcels (both state and local) that are suitable for PSH development.
· Identify and develop partnerships with new affordable housing developers to increase permanent supportive housing production.
· Establish a tracking process that monitors the production of new PSH units. · Coordinate the timing of funding competitions amongst partners to the greatest extent feasible. · Funding Related Activities
· Investigate a Cooperation Agreement with neighboring counties to discuss advocacy for changes to State funding programs such as the Tax Credit Allocation Committee (TCAC) funding, California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC) policies and other state legislation.
· Construct or convert a minimum of 300 permanent supportive housing units and 100 affordable housing units annually. Consider the prioritization of efficiency units particularly in the downtown core.
· Review options for establishing a fund with contributions from both the City and the County for the development of permanent supportive housing.
File ID: 2023-00441 10/24/2023 Discussion Item 4.
· Policy Related Activities
· Explore new state and local legislation and bond initiatives for increased funding opportunities for affordable housing. Identify and pursue additional federal funding opportunities to develop affordable housing.
· Explore the adoption of a residential vacancy tax to fund affordable housing.
Rehousing Goal - Develop 1100 Rehousing opportunities over the next five years.
Overview of Activities in Support of Goal
· Planning/Administrative Activities
· Develop an analysis of both current rehousing capacity and future need. · Develop system wide rehousing service standards and performance metrics. · Develop partnerships with organizations outside of the public homeless response system to increase system capacity for the provision of rehousing services. · Funding Activities
· Identify and develop ongoing funding sources to expand rehousing capacity and provide ongoing Rental Assistance Funding.
· Design and pilot a new system-level shared housing program. · Lobby for additional funding at the State and Federal level for ongoing rental assistance funding.
Policy Considerations: This action is in response to the requirements of the Local Homeless Action Plan approved by the Board of Supervisors and City Council in June of 2022, and the City and County Partnership agreement, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors and City Council on December 6, 2022, and executed on January 23, 2023.
Economic Impacts: None.
Environmental Considerations: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): There is no action being taken; therefore, this is not a project pursuant CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): The project is an administrative action under NEPA and is therefore exempt pursuant to 24 California Code of Regulations Part 58.34(a)(3).
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission: At its
File ID: 2023-00441 10/24/2023 Discussion Item 4.
October 18, 2023, meeting, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission reviewed the staff recommendation for this item. The votes were as follows:
AYES: Amanfor, Duncan, Morgan, Nunley, Ramos, Ross, Starks, Staajabu, Woo NOES: None
ABSENT: Griffin, Osmany
Rationale for Recommendation: This action is in response to the requirements of the Local Homeless Action Plan approved by the Board of Supervisors and City Council on June 28, 2022, and the City and County Partnership agreement, which was approved by the Board of Supervisors and City Council on December 6, 2022, and executed on January 23, 2023.
Financial Considerations: Not applicable.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
RESOLUTION NO. 2023 -
Adopted by the Sacramento City Council
on date of
APPROVAL OF CITY-COUNTY AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
BACKGROUND
A. According to the 2022 Point in Time Homeless Count released by the Sacramento County Continuum of Care (CoC), there were 9,278 individuals experiencing homelessness in the County of Sacramento, an increase of 67 percent since 2019.
B. As the City and County mutually desire to improve coordination and combine efforts to move individuals out of homelessness, a Partnership Agreement was executed on January 25, 2023, to coordinate homeless-related activities.
C. The City/County Partnership Agreement requires that the City and County work together to aggressively meet the permanent supportive and affordable housin g needs identified in the Local Homelessness Action Plan. Within 180 days of the effective date of the Agreement, the City and County will finalize an Affordable Housing Plan that follows the strategies outlined in the Local Homeless Action Plan (LHAP) to increase permanent housing opportunities.
D. Staff from the City, County, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), and Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) have drafted an Affordable Housing Plan (Plan). The Plan’s major areas of focus based on guidance in the LHAP are Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and Rehousing.
E. Community engagement was conducted throughout the formation of the Plan with presentations and workshops held at two Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Commission meetings, and also with interested community groups such as Sacramen to Area Congregations Together (ACT), Sacramento Housing Alliance, the Continuum of Care Board, the City of Sacramento Housing Policy Committee, the Sacramento Steps Forward Lived Experience Committee, and the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessn ess. Once approved, staff will report back to the Board and Council on an annual basis regarding progress made toward meeting the goals outlined in the Plan.
F. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) : There is no action being taken; therefore, this is not a project pursuant CEQA Guidelines Section 15378. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA): The project is an administrative action under NEPA and is therefore exempt pursuant to 24 California Code of Regulations Part
58.34(a)(3).
BASED ON THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE BACKGROUND, THE CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. All evidence presented having been duly considered, the findings, including environmental findings regarding this action, as stated above, are found to be true and accurate and are hereby adopted.
Section 2. The Affordable Housing Plan, included as Exhibit A, is approved.
Section 3. Staff is directed to provide annual progress reports to the Board and Council on the strategies outlined in the Plan.
Table of Contents:
Exhibit A: Affordable Housing Plan
FINAL
OCTOBER 2023
Sacramento
Affordable
Housing Plan
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN i
Table of Contents
Executive Summary .................................................................................................................... 1 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 5 2 Background ...................................................................................................................... 11 3 Measurable Targets and Activity Summary ................................................................... 27 4 Permanent Supportive Housing and Rehousing Activities .......................................... 31 5 Related Planning Documents ......................................................................................... 43 6 Sources ............................................................................................................................. 49
Appendices
Appendix A. Glossary ............................................................................................................. A-1 Appendix B. Local Homeless Action Plan ............................................................................ B-1 Appendix C. City/County Agreement to Address Homelessness Crisis ............................ C-1 Appendix D. Meetings Conducted in Support of the Affordable Housing Plan ................. D-1 Appendix E. Related County and City Housing Element Goals, Policies and Programs ...E-1
Executive Summary
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 1
Executive Summary
The scarcity of affordable housing in the Sacramento region inhibits the efficacy of the homeless response system, leading to extended stays in programs, reduced turnover opportunities, and increased staff burnout and client trauma. In addition, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the expenses associated with a single individual experiencing chronic homelessness average $35,000 in tax dollars per year (National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2017). These costs decline by an average of nearly 50 percent when individuals are lifted out of homelessness and placed in supportive housing. These realities exemplify the urgent need for increased access to affordable housing to help those experiencing homelessness transition into stable, permanent residences and improve the livability of our communities for all.
In response to this pervasive issue, two significant action plans have been put forth: the Local Homeless Action Plan (Appendix B) and this Affordable Housing Plan. Adopted in 2022, the Local Homeless Action Plan presents a comprehensive approach toward resolving homelessness, focusing on various facets of service provision for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The Local Homeless Action Plan identified six key strategies to address the homelessness crisis. These strategies come from the understanding that homelessness is a complex issue that requires unique solutions.
This Affordable Housing Plan expands specifically on Strategy 3, “Increase permanent housing opportunities.” This strategy focuses on supporting individuals experiencing homelessness through rehousing, permanent supportive housing, and other affordable housing options.
Developed in collaboration between the City and County of Sacramento (City and County), the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), Sacramento Steps Forward, and community members, the Affordable Housing Plan includes an analysis of many issues related to the homelessness crisis and potential solutions. By aligning with the goals and strategies outlined in the Local Homeless Action Plan, the Affordable Housing Plan aims to bridge existing gaps and meet the identified needs in the region’s homeless support system.
The Local Homeless Action Plan envisions making a collective impact in the following strategies:
1. Build and Scale a Countywide Coordinated Access System.
2. Ensure Current and New Emergency Shelters and Interim Housing A
re Focused on Rehousing.
3. Increase Permanent Housing Opportunities.
4. Expand Prevention and Diversion Resources.
5. Invest in Community Capacity-Building and Training.
6. Ensure Adequate Behavioral Health Services.
2 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Needs, Targets, and Activities
The Affordable Housing Plan’s inclusion of specific progress metrics and regular reports underscores the commitment toward achieving its goals. This strategic approach, coupled with the steadfast commitment of various involved parties, provides an action-oriented roadmap to address homelessness in Sacramento County (refer to Figure 1). The Plan utilizes information regarding service gaps and needs for both rehousing and permanent supportive housing from the Sacramento Continuum of Care 2022 Gaps Analysis and Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) data combined with other stakeholder and community input. Targets and activities related to advancing rehousing and permanent supportive housing resources have been identified based on these service gaps and needs.
Figure 1: Permanent Supportive Housing and Rehousing Roadmap
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 3
Permanent Supportive Housing Targets and Activities
The targets for permanent supportive housing center around developing and funding 2,000 units of permanent supportive housing and other affordable housing units by the end of 2027. The goal would include 1,500 units of permanent supportive housing and 500 units of other types of affordable housing. Achieving this goal requires taking the actions necessary to ensure the continuation of ongoing activities that support the development of permanent supportive housing. Planning and administrative activities related to this goal include amending the County’s zoning code and streamlining the plan check process; developing partnerships to increase the production of permanent supportive housing; identifying and marketing public land suitable for development; establishing a tracking process for monitoring production of new permanent supportive housing units; and coordinating the timing of funding competitions amongst partners as feasible. Specific funding-related activities include creating or converting a minimum of 300 new permanent supportive housing units and 100 new affordable housing units per year, obtaining ongoing annual commitments of additional funding from partners, and pursuing additional opportunities for local, state and federal funds. Policy-related activities include exploring new legislation, ballot and bond initiatives for increased funding, and exploring the adoption of a vacancy property tax. Additional units can be produced as new funds are identified and secured.
Rehousing Targets and Activities
Rehousing targets identified in the Affordable Housing Plan aim to develop and fund programs with the capacity to serve 1,100 households by the end of 2027. This broad goal also includes the continuation of the Landlord Engagement and Assistance Program (LEAP) to encourage cooperation from key landlord stakeholders. Planning and administrative activities related to rehousing include mapping existing rehousing processes across multiple programs; establishing rehousing service standards and performance metrics; creating funding levels needed to cover identified level of service needs; and developing rehousing partnerships with organizations outside of the public homeless response system. Corresponding funding-related activities include securing additional ongoing funding resources, creating and funding an ongoing Rental Assistance Program, identifying and allocating necessary funding for 29 full-time case managers and 220 rapid rehousing slots, and designing and piloting a shared housing program.
Measuring Success
By focusing on enhancing coordination and increasing rehousing and permanent supportive housing opportunities, the Affordable Housing Plan aims to successfully transition individuals out of homelessness. All four partners – the City and County of Sacramento, SHRA, and Sacramento Steps Forward – will be responsible for overseeing and implementing the activities identified in the Affordable Housing Plan as outlined in the document. The success of the Affordable Housing Plan will be measured by the status of each target and activity, using key performance indicators that track the funding and progress of activities over time.
Introduction
1CHAPTER
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 5
1 Introduction
Lack of access to affordable housing is
a central factor contributing to
homelessness in the Sacramento
region. The publicly funded homeless
crisis response system alone cannot
solve the broader crisis related to
affordable housing, but it can play a
crucial role in improving the rehousing
and permanent supportive housing systems to facilitate successful transitions out of homelessness. The Local Homeless Action Plan, adopted by the City and County of Sacramento (City and County) in 2022, outlines a multi-pronged approach to addressing homelessness in Sacramento.
This Affordable Housing Plan (Plan) follows strategies outlined in the Local Homeless Action Plan and is a requirement of the City and County’s partnership agreement to collaborate on homelessness solutions (refer to Appendix C). While the broader Local Homeless Action Plan focuses on multiple aspects of providing services for people experiencing homelessness, the Affordable Housing Plan has been developed as an action-oriented roadmap that focuses specifically on enhancing coordination between the City and County to increase rehousing and permanent supportive housing opportunities. These are viewed as the most critical activities to both quickly address rehousing needs for those experiencing homelessness and focus on permanent housing as a longer term solution.
Developed through a collaborative effort
involving the City and County of
Sacramento, the Sacramento Housing and
Redevelopment Agency (SHRA),
Sacramento Steps Forward (as the lead
entity of the Continuum of Care), and
members of the community, this Affordable
Housing Plan evaluates existing rehousing
and permanent supportive housing
services and utilizes existing gaps and
needs analyses to inform specific
recommendations. Refer to Table 1 and
Appendix A for definitions of the terms
used in this Plan to discuss permanent
supportive housing and rehousing. Table 2
presents a description of the contributing
partners involved in Plan development.
The crisis of unsheltered
homelessness affects our entire
community, both pers ons
experiencing homelessness and the
broader community of housed
residents, businesses, and
neighborhoods.
6 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
The Plan builds upon insights gained from the gaps analysis, stakeholder/community engagement, the Local Homeless Action Plan, and existing goals, policies, and programs from related City and County documents. Additionally, the Plan outlines a comprehensive set of activities to address identified gaps and needs. Together these activities will guide the City and County, SHRA, and Sacramento Steps Forward in creating robust and effective permanent supportive housing and rehousing solutions. The Affordable Housing Plan also provides metrics to track progress toward various goals and includes regular progress reports to both the City Council and the County Board of Supervisors.
Table 1: Definitions of Terms Used in This Affordable Housing Plan Permanent
supportive
housing
A housing model designed to provide housing assistance and supportive services on a long-term basis to people who formerly experienced homelessness. Permanent supportive housing is often targeted for people who are experiencing chronic homelessness and are the most vulnerable. In most cases, permanent supportive housing units must be occupied by people with disabilities.
The permanent supportive housing approach prioritizes housing individuals with complex needs without requiring them to meet certain criteria or conditions before being housed (National Alliance to End Homelessness 2023a). Once housed, individuals can access on-site supportive resources such as mental health care, substance abuse treatment, and employment services. Permanent supportive housing aims to provide a stable home for people experiencing homelessness and to address the underlying issues that often lead to homelessness. This tactic is crucial in addressing homelessness, as it supports efforts to reduce healthcare costs and interactions with the criminal justice system and improves the overall quality of life for those experiencing homelessness.
Rehousing An effort to connect people experiencing homelessness with affordable housing units and provide rental and security deposit assistance. It also incorporates landlord engagement, housing planning, search and placement assistance, temporary and long- term financial assistance (such as Housing Choice Vouchers), and stabilization and case management services to help clients maintain housing (National Alliance to End Homelessness 2023b). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other federal agencies support rehousing efforts because these interventions effectively help connect people with stable housing resources and prevent them from returning to a state of homelessness. In particular, rehousing is an effective approach for families and individuals experiencing homelessness for the first time or for a short period. Individuals who have experienced long-term homelessness and who need permanent supportive housing are subject to higher barriers and would benefit from rehousing strategies. Additionally, rehousing has been identified as particularly effective for veterans experiencing homelessness. The rehousing strategy is an important tool to tackle the homelessness crisis because it focuses on a person's immediate housing needs and provides assistance tailored to the individual’s circumstances.
Note: Additional technical terms used in this Affordable Housing Plan have been defined in the glossary (refer to Appendix A).
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 7
Table 2: Affordable Housing Plan Contributing Partners
Sacramento Housing and
Redevelopment Agency
SHRA was created to ensure the ongoing development of
affordable housing and to fuel improvement projects in the City and County of Sacramento. SHRA is a joint powers
agency under the authority of the City of Sacramento, the County of Sacramento, the City Housing Authority, and the County Housing Authority. SHRA has five main areas of
focus: affordable housing, housing authority, community revitalization, solutions addressing homelessness, and
neighborhood investment. For more information, visit
https://www.shra.org/.
City of Sacramento
The City of Sacramento is committed to (1) providing safety for all its residents, which includes meeting the immediate safety needs of those experiencing homelessness;
(2) connecting individuals to
health and social services so they
can transition from the streets or shelters into more stable c
onditions; and (3) helping individuals who have achieved s
tability move into permanent housing and maintain long-term success. For more information on the City’s response to hom
elessness, visit https://homeless.cityofsacramento.org/.
County of Sacramento
The County of Sacramento’s mission is to provide services and assistance so that homelessness in the community is rare overall and brief when it occurs and that clients are served with dignity, respect, and compassion. A variety of strategies are employed to accomplish this vision including outreach, shelter and interim housing, permanent housing, and system improvements. For more information on the County’s
response to homelessness, visit
https://schs.saccounty.gov/Pages/default.aspx.
S
acramento Steps Forward
Sacramento Steps Forward is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that
partners with federal, state, and local agencies to accomplish the shared goal of ending homelessness throughout
Sacramento County. Sacramento Steps Forward focuses on
strengthening the community response to homelessness
using data and analytics to drive system-level changes, prioritize racial equity, and enhance access to services.
Sacramento Steps Forward is the lead agency for the
Sacramento Continuum of Care, the regional planning body that coordinates housing and services for homeless families and individuals in Sacramento. For more information on
Sacramento Steps Forward, visit
https://sacramentostepsforward.org/.
1.1 Development of the Plan
Development of the Affordable Housing Plan involved a complex process with significant collaboration from the City and County, SHRA, Sacramento Steps Forward, and the community (refer to Figure 2). Below is a summary of the stakeholder and working group meetings, focused community meetings, and public meetings conducted that informed the Affordable Housing Plan. Refer to Appendix D for a description of each meeting.
8 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Figure 2: Summary of Engagement Meetings
1.1.1 Stakeholder M eetings and Working Group Meetings
The stakeholder and working group meetings were a crucial component of the process, providing an opportunity for the contributing partners to convene and collaboratively discuss development of the Plan. Over the course of five meetings held during various milestone periods of Plan preparation, representatives from the City, the County, SHRA, and Sacramento Steps Forward discussed the purpose, content, and structure of the Plan, bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to the table. These stakeholder and working group meetings ensured that the Affordable Housing Plan would meet the diverse needs and priorities of the community while also reflecting the extensive efforts already being carried out by the contributing partners. Additionally, stakeholders identified new activities for implementation, as described in the Affordable Housing Plan, that would enhance the rehousing and permanent supportive housing systems.
1.1.2 Focused Community and Public Meetings
Community members and other stakeholders also contributed to the development of the Affordable Housing Plan. The Plan was presented and feedback was obtained at meetings with the Sacramento Housing Alliance, Sacramento Steps Forward’s Continuum of Care Advisory Board, Sacramento Area Congregations Together, the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, Sacramento Steps Forward’s Lived Experience Committee, two SHRA Commission meetings, and the City’s Housing Policy Working Group. Workshops were also held at meetings with the City Council and County Board of Supervisors.
The Final Affordable Housing Plan was distributed for public comment and presented for approval to the SHRA Commission, City Council, and County Board of Supervisors in October of 2023. All comments received were reviewed and incorporated within the parameters and schedule of the Affordable Housing Plan per the City/County Partnership Agreement.
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 9
1.2 Document Organization
This Affordable Housing Plan consists of the following sections: Background, Measurable Targets and Activity Summary, Permanent Supportive Housing and Rehousing Activities, and Related Planning Documents. These sections are described below. ■ Background
This section outlines the series of events and commitments that led to development of the A
ffordable Housing Plan and provides an overview of the current gaps, needs, funding sources, and costs that exist within the permanent supportive housing and rehousing syst
ems. Existing disparities within the homeless response system are also described. This section provides insight on the focus of the Affordable Housing Plan, which was derived fr
om the Local Homeless Action Plan (refer to Appendix B) and an agreement made betw
een the City and County to address the homelessness crisis (refer to Appendix C). The goal
of this section is to clarify the role of the Local Homeless Action Plan and the P
artnership Agreement to Address Homelessness Crisis in the development of the A
ffordable Housing Plan, describe the funding sources relevant to permanent supportive housing and rehousing, and to document the gaps and needs that this Plan seeks to addr
ess.
■ Measurable Targets and Activity Summary
This section describes the Plan’s measurable targets for both permanent supportive housi ng
and r
ehousing and summarizes the individual activities that will be undertaken to achieve the
se targets.
■ Permanent Supportive Housing and Rehousing Activities Based on the identified gaps for both rehousing and permanent supportive housing, this section outlines individual activities that the contributing partners will begin and contin ue to
i
mplement.
■ Related Planning Documents
This section presents a synthesis of goals, policies, and programs from existing plans and doc
uments that address affordable housing for homeless populations, permanent supportive hous
ing, and rehousing.
Background
2CHAPTER
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 11
2 Background
2.1 O verview of Sacramento’s Local
Homeless Action Plan
The City and County of Sacramento have a
mutual desire to improve coordination to
meet the needs of people experiencing
homelessness and move individuals out of
homelessness. In 2022, the two jurisdictions
came together with Sacramento Steps
Forward and SHRA to develop the Local
Homeless Action Plan.
The Local Homeless Action Plan is a three-year plan, ending in June 2025, that provides a roadmap for a cross-jurisdictional approach to address homelessness. This plan leverages the current inventory of programs and activities related to homelessness in Sacramento to envision a more coordinated approach to the homelessness crisis. Adopted on July 1, 2022, the Local Homeless Action Plan includes six key strategies:
1. Build and Scale a Countywide Coordinated Access System.
2. Ensure Current and New Emergency Shelters and Interim Housing Are Focused on R
ehousing.
3. Increase Permanent Housing Opportunities.
4. Expand Prevention and Diversion Resources.
5. Invest in Community Capacity-Building and Training.
6. Ensure Adequate Behavioral Health Services.
The Local Homeless Action Plan identified these key strategies based on national best practices and data that reveal “a need for increased investments in and expanded access to prevention, rehousing assistance, and affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing and other forms of ongoing housing and service assistance outside of the homeless response system” (Sacramento Steps Forward 2022). The City and County, Sacramento Steps Forward, and SHRA are tasked with implementing the six key strategies. The Affordable Housing Plan relates most closely to the implementation process of Strategy 3, Sub-strategies 3.a and 3.b, as described below.
By improving City and County
coordination in the permanent
supportive housing and rehousing
systems, the Affordable Housing
Plan will help ensure that future
funding and other resources
infused into the systems will be
deployed in a productive and
efficient manner.
STRATEGY 3: Increase permanent housing opportunities.
Sub-strategy 3.a: Increase and improve rehousing assistance to improve permanent housing outcomes.
Sub-strategy 3.b: Increase the stock of homeless -dedicated permanent supportive housing units and other affordable housing vouchers/units with ongoing services.
12 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Additional actions to implement the other key strategies of the Local Homeless Action Plan are underway and will continue concurrent with the implementation of the Affordable Housing Plan.
As of June 30, 2023, significant progress has been made toward the Local Homeless Action Plan three-year goal of providing 600 new shelter beds in Sacramento by 2026. Outreach capacity has also been expanded, with the hiring of City encampment workers and County mental health workers exceeding 2023 targets. The 2023 prevention targets for the number of households prevented from entering homelessness and the Problem-Solving access points have also been met. Efforts to meet additional shelter, outreach, and prevention targets are underway and will be reported on in forthcoming Local Homeless Action Plan progress reports, which will be accessible on the Sacramento Steps Forward website:
https://sacramentostepsforward.org/sacramento-local-homeless-action-plan/.
2.2 City/County Partnership Agreement
In January 2023, the City and County entered into a Partnership Agreement to Address the Homelessness Crisis, referred to herein as “the Agreement.” The Agreement formalized the City and County’s commitment to collaboratively address the homelessness crisis in Sacramento.
The Agreement includes the following key provisions:
■ Establishes a five-year term with annual updates.
■ Outlines the roles and responsibilities of each jurisdiction. ■ Addresses key provisions of the Emergency Shelter and Enforcement Act of 2022. ■ Demonstrates a shared commitment to the Sacramento Local Homeless Action Plan and Coordinated Access System.
■ Sets forth provisions for accountability and measuring progress with reports in open session to both the City Council and County Board of Supervisors every six months.
The Agreement establishes various commitments aimed at preventing and ending homelessness in Sacramento. The following excerpt from the Agreement prescribes the development of the Affordable Housing Plan:
The City and County shall work aggressively to meet the permanent supportive and affordable housing needs identified in the Local Homelessness Action Plan.
Within 180 days of the effective date of this Agreement, the City and County will finalize an affordable housing plan that follows the strategies outlined in the Local Homeless Action Plan to increase permanent housing opportunities.
The Affordable Housing Plan was prepared in accordance with this commitment and with guidance from City and County officials and community stakeholders. Refer to Figure 3 for a timeline of the Affordable Housing Plan relative to the adoption of the Sacramento Local Homeless Plan and City/County Agreement.
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 13
Figure 3: Plan Adoption Dates
2.3 Working Toward Addressing Disparities
As part of the Local Homeless Action Plan, data was analyzed revealing that persons identifying as Black and American Indian/Alaska Native experienced homelessness at disproportionate rates. Although persons identifying as Black represent only 11 percent of the population in the geographic area, they represent approximately 39 percent of individuals who are experiencing homelessness, and approximately 39 percent of families with children experiencing homelessness have a Black individual as the head of the household. Additionally, local data showed that persons identifying as American Indian/Alaska Native are not accessing homeless services in proportion to the number of people believed to be experiencing homelessness from that community.
The City and County of Sacramento, Sacramento Steps Forward, and SHRA recognize the racial disparities that exist within the countywide homeless response system. Addressing these disparities is a priority for all the partners. Efforts made by these partners to counteract racial disparities include but are not limited to the actions described below. ■ Sacramento Steps Forward formed the Racial Equity Committee in 2020 as part of the dev
elopment of the Local Homeless Action Plan. This committee conducted a community analysis that included quantitative and qualitative data identifying contributing factors that i
nfluenced a wide range of disparities. The results of this analysis culminated in the dev
elopment of an action plan titled “The Findings & Recommendations from the Continuum of Care Racial Equity Committee.” Key report findings included:
• Disparities in access to homeless services.
• Undercounting and poor data collection within historically under-resourced communities. • Negative impacts of racial biases across the system, including the assessment and pr
ioritization processes for the allocation of resources. • A need for a trauma-informed and racial equity approach to engage landlords to reduce hi
storical discriminatory tenant leasing practices.
• A lack of racial/ethnic and lived-expertise participation across all levels of the workforce who are unhoused.
14 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Building off these findings, the action plan identifies a number of initial steps to begin redressing systemic harm:
• Increase access points in historically under-resourced communities. • Diversify language and literacy levels on key documents to improve participants’ understanding of and consent for services.
• Increase the hiring of diverse staff, including partners with lived expertise, across all organizational levels within the homeless response system. • Engage in practices of restorative justice.
• Replace the current common assessment tool with a culturally responsive design. ■ The City and County of Sacramento have also acted to address this issue. The City adopted a 2020–2025 Race & Gender Equity Action Plan in July 2020. The plan is organized under the goal of attracting, hiring, and retaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community across the breadth and depth of the City of Sacramento. In November of 2020, the County adopted a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. Through this resolution, the County pledged to promote racial equity while shaping policies, appropriating resources, implementing programs, and issuing directives, among other actions.
Additional populations facing unique challenges in the homeless crisis include people over the age of 55 and LGBTQ+ individuals. In California, people over 55 are the fastest-growing population experiencing homelessness. While the state’s overall population of people over 55 grew 7 percent from 2017 to 2021, those seeking homelessness services increased by 84 percent. This surge, as noted by the state's Homeless Data Integration System, outpaced the overall 43 percent increase in service usage across all ages (Ibarra 2023). Regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, data collected from the 2021 Sacramento point-in-time count revealed that people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or other LGBTQ+ identities are overrepresented in the general homeless population (Division of Social Work 2022; Jones 2022).
Efforts to address these unique challenges
are underway in Sacramento. For example,
SHRA sponsored affordable housing
developments such as Curtis Park Court
have been dedicated to people who are
over 55 years of age. The City and County
partner with the Sacramento LGBT
Community Center to fund housing
services for LGBTQ+ individuals
experiencing homelessness. Lavender
Courtyard, another SHRA sponsored
affordable housing project located in
midtown Sacramento, was designed to
offer an affirming community for a
diversity of people including Sacramento's
LGBTQ+ community members who are 62 or older.
Lavender Courtyard in the City of Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 15
2.4 Permanent Supportive Housing and Rehousing Gaps, Costs, and Needs
2.4.1 Identified Gaps
A Gaps Analysis was prepared by the
Sacramento Continuum of Care in 2022 to
provide an up-to-date, annual estimate of the
number of people who experience literal
homelessness in Sacramento County, along
with their key characteristics. The Gaps
Analysis also provided an examination of
current and planned capacity (i.e., funded and
operational or under development) expected
to be available in the next three years in
Sacramento County to address service
needs. Finally, the Gaps Analysis provided an
estimate of the service gaps remaining after
accounting for current and planned capacity.
The Gaps Analysis builds on past local
system analyses and provides a
comprehensive and replicable basis for local
stakeholders to quantify annual service needs
and gaps and track progress toward closing
gaps over time. The 2022 point-in-time count
revealed that 9,278 people were experiencing
homelessness in Sacramento in February
2022 (refer to Figure 4). At that time, only
3,706 beds for people exiting homelessness
were available in the interim and permanent
housing supply for persons experiencing
homelessness. This statistic is evidence of
the extensive needs within the homelessness
crisis response system. The Affordable
Housing Plan will act as a piece of the larger
solution to address this issue by
recommending enhancements to the
permanent supportive housing and rehousing
systems.
Literal Homelessness is a subcategory
of homelessness specific to people who
are unsheltered and living in a place not
meant for human habitation; people
residing in an emergency shelter, Safe
Haven, or transitional housing for people
who are homeless; and people who are
being discharged from an institution after
a stay of 90 days or less and who were in
an unsheltered or sheltered location
immediately prior to admission (Gaps
Analysis 2022).
16 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Figure 4: Sacramento Point-in-Time Counts 2015–2022
Source: Homelessness in Sacramento County: Results From the 2022 Point-in-Time Count. Division of Social Work and the Center for Health Practice, Policy and Research at the California State University, Sacramento. July 2022.
Note: Data was not available in 2021; therefore, the count for the overall population experiencing homelessness in 2022 is higher than the other two-year interval counts.
Table 3 and Table 4 present gaps from the Gaps Analysis combined with other stakeholder- and community-identified needs related to permanent supportive housing and rehousing.
Engagement with representatives from the City and County, SHRA, Sacramento Steps Forward, and the community informed the stakeholder-identified needs presented in these tables as well.
La Mancha Apartments in the City of Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 17
Table 3: Rehousing Gaps and Identified Needs
T
able 4: Permanent Supportive Housing Gaps and Identified Needs
2.4.2 Permanent S upportive Housing Costs and Needs
Permanent Supportive Housing Funding Sources
Permanent supportive housing, though highly effective, is also quite expensive to operate.
Figure 5 and Figure 6 provide snapshots of the resources needed to construct and provide services for either the creation or conversion of a permanent supportive housing unit. Refer to Table 5 for a full list of the resources currently allocated to permanent supportive housing.
18 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Figure 5: Current Sources of Funds Needed to Finance the Rehabilitation of Motels Figur
e 6: Current Sources of Funds Needed to Finance New Construction
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 19
Table 5: Resources Currently Allocated Annually to Permanent Supportive Housing Source Program Use of Funds
Administering
Agency
Fiscal Year
Allocated
Amount
Federal Housing Opportunities for
Persons with AIDS
Affordable/permanent supportive
housing construction
SHRA $678,000
Federal Sacramento Steps Forward Operations, supportive services, rental assistance for permanent
supportive housing projects
Sacramento
Steps Forward
$26,745,000
Federal Community Development
Block Grant–City
Affordable/permanent supportive
housing rehab
SHRA $500,000
Federal Community Development
Block Grant–County
Affordable/permanent supportive
housing rehab
SHRA $500,000
Federal HOME Investment
Partnerships Program–
City
Affordable/permanent supportive
housing construction
SHRA $2,490,000
Federal HOME Investment
Partnerships Program–
County
Affordable/permanent supportive
housing construction
SHRA $3,259,000
State Mental Health Services Act Operations and supportive services for permanent supportive housing
projects
County $11,016,000
State Mental Health Services Act Affordable/permanent supportive housing construction
County $5,000,000
State Permanent Local Housing
Allocation
Affordable/permanent supportive
housing construction
SHRA $6,000,000
County Housing Trust Fund Affordable Housing construction SHRA $750,000 County Affordable Housing
Ordinance
Affordable Housing construction SHRA $3,000,000
City Housing Trust Fund Affordable Housing construction SHRA $2,000,000 City Mixed Income Housing
Ordinance
Affordable Housing construction SHRA $800,000
City Prohousing Funding (one-
time competitive funding)
Affordable/permanent supportive
housing construction
City/SHRA $2,500,000
Subtotal—Operations and supportive services $37,761,000 Subtotal—permanent support housing and affordable housing construction and rehabilitation
$26,799,000
Overall Total $64,560,000
Note:
Project based vouchers are currently allocated to approximately 500 affordable units annually on a competitive basis by the County Housing Authority. Permanent supportive housing units for the homeless are given priority for these vouchers. In addition, 874 homeless Veterans receive a voucher through the Veterans Administration and Supportive Housing voucher set-aside. 20 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Permanent Supportive Housing Funding Challenges
Many funding sources that have been used to develop affordable housing statewide are undergoi
ng changes to their processes or are being discontinued. These changes in the affordable housing funding structure have led to an overall lack of available resources, creating
a potential “funding cliff.” As a result, new local resource options are urgently needed to ensure that affordable housing and permanent supportive housing projects can be developed
. Given the generally lengthy timeline needed to produce affordable housing units, it is important that ongoing contributions be made to the financing pipeline. ■ Resident Services and Operating Cost Funding. The current average cost for residential services at a small to medium sized permanent supportive housing development is $300,000 per year. These funds are used to fund caseworkers who each will serve an average of 15–20 residents. Recently, many resident services caseworkers have been funded through the County’s Mental Health Services Act program, though most projects require additional subsidies. For operations, SHRA prioritizes the annual allocation of approximately 500 new project based vouchers to affordable housing projects that serve the homeless. Typically, the vouchers assist with operational expenses for a 20-year period. In addition, it is necessary to establish a capitalized operating reserve to ensure ongoing funding for these costs. Establishing and maintaining a reserve requires an allocation of additional funds for the project.
■ Tax Credit and Bond Financing. Tax credit and bond financing facilitate the creation of affordable units throughout California. The State of California Tax Credit Allocation Committee administers the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. The California Debt Limit Allocation Committee allocates California’s annual debt ceiling and administers the state’s tax-exempt bond program. Two types of federal tax credits are available, generally referred to as the 9 percent Tax Credit and 4 percent Tax Credit. Each number refers to the approximate percentage that is multiplied against a project’s requested “qualified basis” to determine the amount of annual federal credits that the State of California Tax Credit Allocation Committee will award to a project. These programs were created to promote private investment in affordable rental housing for low-income Californians and have become vital funding sources for the development of affordable housing.
SHRA provides financing to 9 percent Tax Credit projects when they are located in the City of Sacramento or the unincorporated Sacramento County area. These projects generally compete within the Tax Credit Allocation Committee’s Capital Region, which consists of the Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, El Dorado, and Placer five county area. Competition for these tax credits is high and they typically fund only two or three projects each year within the six-county area mentioned above. On average, given the historical amount of federal and state tax credits, only one project in the City or County of Sacramento is successful each year. For the 4 percent tax- exempt bond program, tax credits are coupled with mortgage revenue bonds. Mortgage revenue bonds and 4 percent low-income tax credits are two separate programs but are awarded together and if a bond application is successful, 4 percent tax credits are automatically received. The 4 percent credits are allocated to a 10-county area (the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee’s Northern Region: El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yuba, Yolo, Butte, San Joaquin, Solano, and Shasta counties). Before 2020, all applications that met the criteria were funded. However, starting in 2020, this SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 21
program transitioned to a competitive funding model. In 2020, funds were awarded to 12 projects submitted by SHRA, but by 2022 only six projects were awarded funds. This decrease in the number of funded projects can be tied most directly to a change in the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee’s scoring that favors projects in high-resource areas. The City and County of Sacramento do not compete well under this revised scoring system, which favors higher income jurisdictions such as Elk Grove and Roseville. This reduces the funding and leverage available to create affordable housing and results in a need for more bond and tax credits at the federal level. When additional financing is obtained leveraging tax credits, which generally make up 40 percent of the project, will be a challenge. Without this source to leverage, the per-unit cost to SHRA is extremely high, resulting in very few units that can be constructed.
■ State and Federal Funding. As described above, changes to the tax credit allocation formula have limited opportunities to produce affordable housing in Sacramento. The Homekey program, established in 2020, has provided a greatly needed new source of funding for the creation of permanent supportive housing. SHRA has applied for six Homekey projects to date in the City and County of Sacramento. State programs such as Homekey, which do not rely on California Debt Limit Allocation Committee or Tax Credit Allocation Committee funding, have been very successful without a tax credit; however, SHRA has had to allocate a larger share of local funds to these projects, which equates to fewer units being produced.
Additionally, although Homekey funds have provided a relatively quick and efficient way to create permanent supportive housing, this funding source is not currently projected to be in future state budgets, as it was tied to Cares Act funding available during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other useful sources of state funding are also at risk and No Place Like Home funds, which were used to develop affordable housing, are no longer available.
At the federal level, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program–American Rescue Plan and American Rescue Plan Act funds, which were used to address homelessness, are no longer available, as they also were one-time Cares Act funds available during the pandemic.
A majority of the Cares Act funding was not allocated to permanent housing. Although funding short-term housing options like shelters is helpful, there is a lack of long-term housing in which to place residents after they leave a shelter. It is important to also note that federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program entitlement funding received by the City and County has been proposed for cuts by Congress. Ongoing though smaller sources of federal funds for housing includes the Community Development Block Grant program.
A rendering of Mutual on the Boulevard in Sacramento County.
22 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Permanent Supportive Housing Funding Availability
SHRA collects information annually about the amount of funding available for projects and the amount of funding requested. Because of a lack of funding, an average of 40 percent of applications submitted are not funded. Figure 7 details the funding amounts available and the funds requested between 2018 and 2022.
Figure 7: Project Funding Awarded by SHRA to City and County Projects Note: The percentage of funds represents the total amount of funding that SHRA had available and awarded to projects, out of the total amount of funding that was requested by the City and County.
Permanent Supportive Housing Needs Summary
The 2022 Gaps Analysis identified a need for 5,900–7,100 units of additional permanent supportive housing units. An additional measure of the need for affordable housing in Sacramento is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation or RHNA, which is determined by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The Regional Housing Needs Allocation is a multi-step process that California governments utilize to plan for housing needs at different levels of affordability in each region of the state. Table 6 shows the City and County’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation by income category, including extremely low-, very low-, and low-income and the higher income categories. Table 7 illustrates the progress made as of December 31, 2022, and outlines the number of units permitted within each income category.
Table 6: 6th Cycle (2021–2029) Regional Housing Needs Allocation Jurisdiction Extremely
Low-Income
Very Low-
Income
Low-
Income
Moderate-
Income
Above Moderate-
Income Total RHNA
City of Sacramento 5,231 5,231 6,306 8,545 20,266 45,580 County of Sacramento
(unincorporated area)
2,233 2,233 2,692 4,186 9,928 21,272
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 23
Table 7: 6th Cycle Regional Housing Needs Allocation Progress — Permitted Units as of December 31, 2022
Jurisdiction Extremely
Low-Income
Very Low-
Income
Low-
Income
Moderate-
Income
Above Moderate-
Income
Total Units
Permitted
City of Sacramento 839 1,080 1,474 1,833 2,747 7,973
County of Sacramento
(unincorporated area)
0 75 181 361 711 1,328
Findings
and Additional Resources Needed for Permanent Supportive Housing Based on the Regional Housing Needs Allocation analysis summarized above, there is a need for 7,464 extremely low-income units in the City and County of Sacramento for the 2021–2029 planning period. This equates to a production need of 933 units per year. For the 2021–2022 period, the City produced 839 extremely low-income units and the County produced none. With current resources and assuming stable levels of state and federal funding, SHRA estimates that there is the capacity to provide funding for 300 units annually, which leaves a gap of 633 units per year as shown in Table 8.
Table 8: Countywide Regional Housing Needs Allocation Obligations Compared to Average Number of SHRA Units Produced Annually
Annual Countywide RHNA Obligation –
Extremely Low-Income Units
SHRA Average Annual Units
Produced
Remaining Units Needed Annually to
meet RHNA Goal
933 units 300 633
Source: SHRA
Using the per-unit cost estimate for new construction of a homeless unit and the anticipated $100,000 per unit of gap funding that SHRA provides, an additional $63 million per year is required to construct the 633 annual units representing the deficit in meeting the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, as shown in Table 9.
Table 9: Annual Funding Needed to Meet Countywide Regional Housing Needs Allocation Obligation For Extremely Low-income Units
Local Funding State Funding Other funding Tax Credits
$63,000,000 $63,000,000 $63,000,000 $128,000,000
Source: SHRA
Note: Other funding includes loans, capital contributions, deferred developer fee, fee waivers, historic tax credits, etc. 24 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
This assumes that funding in the same amount, $63 million, would be available from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. In addition, Low Income Tax Credits must be obtainable. In the event that these state funds and/or tax credits were no longer available, the local share of the costs would escalate dramatically.
Lastly, assuming the need to create 633 additional units, with an average of 106 units per development, developers in Sacramento City and County would be required to successfully leverage six additional 9% Tax Credits or 4% Tax Credits and Mortgage Bonds awards annually. Given the current tax credit availability, rules favoring high resources areas, and the requirement to compete with up to nine other counties, this would be virtually impossible to accomplish.
2.4.3 Rehousing Costs and Needs
Although both permanent supportive housing and rehousing are addressed in this Affordable Housing Plan, the needs of these two service systems are unique. As described above, the funding, development, and operational structures in the permanent supportive housing system are well established, and the identified needs reflect that status. The rehousing system is a newer strategy for addressing homelessness and thus requires a different approach to identifying and addressing system needs. This unique approach involves delving into existing capacity for assistance case slots , establishing funding sources, and fostering improved system coordination.
The 2022 Gaps Analysis showed an existing capacity for approximately 3,000 –3,700 rehousing assistance case slots. However , rehousing programs and capacity are currently being evaluated further to determine the accuracy of th is original estimate, as many identified rehousing projects do n ot provide individualized services that are consistent with the model standard. The 2022 Gaps Analysis also shows a need for an additional 29 full time employee case workers who provide rehousing assistance, along with funding for temporary rental assistance to close th ese gaps. The exact amount of investment needed for financial assistance is being examined as part of the full landscape analysis of both current rehousing capacity and future needs described herein. Refer to Table 10 for a full list of the current resources allocated to rehousing.
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 25
Table 10: Current Resources Allocated to Rehousing Annually Source Program Use of Funds Administering Agency
Fiscal Year
Allocated
Amount
One-time funding
Federal American Rescue Plan
Act–Landlord
Engagement and
Assistance Program1
Housing assistance
services
County Department of
Homeless Services
and Housing
$2,423,000
State Bringing Families
Home
2 Housing assistance
services
County Department of
Child, Family and
Adult Services
Administration
$1,254,000
State Homeless Housing
Assistance and
Prevention
Housing assistance
services
City $1,900,000
Annual, ongoing funding
Federal Emergency Solutions
Grant (City)
Rapid rehousing SHRA $146,000
Federal Emergency Solutions
Grant (County)
Rapid rehousing SHRA $189,000
Federal Rapid Rehousing Rapid Rehousing Sacramento Steps Forward
$2,000,000
State Housing and Disability
Advocacy Program
Housing assistance
services
County Department of
Human Assistance
$4,725,000
State CalWORKS Housing
Support Program and
Temporary Housing
Assistance
Assistance
programs
County Department of
Human Assistance
$4,927,000
State Mental Health Services
Act
Housing assistance
services
County/SHRA $2,500,000
County General
Fund/State
Flexible Supportive
Rehousing Program
Housing assistance
services
County Department of
Human Assistance
3 $3,702,000
Total $23,766,000
Notes:
1 This program, known as LEAP, was funded with $10 million in one-time funding from County American Rescue Plan Act funds, split over three fiscal years. In fiscal year 2023–2024, an additional $5 million was added to this program using Housing and Homelessness Incentive Program funding from the managed care plans. This amount represents the approximate allocation for services in fiscal year 2022–2023; overall, over approximately 3 years, this program will have $15 million in one-time funding. 2 Bringing Families Home is a state-administered funding program that provides one-time competitive funding to counties. There have been multiple funding rounds that Sacramento has been successful in competing for, but this source cannot be considered annually available.
3 In fiscal year 2023–2024, this program shifted to the County Department of Homeless Services and Housing.
It is anticipated that approximately 500 new housing choice vouchers will be available annually over the five-year period which includes both tenant based and project based vouchers.
Measurable Targets
and Activity Summary
3CHAPTER
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 27
3 Measurable Targets and Activity Summary
The Affordable Housing Plan establishes measurable targets to track and identify progress.
Measurable targets were initially based on information from the Local Homeless Action Plan and refined to relate closely to the gaps and activities included in the Plan for permanent supportive housing and rehousing. Progress made toward meeting the targets will be reported annually to both the City Council and the County Board of Supervisors. Once the first-year activities have been completed, these partners will assess progress and update/revise subsequent targets as needed. Table 11a and Table 11b summarize activities for permanent supportive housing and rehousing.
Courtyard at Orange Grove in Sacramento County.
28 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Table 11a: Affordable Housing Plan Targets
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 29
Table 11b: Affordable Housing Plan Targets
Permanent Supportive
Housing and
Rehousing Activities
4CHAPTER
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 31
4 Permanent Supportive Housing and Rehousing
Activities
Activities described in the Affordable Housing Plan seek to address the gaps and identified needs summarized previously in Table 3 and Table 4. Establishing actionable activities for the contributing partners will ensure that future efforts are coordinated and effective. The City and County, along with SHRA and Sacramento Steps Forward, are actively engaged in providing permanent supportive housing and rehousing, and although these organizations are making progress, they acknowledge that additional action is needed. In acknowledgement of the needs, the contributing partners are committed to implementing the activities described in Table 12 and Table 13 that will expand permanent supportive housing and rehousing services to facilitate exits out of homelessness.
This section captures the existing efforts of these partners and identifies future activities that will address system gaps and needs. By cataloging existing efforts and recommending activities, the Affordable Housing Plan will play a crucial role in advancing Local Homeless Action Plan Strategy 3, Sub-strategies 3.a and 3.b.
4.1 Permanent Supportive Housing Activities
Table 12 provides a summary of ongoing permanent supportive housing activities, as well as future permanent supportive housing activities to be undertaken by the City and County, SHRA, and Sacramento Steps Forward. It encompasses activities specified in the Local Homeless Action Plan Year One Activities document, activities identified through the engagement process, and newly identified initiatives. Each activity is described and includes the following details:
1. The specific gap addressed by the activity, with corresponding references to the ga p/need
ti
tle found in Table 4.
2. The agencies responsible for executing the activity.
3. The need or lack of need for new funding.
4. The type of activity—Ongoing, Planning/Administrative, Policy, or Funding.
5. The timeline for the activity.
Central Sacramento Studios in the City of Sacramento.
32 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Table 12: Permanent Supportive Housing Activities
Permanent Supportive Housing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Funding and
Development
Increased
Developer
Capacity
Innovation
Capacity to
Support New
Types of
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Tracking
and
Monitoring
X X 1 Continue with ongoing activities that include but are not limited to:
• Prioritizing permanent supportive housing projects
when allocating project based vouchers and other
funding resources.
• Utilizing County Mental Health Services Act funding
for permanent supportive housing projects.
• Prioritizing 20 percent of funding for affordable
housing through an Enhanced Infrastructure
Finance District.
• Offering fee waivers and deferrals for qualified
affordable housing and permanent supportive
housing projects.
• Promot ing the development of permanent supportive
housing in any zone that allows housing.
• Utilizing Prohousing and other funds to assist with
local gap financing for priority affordable housing
projects, which includes permanent supportive
housing projects.
• Preserving affordable housing through the
implementation of the City of Sacramento’s
Affordable Housing Preservation Ordinance
(Chapter 5.148), when applicable.
• Updating the current City of Sacramento Mixed
Income Housing Ordinance. An amended ordinance
could increase the impact fee and/or require market-
rate developers to ensure that a percentage of their
development is affordable.
SHRA,
County, City,
Sacramento
Steps
Forward
Various Ongoing
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 33
Permanent Supportive Housing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Funding and
Development
Increased
Developer
Capacity
Innovation
Capacity to
Support New
Types of
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Tracking
and
Monitoring
• Continuing with a streamlined building and planning
entitlement process for affordable housing
developments.
• Developing ballot initiatives and legislation to raise funds for affordable housing projects.
X X 2 Complete a zoning code amendment to eliminate
zoning barriers to permanent supportive housing.
Develop a compatible plan check process for
permanent supportive housing projects in alignment
with the City of Sacramento’s process.
Initial Action—Receive Board of Supervisors approval
of a zoning code amendment. Initiate an updated Plan
Check Process to define space/programming
requirements for permanent supportive housing.
County
P lanning/
Administrative
2024
X 3 Facilitate the development of additional affordable housing units by amending the current program or
creating a new affordable housing fee deferral or
waiver program.
Initial Action—Explore options for the adoption of
additional fee waiver or deferral programs.
County $ Planning/
Administrative
2024
X X 4 Develop partnerships with new affordable housing developers to increase permanent supportive housing
production.
Initial Action—Identify and work with potential new
affordable housing developers.
SHRA $ Planning/
Administrative
2026
34 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Permanent Supportive Housing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Funding and
Development
Increased
Developer
Capacity
Innovation
Capacity to
Support New
Types of
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Tracking
and
Monitoring
X X 5 Encourage the development of publicly owned parcels (both state and local) that might be suitable for
permanent supportive housing development.
Initial Action—Review the inventory of parcels owned
by the State of California and/or the City/County of
Sacramento and SHRA and determine which ones are
best suited for development. Prioritize sites that are
near transit and employment centers and that are in
high-opportunity areas. Pursue land assembly as funds
are available.
SHRA $ Planning/
Administrative
2025
X 6 Establish a tracking process that monitors the
production of new permanent supportive housing units.
Initial Action—Develop a matrix and determine a
process for annual updates.
SHRA P lanning/
Administrative
2024
X X 7 Coordinate the timing of funding competitions amongst partners to the greatest extent feasible.
Initial Action—Evaluate existing competitive funding
competitions and make recommendations to governing
boards for consolidation or timing changes if needed.
SHRA P lanning/
Administrative
2025
X 8 Investigate a Cooperation Agreement with neighboring counties to discuss advocacy for changes to the Tax
Credit Allocation Committee and the California Debt
Limit Allocation Committee policies and other state
legislation. For example, discussion of current statewide prioritization of sites in high opportunity areas which present a disadvantage to established urban areas.
Initial Action—Assemble meetings of interested
jurisdictions to discuss the feasibility of an agreement and proposed policy changes.
SHRA
F unding 2024
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 35
Permanent Supportive Housing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Funding and
Development
Increased
Developer
Capacity
Innovation
Capacity to
Support New
Types of
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Tracking
and
Monitoring
X X 9 Construct or convert a minimum of 300 permanent
supportive housing units and 100 affordable housing
units annually. Consider the prioritization of efficiency units, particularly in the downtown core. Units will be developed utilizing the current allocation process,
adopted guidelines, and anticipated current revenue.
Initial Action—Endeavor to ensure that a pipeline of
projects exists to meet this goal and that funding is
secured.
SHRA $ Funding 2023
and
beyond X 10 R eview options for establishing a fund with contributions from both the City and the County for the development of permanent supportive housing.
Initial Action—Review funding sources to which the
City and County have access that could be used for
this purpose and review with governing boards.
City,
County,
SHRA
$ Funding 2026
X 11 Explore new state and local legislation (including replacement for redevelopment funding and other
funding opportunities) and bond initiatives for increased funding. Identify and pursue additional federal funding opportunities such as congressionally directed
spending to develop and construct affordable housing.
Initial Action—Conduct an analysis of redevelopment
alternatives and report back to the Board of
Supervisors and City Council as appropriate. Explore
and support other legislation to increase available
funds for development. County Housing Trust Fund
Ordinance fees have recently been increased and the
City is updating its Mixed Income Housing Ordinance.
S HRA P olicy 2025
36 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Permanent Supportive Housing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Funding and
Development
Increased
Developer
Capacity
Innovation
Capacity to
Support New
Types of
Permanent
Supportive
Housing
Tracking
and
Monitoring
X 12 E xplore the adoption of a vacant property tax.
Initial Action—Continue the City staff’s process of
reviews with the City’s Law and Legislation Committee
and City Council to determine support for a tax.
City, County P olicy 2024
Notes:
1 A description of the activity and its function
2 The lead agency responsible for implementation of the activity 3 Activities that require funding
4 Type of activity: Planning/Administrative, Policy, or Funding 5 Time frames for implementation of the activities
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 37
4.2 Rehousing Activities
Table 13 provides a summary of ongoing rehousing activities, as well as future rehousing activities to be undertaken by the City and County, Sacramento Steps Forward, and SHRA. It encompasses activities specified in the Local Homeless Action Plan Year One Activities document and ongoing and future activities identified through the Affordable Housing Plan engagement process. Sacramento Steps Forward and the County along with the City will primarily drive the implementation of these activities. Table 13 highlights the ongoing efforts of the collaborating partners, while also providing guidance for new activities.
Each activity is described and includes the following details:
1. The specific gap it addresses, with corresponding references to the gap/need title found in Table 3.
2. The agencies responsible for executing the activity.
3. The need or lack of need for new funding.
4. The type of activity—Ongoing, Planning/Administrative, Policy, or Funding.
5. The timeline for the activity.
Mirasol Village in the City of Sacramento.
38 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Table 13: Rehousing Activities
Rehousing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5 System
Coordination
and Mapping
Rehousing
Funding
Expanded
Capacity for
Rehousing
Service
Providers
Operationalized
and Expanded
Capacity for
CalAIM and
LEAP
X X 1 Continue to implement and scale the Landlord
Engagement and Assistance Program (LEAP) and
improve utilization and lease-up rates for voucher
holders.
Initial Action—Add 150 LEAP caseload slots by
December 2023 and continue landlord engagement
for voucher program.
County $ Ongoing Ongoing X X 2 Develop a full landscape analysis of both current rehousing capacity and future need.
Initial Actions—
• Use the landscape analysis to determine ongoing
funding needs for rehousing and programmatic
improvements to improve efficacy of existing
programs.
• Create an integrated process for referring clients
to services.
• Identify and conduct outreach to non-“homeless”
rehousing providers to connect them into the
Coordinated Access System.
Sacramento
Steps Forward
Planning/
Administrative
2025
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 39
Rehousing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5 System
Coordination
and Mapping
Rehousing
Funding
Expanded
Capacity for
Rehousing
Service
Providers
Operationalized
and Expanded
Capacity for
CalAIM and
LEAP
X 3 Develop systemwide rehousing service standards
and performance metrics.
Initial Actions—
• Develop a universal definition of rehousing and
establish minimum level of support services and
access standards for all rehousing activities.
• Conduct outreach to people with lived experience
to identify barriers, needs, and opportunities.
• Update coordinated access workflows, written
protocols, and tools for screening, assessment,
triage, and referral to rehousing assistance.
• Establish routine reporting standards for clients
receiving rehousing assistance.
County,
Sacramento
Steps Forward
Planning/
Administrative
2024
X X 4 Develop partnerships with organizations outside of the public homeless response system to increase system
capacity for the provision of rehousing services.
Initial Action—Recruit and provide training to new
rehousing service providers with the goal of
expanding and diversifying those providing rehousing
assistance.
County,
Sacramento
Steps Forward
$ Planning/
Administrative
2025 X 5 Identify and develop ongoing funding sources to expand rehousing capacity and provide ongoing
rental assistance funding.
Initial Actions—
• Identify and allocate funding for 29 full-time
equivalent staff to provide rehousing case
management at an average caseload of 22 per
employee.
• Identify and allocate funding for at least 220 new
rapid rehousing case slots.
City, County,
Sacramento
Steps Forward
$ Funding 2026
40 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Rehousing Gaps/Need
Activity
Number Activity1 Lead
Agencies2
New
Funding
Required3
Type of
Activity4
Time
Frame5 System
Coordination
and Mapping
Rehousing
Funding
Expanded
Capacity for
Rehousing
Service
Providers
Operationalized
and Expanded
Capacity for
CalAIM and
LEAP
X 6 Design and pilot a new system-level shared housing program.
Initial Actions—
• Identify funding and initial program design.
• Provide education and technical assistance to
providers to expand rehousing opportunities with
shared housing.
• Examine ways to facilitate shared housing.
Sacramento
Steps Forward
$ Funding 2025
X 7 Lobby for additional funding at the state and federal level for ongoing rental assistance funding.
Initial Action—Convene a stakeholder group and
develop a strategy to seek rental assistance funding.
Sacramento
Steps Forward,
SHRA
$ Funding 2025
Notes:
1 A description of the activity and its function
2 The lead agency responsible for implementation of the activity 3 Activities that require funding
4 Type of activity: Planning/Administrative, Policy, or Funding 5 Time frames for implementation of the activities
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 41
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Related Planning
Documents
5CHAPTER
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 43
5 Related Planning Documents
This section of the Affordable Housing Plan compiles goals, policies, and programs from several key documents to provide context on the existing policy framework related to affordable housing for homeless populations, permanent supportive housing, and rehousing. The following documents and programs are described in this section:
■ Sacramento County 2021–2029 Housing Element.
■ City of Sacramento 2021–2029 Housing Element.
■ Sacramento County Environmental Justice Element.
■ City and County of Sacramento Five-Year Consolidated Plan. ■ City and County Multifamily Lending Policies for SHRA. ■ Countywide Housing Choice Voucher/Project Based Voucher Administrative Plan. ■ City Prohousing Designation.
■ County Prohousing Designation.
5.1 Sacramento County 2021–2029 Housing Element
The 6th Cycle Sacramento County 2021–2029 Housing Element (County of Sacramento 2022) promotes the advancement of the permanent supportive housing and rehousing systems through programs and policies. Key policies related to permanent supportive housing and rehousing expand the capacity of these systems by:
■ Supporting activities that serve the housing needs of special-needs groups with a continuum of housing options, from independent living to housing with supportive services, to institutionalized care. (HE 4.1.3)
Mental Health Services Act Program
Many of the related planning documents reference the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) Program. The MHSA of 2004 led to an increase in funding and resources for mental health programs. California voters subsequently passed a bond in 2018 that allocated a portion of these funds to the development of permanent supportive housing for individuals with mental illness who experience homelessness. The MHSA was established to fund projects that support individuals with psychiatric disabilities and children with serious emotional disturbance. These funds can be awarded as a grant or loan, depending on the project's feasibility and requirements from other funding sources.
This flexibility makes MHSA funds a valuable source of support for mental health programs and housing for vulnerable populations. Currently MHSA capital funds are jointly administered by SHRA and the County for projects throughout Sacramento County. 44 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
■ Expanding targeted permanent housing through primary strategies that include developing new permanent supportive housing units. (HE 4.3.5)
■ Assisting in overall system development, including strengthening system leadership, increasing system capacity to respond to crisis of homelessness, and improving accountability. (E 4.3.7)
In addition to these policies, the Sacramento County Housing Element programs that are related to the Affordable Housing Plan include:
■ Program D14: Exploring methods to reduce barriers to accessing affordable rental housing for people experiencing homelessness. The County will present findings and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors.
■ Program C3: Supporting the conversion of older motels to affordable housing.
Full descriptions of these programs and policies are provided in Appendix E.
5.2 City of Sacramento 2021–2029 Housing Element
The 6th Cycle City of Sacramento 2021–2029 Housing Element (City of Sacramento 2021) promotes the advancement of the permanent supportive housing and rehousing systems through programs and policies. Key policies related to permanent supportive housing and rehousing expand the capacity of these systems by:
■ Maximizing the use of public properties for affordable housing and shelters. (H-2.2) ■ Assisting affordable housing developments through site identification, direct funding, support of funding applications, land donation, expedited permit review, and other incentives. (H-2.3) ■ Creating additional local funding for affordable housing. (H-2.5) ■ Incentivizing housing choice vouchers. (H-2.12)
■ Following housing-first principles. (H-7.1)
■ Coordinating on the regional level. (H-7.2)
■ Considering and employing innovative housing solutions for homeless populations. (H-7.3) ■ Facilitating and promoting permanent supportive housing. (H-7.4) ■ Prioritizing and facilitating rental housing assistance. (H-7.6) ■ Improving connections between shelters and housing. (H-7.8) ■ Providing financial assistance to permanent supportive housing projects that exceed the minimum accessibility provisions of state and federal law. (H-8.4) In addition to these policies, City of Sacramento programs related to permanent supportive housing and rehousing include:
■ Program H29: Financial Assistance for Affordable Accessory Dwelling Units. ■ Program H34: Research Options for a Rental Assistance Program. ■ Program H36: Support Affordable Housing Development.
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 45
Full descriptions of these programs and policies are provided in Appendix E.
5.3 Sacramento County Environmental Justice Element
The Sacramento County Environmental Justice Element (County of Sacramento 2019) includes goals and policies related to the advancement of equity within the community through an environmental justice lens. Community engagement findings from the element preparation process cite the homelessness crisis as a common concern among community members.
Respondents especially pointed out a need for assistance to connect community members who are experiencing homelessness with available supportive resources. Therefore, the element outlines specific goals and measures to promote the creation of more affordable housing in the unincorporated areas of the county.
5.3.1 Civil Engagement Policy
Implementation Measures (Environmental Justice Communities) A. The County will incorporate economic development, multimodal transportation, and affordable housing strategies into neighborhood strategic plans, community plans or other strategic planning documents when they are prepared or updated for the Environmental Justice Communities.
5.3.2 Safe and Sanitary Homes Policy
EJ-32 The County will support the provision of affordable housing in Environmental Justice Communities.
Implementation Measures (Countywide)
A. The Office of Planning and Environmental Review and Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency will review the Affordable Housing Program and Ordinance for potential changes that could assist in producing more housing that is affordable to lower income households.
B. Develop guidelines for affordable housing developers to attain support for their projects through public outreach. These guidelines could be part of the Countywide Public Outreach Strategy.
Implementation Measures (Environmental Justice Communities) A. Develop an impact fee reduction program for residential developments in Environmental Justice Communities in which at least 10 percent of the total units are affordable to very low- income households or at least 49 percent are affordable to low-income households and on which affordability restrictions are subject to long-term (30 years or greater) regulatory agreements as certified by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). 46 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
5.4 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan (City and County of Sacramento) The Five-Year Consolidated Plan is a guide for allocating federal housing and community development funds received from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for both the City and County of Sacramento. This current plan covers the 2020–2024 period and is administered by SHRA on behalf of the City and County. The plan directs the allocation of funds from these grants during the five-year planning period. The plan proposes investment of public infrastructure funds into a few large projects in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods with a goal of delivering greater efficiencies and positive changes within the community.
The guiding goals of the plan seek to address the complex issues of increasing rates of homelessness, aging infrastructure, surging housing costs, and rising mental health concerns among many segments of the population.
The plan is intended as a tool to support targeted data-driven investments in housing and community development. The grants covered in the plan include the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding, Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).
Expected funds over five years from the grants to the City of Sacramento include $18 million from the CDBG; $9.4 million from the HOME Investment Partnerships Program funding; $3.3 million in HOPWA; and $1.5 million in ESG funds. Expected grants during the five-year period to the County of Sacramento include $21 million from the CDBG; $12 million from the HOME Investment Partnerships Program; and $1.8 million in ESG funds. The ESG grant in particular is available for services related to homelessness outreach, rapid rehousing and homeless prevention activities, and rehabilitation or remodeling of a building used as a new shelter (Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. 2021a and 2021b).
5.5 SHRA Multifamily Lending Policies (City and County) SHRA offers financing and mortgage revenue bonds to support the development and rehabilitation of affordable multifamily rental housing. These policies were adopted by the City and County of Sacramento in 2019. The policies require that financing applications for new projects with permanent supportive and homeless housing receive priority. Current priorities include (1) preservation of at-risk housing, (2) new construction/conversion (a. Permanent supportive housing/homeless, b. Veterans, c. Workforce, d. Other), (3) rehabilitation of existing affordable housing, and (4) Rehabilitation of market rate to affordable.
Finally, projects must include a minimum of 15 percent of the total units for very low-income households and at least 5 percent of units for extremely low-income households. The lending policies offer transparency and guidance to developers applying for gap financing.
Pre-applications are accepted two to three times a year, and SHRA periodically releases Notices of Funding Availability or Requests for Proposals as funds are available (Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, 2019).
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 47
5.6 Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Administrative Plan—Countywide The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program is administered by the Housing Authority of the County of Sacramento and receives funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The program follows federal regulations and the Housing Authority sets local policies as outlined in the 2023 Housing Choice Voucher Administrative Plan (Admin Plan). The Housing Choice Voucher program allows households to find housing in Sacramento County with the tenant-based voucher, but also allows the use of project based vouchers (PBVs) where the subsidy is tied to the unit. Utilizing project based vouchers provides operational subsidies to affordable housing developments to ensure their long-term viability in the community. A competitive Notice of Funding Availability is issued one to two times per year to allocate vouchers to affordable housing projects. Permanent supportive housing projects receive priority for these vouchers. Projects that utilize proj ect based vouchers are also required to serve clients who are currently homeless.
5.7 City Prohousing Designation
The State of California granted the City of Sacramento the Prohousing designation based on the City’s commitment to adhere to specific policies that advance the state’s goals, specifically related to affordable housing, community development, and other beneficial infrastructure programs. Initiatives include reducing parking requirements for affordable housing projects, streamlining plan review processes, reducing development impact fees, and identifying surplus City-owned property for temporary sheltering solutions and affordable housing. It also highlights programs that establish new sources of funding for affordable housing and redirect housing residual redevelopment funds to affordable housing.
5.8 County Prohousing Designation
The State of California also granted the County of Sacramento the Prohousing designation, which includes policies that advance County and state goals related to the development of affordable housing. Initiatives include expanding housing for people experiencing homelessness, foster youth, disabled veterans, and low-income college students; waiving affordable housing fees; and promoting projects that advance affordable housing strategies within community plans.
Martin Luther King Village in the City of Sacramento.
Sources
6CHAPTER
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN 49
6 Sources
City of Sacramento. 2021. City of Sacramento 2021–2029 Housing Element: An 8-Year Housing Strategy. As amended December 14, 2021.
County of Sacramento. 2019. Sacramento County Environmental Justice Element. Adopted December 17, 2019, Resolution No. 2019-0908.
County of Sacramento. 2022. Sacramento County Housing Element of 2021–2029. Adopted March 8, 2022, Resolution No. 2022-0205.
Division of Social Work (Division of Social Work and the Center for Health Practice, Policy & Research, California State University, Sacramento). 2022. Homelessness in Sacramento County, Results From the Point-in-Time Count.
Ibarra, Ana. 2023. “The Fastest-Growing Homeless Population? Seniors.” CalMatters, February 10, 2023. Available: https://calmatters.org/health/2023/02/california-homeless-seniors/.
Jones, Jeffrey M. 2022. “LGBT Identification in U.S. Ticks Up to 7.1%.” Gallup, February 17, 2022. Available: https://news.gallup.com/poll/389792/lgbt-identification-ticks-up.aspx.
National Alliance to End Homelessness. 2017. “Ending Chronic Homelessness Saves Taxpayers Money.” Available: https://endhomelessness.org/resource/ending-chronic- homelessness-saves-taxpayers-money-2/. Last updated February 2017. Accessed August 28, 2023.
National Alliance to End Homelessness. 2023a. Permanent Supportive Housing. Available:
https://endhomelessness.org/ending-homelessness/solutions/permanent-supportive- housing/. Last updated April 2023. Accessed May 1, 2023.
National Alliance to End Homelessness. 2023b. Rapid Re-Housing. Available:
https://endhomelessness.org/ending-homelessness/solutions/rapid-re-housing/. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. 2019. Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency Multifamily Lending and Mortgage Revenue Bond Policies, City of Sacramento. Adopted December 3, 2019.
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. 2021a. 2020–2024 City Consolidated Plan.
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. 2021b. 2020–2024 County Consolidated Plan.
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. 2023. Housing Authority of the County of Sacramento, California, Housing Choice Voucher Program: Administrative Plan.
Sacramento Steps Forward. 2022. 2022 Gaps Analysis: Sacramento Continuum of Care.
Prepared by Tom Albanese Consulting. December 2022.
Glossary
AAPPENDIX
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN A - 1
Appendix A: Glossary
Continuum of Care (CoC) is the local
planning body responsible for coordinating
the full range of homelessness services in
the Sacramento region and may cover the
cities, county, and unincorporated
geographic areas.
Coordinated Access System (CAS) is a
regionally based system that connects new
and existing programs into a “no wrong-door
network” by assessing the needs of
individuals/families/youth experiencing
homelessness and linking them with the
most appropriate housing and services to
end their homelessness.
Literal Homelessness is a subcategory of
homelessness specific to people who are
unsheltered and living in a place not meant
for human habitation and people residing in
an emergency shelter, Safe Haven, or
transitional housing for people who are
homeless, and people who are being
discharged from an institution after a stay of
90 days or less and who were in an
unsheltered or sheltered location
immediately prior to admission (Gaps
Analysis 2022).
Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH)
is a housing model designed to provide
housing assistance and supportive services
on a long-term basis to people who formerly
experienced homelessness. Permanent
supportive housing is often targeted for
people who are experiencing chronic
homelessness and are the most vulnerable.
In most cases permanent supportive
housing units must be occupied by people
with disabilities.
Rapid Rehousing is a housing model
designed to provide individualized housing
search and placement assistance, financial
assistance for move-in costs, rental
assistance and housing stability assistance
for people experiencing homelessness,
moving them quickly into permanent
housing.
Rehousing aims to connect people
experiencing homelessness with affordable
housing units and provide rental and
security deposit assistance. It also
incorporates landlord engagement, housing
planning search and placement assistance,
temporary and permanent financial
assistance, and stabilization and case
management services to help clients
maintain housing (National Alliance to End
Homelessness 2023b).
Local Homeless
Action Plan
BAPPENDIX
Developed in partnership with:
Sacramento Steps Forward
Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care
Sacramento County
City of Sacramento
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency
2022
Local Homeless
Action Plan
Sacramento
Sacramento City
and County
Continuum of Care
I
n our pursuit of addressing
homelessness within the
Sacramento region, we wish to
acknowledge that Sacramento is the
homeland of the Southern Maidu,
Valley, and Plains Miwok, the Nisenan
people, the Patwin Wintun people,
and members of the Wilton Rancheria
Tribes, who have inhabited this
landscape since time immemorial.
We extend our gratitude to
the ancestors of all California
Native American Tribes and their
descendants, as we recognize that
wherever we are joining from in our
virtual community, we are all on
California Native American land.
We recognize the systemic inequities
created by the negative impacts
of colonization, past and present.
We stand committed to dismantle
ongoing legacies of oppression that
have dispossessed California Native
Americans of their lands and denied
their rights to self-determination.
Written by the Wilton Rancheria Tribe
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
3 Introduction ................... 4–5
Background ................... 6–9
Methodology ................... 10
National Best Practices for Optimal
Homeless Response Systems ....... 11
Guiding Principles ................ 12
Strategies & Activities .......... 13–19
Conclusion ..................... 20
Appendix A:
2022 Needs Assessment
and Gaps Analysis ............. 21–24
Appendix B:
Summary of Strategies,
Sub Strategies, and Activities ...... 25
Appendix C:
Glossary of Terms ............ 26–27
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
4 INTRODUCTION
T
his local homeless action plan creates a cross-jurisdictional unified approach to addressing homelessness across Sacramento County. This is a three-year plan beginning on July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025. It is actionable, relatable, and provides a roadmap for future funding. Outlined in the plan are key system components that are in alignment with national best-practices and if resourced and implemented consistently across funders and providers, will bring the local response system to scale with capacity to move the needle on homelessness. Through these efforts, homelessness in the County over time will become preventable whenever possible, brief, and non-recurring.
Reducing the
length of time
persons remain
homeless
Reducing the
number of persons
who return to
homelessness
after exiting
homelessness to
permanent housing
Increasing
successful
placements from
street outreach
Reducing the
number of people
experiencing
homelessness
Reducing the
number of people
who become
homeless for the
first time
Increasing
the number of
people exiting
homelessness into
permanent housing
Specifically, this plan envisions making a collective impact in the following performance measures:
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
5 Build and Scale a Countywide
Coordinated Access System (CAS)
Increase Permanent
Housing Opportunities
Invest in Community
Capacity-Building and Training
Ensure Current and New
Emergency Shelter and Interim
Housing is Focused on Rehousing
Expand Prevention and
Diversion Resources
1 2
34 5
The plan is organized around five core
strategies that facilitate a system-focused,
equitable framework:
These strategies were designed to be scaled up (or back) over time within the confines of local resources including funding, workforce availability, and stakeholder agreement.
At present, they are presented as a framework that will require additional community conversations to identify supporting activities on an annual basis that will shape the implementation of these five strategies.
Implementation of the plan is supported by guiding principles identified by the broader community and includes a commitment to racial equity, inclusion of partners with lived expertise, improved data collection, and continuation of collaborative planning and decision- making across jurisdictions.
Initial seed funding to begin implementation of the plan include state allocations from the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program, a recognition of emerging opportunities with CalAIM, leveraged with federal, county, city, and private funding sources.
This plan was developed in partnership between Sacramento City and County Continuum of Care, the City of Sacramento, the County of Sacramento and Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). These entities, and in close collaboration with the neighboring cities will be the primary stewards of this plan. 1 3
2 4
5 5 Core Strategies
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
6 BACKGROUND
A
recently completed gaps analysis indicates that the estimated number of persons experiencing homelessness annually in Sacramento County ranges from 16,500 to 20,000 people. Falling into homelessness is often described by partners with lived expertise as a downward spiral of broken safety nets. In Sacramento, rising rents and limited affordable housing options is a leading driver into homelessness. This dynamic may have been exacerbated during the Coronavirus Pandemic due to loss of employment and/or COVID related health conditions. Other drivers include histories of foster care and domestic/intimate partner violence.
By most observations, unsheltered homelessness continues to increase. At the time of this writing, it is anticipated that the 2022 Point-in-Time Count data (available later in June 2022) will likely show an increase from 2019. This trend reflects communities statewide who are also grappling with post-pandemic increases in the number of households experiencing homelessness. Solutions to addressing homelessness, however, are locally driven. 2022 Needs Assessment and Gaps Analysis
Among people who experience literal homelessness annually, it is estimated that1:
One out of four people (~23%) are adults
and children in family households
Almost half of all people (~45%) are
unsheltered (1 or more days) and do not
or cannot access shelter
Two out of three (~66%) access homeless
assistance (outreach, shelter, re-housing,
etc.) but the remainder do not due to
insufficient capacity, access, quality of
services, or other issues
Black and African American people are
significantly overrepresented among
people who experience homelessness:
39% of all people experiencing
homelessness compared with 11% overall
in Sacramento County2
Just over half of all adults (~54%) report
having one or more severe and persistent
disabling condition:
One out of five adults (~22%) report
having a severe mental illness
One out of ten adults (~11%) report
having a substance use disorder
One out of four adults (~24%) adults
are chronically homeless (disabled
and homeless for 12 months or more),
most are adult only households
12022 Needs Assessment and Gaps Analysis report
2American Community Survey, Sacramento County Population Estimates, July 2021 (V2021) SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
7 The gaps analysis approach
involved the following:
The gaps analysis estimates that among people who experience homelessness each year in Sacramento, approximately 15% of individual and family households experience only a brief episode of homelessness and are able to self-resolve and return to housing with limited assistance, if any. An additional approximately 38% could avoid homelessness with timely and targeted homelessness prevention assistance or could otherwise be diverted from the homeless response system with one-time or short-term problem-solving, financial assistance and/or housing navigation services.
Among the 47% who cannot avoid or quickly exit homelessness, it is estimated that 65% of all households will need individualized short- to medium term housing navigation and financial assistance, while 33% will need ongoing rental assistance and supportive services to quickly resolve their homelessness and remain stably housed. Overall, over 90% of all households experiencing literal homelessness also need temporary housing (emergency shelter or interim/ transitional housing) while they are working to resolve their homelessness.
Estimating the
annual number
of people who
experience literal
homelessness
in Sacramento
County.
Estimating the
annual service
needs of those who
experience literal
homelessness
based on an
optimal range
and availability of
services that result
in homelessness
being prevented
or quickly and
successfully ended.
Examination
of current and
planned (i.e.,
funded and under-
development)
capacity expected
to be available
currently and in the
next three years
in Sacramento
County to address
service needs.
Estimating the service
gaps remaining
after accounting for
current and planned
capacity. Additional
work is ongoing to
better understand and
quantify the service
needs of people who
experience literal
homelessness,
including physical
and behavioral health
needs.
1 32 4
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
8 This data reveals a need for increased investments in and expanded access to prevention, rehousing assistance, and affordable housing, including permanent supportive housing and other forms of ongoing housing and service assistance outside of the homeless response system. When fully scaled and available, such investments can effectively reduce homelessness and the need for more costly crisis responses, including emergency shelter.
In the near-term however, until prevention and rehousing resources are more fully scaled, more emergency shelter is needed to reduce harm experienced by people who are unsheltered and to provide a safe, stable, and temporary shelter to access rehousing assistance and address other critical health and wellness needs more readily.
The Sacramento Continuum of Care Needs Assessment and Gaps Analysis: Summary Findings can be found in Appendix A.
Addressing Racial Disparities
Nationally and locally, race and ethnicity are additional risk factors of homelessness. Several national organizations such as the National Alliance to End Homelessness and the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have developed toolkits to assist local continuum of cares to identify and mitigate racial disparities within their homelessness programs. Addressing racial disparities within the countywide homeless response system is a priority for all the sponsoring partners and further advances the County’s Resolution Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis3 and the City’s Race & Gender Equity Action Plan 2020-20254.
In Sacramento, the CoC formed a Racial Equity Committee in 2020 after reviewing the local data that revealed persons identifying as Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native communities experience homelessness at disproportionate rates.
While persons identifying as Black only represent 11% of the population in our CoC’s geographic area, they represent approximately 39% of individuals who are experiencing homelessness and approximately 39% of families with children experiencing homelessness have a Black head of household5. Additionally, local data reflecting persons identifying as American Indian/Alaskan Native are not accessing homeless services in proportion to the number of people believed to be experiencing homelessness from that community. 3https://www.saccounty.gov/news/Documents/RES_-_Racism_Public_Health_Crisis.doc.pdf 4https://www.cityofsacramento.org/-/media/Corporate/Files/CMO/RGEAP-20202025-Overview-v710012020.pdf?la=en#:~:text=Racial%20 Equity%20Statement8%20%E2%80%93%20The,service%20all%20our%20diverse%20communities 5HUD’ CoC Racial Equity Analysis Tool and Gaps Analysis CA-503 Sacramento City and County CoC: https://www.hudexchange.info/ resource/5787/coc-analysis-tool-race-and-ethnicity/
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
9 The Racial Equity Committee conducted a community analysis including quantitative and qualitative date that identified contributing factors that highlighted a wide range of disparities that culminated into an action plan titled, The Findings & Recommendations from the CoC Racial Equity Committee6. Key report findings included: disparities in access to homeless services, undercounting and poor data collection within historically under-resourced communities, negative impacts of racial biases across the system including the assessment and prioritization processes for the allocation of resources, implementation of a trauma- informed and racial equity approach to engage landlords to reduce historical discriminatory tenant leasing practices, and a lack of racial/ethnic, and lived expertise participation across all levels of the homelessness workforce.
The Racial Equity Action Plan also identified a number of initial steps to begin redressing systemic harm. These include increasing access points in historically under-resourced communities; diversifying language and literacy levels on key documents to improve participants’ understanding and consent for services; increase hiring of diverse staff including partners with lived expertise across all organizational levels within the homeless response system; engaging in practices of restorative justice; and replacing the current common assessment tool with a culturally responsive design. These recommendations may become activities under one or more strategies within the plan.
Cross-Jurisdictional Coordination under the Coronavirus Pandemic During the Coronavirus pandemic, the County, Sacramento Steps Forward on behalf of the Continuum of Care (CoC), City of Sacramento, neighboring cities, and Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) came together in unprecedented coordination to provide safe sheltering to Sacramento’s most vulnerable experiencing homelessness7. These leaders leveraged an infusion of state and federal relief dollars to operate 522 units of temporary sheltering that served nearly 2,000 people through Project Roomkey; reduced evictions for over 12,000 people from falling into homelessness through the Sacramento Emergency Rental Assistance program; and deployed an additional 30+ regional outreach workers. The plan sustains this demonstration of cross-jurisdictional planning, decision-making, and action. 6https://sacramentostepsforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/10_SSF-Racial-Equity-Action-Plan-12-copy.pdf 7Persons aged 65 and older and/or with a chronic health condition.
RESOLUTION NO. __________
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF
SACRAMENTO DECLARING RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
WHEREAS, Sacramento County is one of the Nation’s most diverse communities broadly recognized for celebrating its multi-cultural and ethnically diverse population, and it is the diversity of people of color who make the mosaic of Sacramento County such a wonderful place to live, work, play, learn, worship and raise a family; and
WHEREAS, it is incumbent on all locally appointed and elected policy makers to embrace, nurture, and protect the diversity of our community, and to ensure everyone has the opportunity to enjoy a life free from institutional, structural, systemic and interpersonal racial prejudice, bigotry, bias, derision, and hate; and
WHEREAS, institutional, structural, systemic and interpersonal racism adversely impacts the physical, mental and emotional health of people of color, and an emerging body of research demonstrates that racism is a social determinant of health that threatens health equity objectives; and WHEREAS, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors
acknowledges and welcomes the inherent responsibility to shape policies, appropriate resources, implement programs, issue directives, and to otherwise advocate for racial equity and to speak-up and -out when it is clear institutional, structural, systemic and interpersonal racial prejudice, County’s Resolution Declaring
Racism a Public Health Crisis
Updated October 2020 1
RACE & GENDER EQUITY ACTION PLAN 2020-2025
OVERVIEW
JULY 2020
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND – PAGE 2
CALL FOR COORDINATED CITYWIDE ACTION – PAGE 3
GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE ON RACE EQUITY – PAGE 4
REFLECT THE CITY TO BETTER SERVE THE CITY – PAGE 4
WHY FOCUS ON RACE? – PAGE 6
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS – PAGE 7
PHASED IMPLEMENTATION APPROACH – PAGE 9
ACHIEVING THE CITY’S VISION OF RACIAL AND GENDER EQUITY – PAGE 9
RGEAP STRATEGIC PLAN ROLL OUT STEP OBJECTIVES AND TIMELINE – PAGE 11
City’s Race & Gender Equity
Action Plan 2020-2025
HUD’ CoC Racial Equity Analysis Tool and
Gaps Analysis
SACRAMENTO CONTINUUM OF CARE (COC)
ACTION
PLAN:
SUMMER 2021
Findings &
Recommendations
from the CoC Racial
Equity Committee
The Findings &
Recommendations
from the CoC
Racial Equity
Committee
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
10 METHODOLOGY
T
he development of this plan leveraged existing efforts to address homelessness and included the following process:
Reviewed current City, County, and CoC plans including:
City of Sacramento Comprehensive Siting Plan (2021)
County of Sacramento Homeless Plan (2018)
County Programs exclusively Serving Homeless Population (May 2021, February 2022) Sacramento CoC Action Plan: Findings & Recommendations from the CoC Racial Equity Committee (2021)
Sacramento CoC Gaps Analysis (2021)
Synthesized key points and created an inventory of all current and planned programs and activities.
Designed a recommended theory of change in alignment with national best-practices to meet required state and national system performance outcomes by clustering activities into five key strategies.
Held an in-person visioning session with strategic partners to further refine the theory of change model.
Sought input from select CoC Committees and the larger community during the Annual CoC public meeting held on April 21, 2022.
Concurrent to these steps, the Continuum of Care also commissioned the 2022 Needs Assessment and Gaps Analysis referenced above. Emerging data from this effort has been integrated into this plan. See Appendix A for a summary of the 2022 Needs Assessment and Gaps Analysis.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
11 NATIONAL BEST PRACTICES FOR
OPTIMAL HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEMS
C
ommunities across the country are implementing national best practices identified by leading entities such as the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and the National Alliance to End Homelessness to optimize their homeless response systems.
Key elements supported by evidence-based research include the following components:
Coordinated Access System (CAS)
Prevention, diversion, and problem-solving resources
Crisis Response focused on rehousing participants
Permanent housing opportunities dedicated to persons exiting homelessness A robust, diverse workforce reflective of participants experiencing homelessness and inclusive of partners with lived expertise
Quality HMIS data with participation and coverage of all homelessness programs Collaborative & coordinated cross-jurisdictional planning and implementation process These system elements were considered in the development of the proposed countywide strategies and activities outlined in the plan.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
12 GUIDING PRINCIPLES
S
takeholders identified several qualitative principles in addition to the quantitative measures to apply across all proposed strategies in support of a shared vision for a more collaborative, accessible, equitable, and transparent homeless response system.
These principles include:
Strive to make homelessness in Sacramento rare, brief, and non-recurring Implement a person-centered, trauma-informed countywide response system, which provides access to immediate and on-going supportive service needs (i.e., mental health, substance use, housing retention)
Promote housing-first policies and practices
Address racial disparities across programs and system outcomes Create partnerships that value the experience, voice, and contribution of Partners with Lived Expertise
Collect quality data and use to inform decisions on program prioritization and resource allocation
Facilitate collaborative planning and decision-making across jurisdictions SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
13 STRATEGIES & ACTIVITIES
T
he local homeless action plan is arranged into five
core strategies that represent essential components
to build an effective and coordinated homelessness
response system with capacity to move the needle and
make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring within the Sacramento community. Each strategy is supported
by sub strategies to provide additional strategic direction.
Strategies can be thought of as strategic initiatives or focus points to guide investments by local decision-
makers in the deployment of resources including funding, workforce, capital investments, and cross-jurisdictional planning. The five strategies presented in this plan are offered as foundational steps and create a transitional roadmap towards the development of an optimal
Countywide response system that can be scaled up
over time, while creating measurable impact during
these first three years of implementation.
The sub strategies support the strategies and are designed to evolve each year with increased understanding of
local needs through processes of continual feedback,
system refinement, and improved data-collection. First
Steps are presented as a year one guidepost to track
progress. As data is collected during the first-year
numerical targets may be added to the First Steps to
measure progress over years 2 and 3. The partners will
continue to work with the community to identify annual
activities that will advance these strategies.
These core strategies and sub strategies listed
below align with national best practices to address
homelessness, integrate in the guiding principles, and
provide a critical path toward making a collective impact in addressing homelessness.
1 2
34 5
Build and Scale a Countywide
Coordinated Access System (CAS)
Increase Permanent
Housing Opportunities
Invest in Community
Capacity-Building and Training
Ensure Current and New
Emergency Shelter and Interim
Housing is Focused on Rehousing
Expand Prevention and
Diversion Resources
1 3
2 4
5 SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
14 Strategy 1: Build and Scale a Countywide Coordinated Access System (CAS) Sub Strategy 1.a: Increase targeted participation in homeless crisis response services.
Sub Strategy 1.b: Grow and embed problem-solving/diversion in all system access sites, safe grounds, respite centers and emergency shelters.
Sub Strategy 1.c: Provide comprehensive and aligned outreach Countywide.
Strategy 2: Ensure Current and New Emergency Shelter and Interim Housing is Focused on Rehousing
Sub Strategy 2.a: Align the Cities’ and County’s current and emerging shelter and interim housing programs with the Coordinated Access System to increase access and occupancy of available units.
Sub Strategy 2.b: Increase permanent housing exits across all emergency shelter & interim housing programs.
Strategy 3: Increase Permanent Housing Opportunities
Sub Strategy 3.a: Increase rehousing assistance and improve access to existing and new units in market and subsidized programs.
Sub Strategy 3.b: Increase the stock of permanent supportive housing units and other dedicated affordable housing units for people experiencing homelessness.
Sub Strategy 3.c: Develop a regional landlord engagement partnership program to increase the number of participating landlords across all homelessness rehousing programs.
Strategy 4: Expand Prevention and Diversion Resources
Sub Strategy 4.a: Coordinate and leverage prevention resources across jurisdictions to connect households at imminent risk of homelessness to stabilization resources to avoid literal homelessness.
Sub Strategy 4.b: Scale existing prevention and diversion programs into a countywide rehousing program.
Strategy 5: Invest in Community Capacity-Building and Training Sub Strategy 5.a: Create an inclusive & supportive working environment to retain the current workforce and attract new staff from historically under-resourced communities and partners with lived expertise.
Sub Strategy 5.b: Increase community stakeholder support for countywide homelessness activities through increased engagement.
A matrix of all strategies and sub strategies can be found in Appendix B.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
15 Sub Strategy 1.a: Increase targeted participation in homeless crisis response services Sub Strategy 1.b: Grow and embed problem-solving/diversion in all system access sites, safe grounds, respite centers and emergency shelters
Sub Strategy 1.c: Provide comprehensive and aligned outreach Countywide Currently, a person seeking homeless services in Sacramento County must potentially navigate over 100 “front-doors” to find the right assistance to meet his/her/their need. There is not one single access point at this time that can connect a person experiencing homelessness to the right shelter and/or housing resource and there is not sufficient capacity that results in a positive exit from homelessness even if the person could find the right door. Instead, programs are siloed, and services are limited to the offerings of a particular service provider without a systemwide mechanism for uniform assessment and to make referrals to or directly provide crisis services, including temporary housing, and rehousing assistance based on identified client needs. Additional barriers to services include limited or no access points in key under-resourced communities and mono-lingual materials on homelessness services that are not inclusive of all the key languages reflective of the diverse demographics of people experiencing homelessness.
A countywide coordinated access system is a mechanism and national best practice that will centralize access to and improve the efficacy of homeless and rehousing services across a variety of geographically and virtual access points and within all existing and future shelter sites. When fully implemented, it will: increase access to immediate housing crisis screening, problem-solving, and navigational support through expansion of 211 and partnerships with trusted cultural community partners; allow for more streamlined and standardized assessment, prioritization, triage and intake processes across all available forms of rehousing assistance currently and as new rehousing capacity is added; and improve accuracy and timeliness in matching the right person to the right resourced pathway for successful rehousing.
First Steps:
Increase dedicated coordinated access navigators to support diversion and system access Increase dedicated 211 coordinated access staff
Build and Scale a Countywide
Coordinated Access System (CAS)1
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
16 Sub Strategy 2.a: Align the Cities’ and County’s current and emerging shelter and interim housing programs with the Coordinated Access System to increase access and occupancy of available units.
Sub Strategy 2.b: Increase permanent housing exits across all emergency shelter & interim housing programs.
According to the 2019 Point-in-Time Count, approximately 70% of people experiencing homelessness within the County are unsheltered, residing in places not meant for human habitation such as vehicles and street encampments, increasing visibility and raising concern over the health and safety of all. Unsheltered homelessness was exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic when traditional safety-nets closed or transferred services to online platforms, leaving many under-resourced homeless communities without access to basic needs.
Local jurisdictions have responded with investments in temporary sheltering initiatives including safe grounds and safe parking programs, Respite Centers, increased use of motel vouchers, and plans to open and/or expand emergency shelters and navigation centers. An estimated 2,200 to 2,700 total emergency shelter and transitional housing beds for individuals and 300 to 350 units for families will be needed once the system has fully developed prevention, diversion, and various forms of rehousing assistance. This is roughly equal to the amount of shelter and transitional housing currently available in Sacramento County. In the near-term, current shelter and transitional housing capacity is only available for approximately one out of four individuals and families in need. Investments are needed in the short-term to meet local crisis response needs for shelter and other forms of temporary housing, while investments to increase prevention and permanent housing options are secured that will reduce this need.
This strategy highlights the need to identify additional resources required to ensure that current and new emergency shelter options have access to and/or provide pathways to rehousing opportunities for all clients. It also outlines a plan to develop additional units (congregate and non-congregate) of flexible, emergency shelter and interim housing in the near-term that can later be repurposed into permanent housing options as the demand for shelter falls when new permanent housing options come online.
First Steps:
Increase emergency shelter, interim, and transitional housing full-service beds dedicated to rehousing
Increase dedicated housing navigators in contracted shelters Ensure Current and New
Emergency Shelter and Interim
Housing is Focused on Rehousing2
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
17 Sub Strategy 3.a: Increase rehousing assistance and improve access to existing and new units in market and subsidized programs.
Sub Strategy 3.b: Increase the stock of permanent supportive housing units and other dedicated affordable housing units for people experiencing homelessness.
Sub Strategy 3.c: Develop a regional landlord engagement partnership program to increase the number of participating landlords across all homelessness rehousing programs Access to affordable housing is a central reason why many people fall into homelessness in the Sacramento region. The homeless response system cannot solve the County’s affordable housing crisis on its own; however, it can leverage homelessness funding to expand rehousing opportunities dedicated to this population. Housing opportunities include ongoing rental assistance, permanent supportive housing, time-limited rehousing services and rental assistance (including individualized housing navigation) and other forms of affordable permanent housing dedicated or prioritized for people experiencing homelessness.
According to the Gaps Analysis, the County’s homeless response system optimally needs 2,800 to 3,400 short/medium term rehousing service slots for individuals and 250 to 320 service slots for families, leaving a current gap of 600-750 total rehousing service slots. Additionally, approximately 5,900 to 7,100 total units of permanent supportive housing (PSH) are needed for individuals and families with at least one severely and persistently disable household member, particularly for people who are disabled and experience chronic homelessness. This capacity would address PSH needs among households who are currently chronically homeless, as well as those who become chronic homeless each year. After accounting for current and planned PSH capacity coming online in the next three years, it is estimated that an additional 2,700 to 3,300 PSH units are needed.
For other disabled individuals and families with a disabled adult or child, approximately 1,600 to 2,000 annual placements in permanent housing that is subsidized and provides access to supportive services (e.g., assisted living, service-enriched housing, skilled nursing facility) are needed beyond what individuals and families are currently able to access.
Housing discrimination remains a barrier to housing for many persons identifying with historically under-resourced communities. Landlord engagement programs coming online under this initiative will implement a trauma-informed and racial equity lens in working with participating landlords.
First Steps:
Increase housing exits for households connected to outreach, shelter, and other crisis response programs through a landlord engagement & rehousing initiative Increase Permanent
Housing Opportunities3
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
18 Expand Prevention and
Diversion Resources4
Sub Strategy 4.a: Coordinate and leverage prevention resources across jurisdictions to connect households at imminent risk of literal homelessness to stabilization resources to avoid literal homelessness.
Sub Strategy 4.b: Sub Strategy 4.b: Scale existing prevention and diversion programs into a countywide rehousing program.
Investment in the expansion of prevention and diversion resources presents the greatest opportunity to reduce inflow into homelessness and minimize cost in crisis services, including the unnecessary trauma caused by loss of housing. It is estimated that there are approximately 3,200 individuals and 350 families that could be prevented from becoming homeless if the homeless response system had at least 29 FTEs and at least $7.5M annually in financial assistance for prevention and diversion resources. These resources will need to grow over time and coordinated with other system components for maximum effectiveness.
As funding for the expansion of prevention and diversion resources is sought, this strategy seeks action steps that can prevent at-risk households from falling into homelessness and/or divert from entry into the homeless response system.
First Steps:
Increase availability of housing problem-solving and diversion services for all people engaged with the Coordinated Access System.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
19 Invest in Community
Capacity-Building and Training5
Sub Strategy 5.a: Create an inclusive & supportive working environment to retain the current workforce and attract new staff from historically under-resourced communities and partners with lived expertise.
Sub Strategy 5.b: Increase community stakeholder support for countywide homelessness activities through increased engagement.
Successful implementation of this plan relies on the local homelessness workforce and support from the broader community. During the Coronavirus pandemic, homeless response system staff at all levels of leadership and stature demonstrated incredible resilience on the frontlines with an all-hands-on-deck approach to ensure necessary services for the community’s most vulnerable residents. Sacramento residents were also gracious in support of new crisis models such as Project RoomKey and expansion of safe parking and safe ground initiatives.
Despite the tremendous show of commitment from the homeless provider community during COVID, higher turnover rates and difficulty filling vacancies has become commonplace. As the community seeks to adapt to its new post-pandemic normal, there is a concern that the response system will continue to lose workers through the burnout, competition with higher- paying industries, and compassion fatigue.
This strategy seeks to reinvigorate the workforce and workplace culture to retain and advance current staff while leveraging position vacancies to attract an increasingly diverse workforce more reflective of participants being served from historically under-resourced communities, including partners with lived experience. Embracing workforce strategies that support employees from under-resourced communities improves the workplace culture for all staff.
This strategy also seeks to engage trusted community organizations who may not provide direct homeless services but would make great partners to increase awareness and access to this expansion of homelessness services. Finally, this strategy seeks to work with homeless service providers, faith-based, and grassroots organizations to develop community education strategies and volunteer opportunities to engage the community at-large in the implementation of these solutions.
First Steps:
Implement workforce recruitment and retention activities to support all employees, targeting staff from under-resourced communities including partners with lived expertise.
Develop a standard high-quality annual training agenda for homelessness services staff Develop and provide general educational materials that explains how to access services and navigate the homeless crisis response system.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
20 CONCLUSION
T
he Sacramento community is at the crossroads of an incredible opportunity to harness existing homelessness efforts and bring them to scale to address this urgent crisis.
Investment and implementation of the strategies and sub strategies outlined in this local homeless action plan will transform the status quo and generate visible and meaningful change to make homelessness in Sacramento rare, brief, and non-recurring.
This plan sets a unifying strategy for optimal homeless response and enhances current crisis response investments made by cities and the County. With current and additional funding opportunities on the horizon, this plan opens pathways to future funding by presenting an assessment of need and gaps that new dollars can fill. It demonstrates the cost effectiveness in pivoting from investments in crisis-only-responses to additional investments in homeless prevention, diversion, and problem-solving services to make them accessible for all people at- risk and/or seeking emergency shelter. The plan also identifies additional rehousing opportunities that are needed to create a streamlined flow so that system-users can exit homelessness in an efficient and streamlined manner, hopefully matched to an appropriate rehousing resource to mitigate their return to homelessness.
Additional efficiencies that this plan may generate upon successful implementation include increased HMIS participation with improved data collection and analysis; expansion of shelter and rehousing programs participating with the coordinated access system; increased coordination among funders and providers for staff recruitment and provision of staff training initiatives; and collaborative cross-regional planning and decision-making.
Success of this plan requires real commitment to implementation; additional investments; collective action; transparent progress reports and impact measurements and engaged stakeholders. It will require expanding the circle to include increased participation by the local healthcare, philanthropic, and business sectors. It will also require the ongoing support of the local community including creating additional opportunities for volunteerism and education on homelessness programs and services.
The plan will be measured through consistent review of the system level performance goals and presentation of these in a public-facing dashboard to be managed by Sacramento Steps Forward.
Once adopted by local governing bodies, the plan’s partners will continue to work with the community to develop an annual slate of activities that offer strong action steps toward the advancement of the strategies and sub-strategies and quantify the First Steps milestones.
All together we can make a collective impact on addressing homelessness in Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
21 Appendix A
Sacramento Continuum of Care
Needs Assessment and Gaps Analysis: Summary Findings
The following are summary findings from a comprehensive gaps analysis conducted by Sacramento Steps Forward, in consultation with the Sacramento Continuum of Care, City of Sacramento, and Sacramento County. The gaps analysis approach involved the following:
1. Estimating the annual number of people who experience literal homelessness in Sacramento County.
2. Estimating the annual service needs of those who experience literal homelessness, including need for targeted prevention assistance, based on an optimal range and availability of services that result in literal homelessness being prevented or quickly and successfully ended.
3. Examination of current and planned (i.e., funded and under-development) capacity expected to be available currently and in the next three years in Sacramento County to address service needs.
4. Estimating the service gaps remaining after accounting for current and planned capacity.
A complete description of gaps analysis methods, assumptions, and results will be provided in a separate report, pending availability of 2022 point-in-time (PIT) count data and any resulting adjustments to the gaps analysis findings reflected below.
Estimated Annual Number of People who Experience Literal Homelessness in Sacramento County: 16,500 to 20,000
It is estimated that between 16,500 and 20,000 people in any given year experience literal homelessness in Sacramento County1.
Key Characteristics
Among people who experience literal homelessness annually, it is estimated that:
• One out of four people (~23%) are adults and children in family households. • Almost half of all people (~45%) are unsheltered (1 or more days) and do not or cannot 1The range is based on -5% and +15% of the specific estimate of 17,355 people annually. A range is used as the exact estimate is used only as a baseline for system modeling. The annual estimate was calculated using a combination of Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) data for calendar year 2021 and the 2019 Point-in-Time (PIT) count for the Sacramento CoC geographic area (Sacramento County).
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
22 access shelter.
• Two out of three (~66%) access homeless assistance (outreach, shelter, re-housing, etc.), but the remainder do not due to insufficient capacity, access, quality of services, or other issues.
• Black and African American people are significantly over-represented among people who experience homelessness: 39% of all people experiencing homelessness compared with 11% overall in Sacramento County2.
• Just over half of all adults (~54%) report having one or more severe and persistent disabling condition.
o One out of five adults (~22%) report having a severe mental illness. o One out of ten adults (~11%) report having a substance use disorder. o One out of four adults (~24%) adults are chronically homeless (disabled and literally homeless for 12 months or more currently or over four episodes in three years); most are in adult only households.
Estimated Annual Prevention and Homeless Assistance Needs The following service estimates are based on documented or otherwise assumed needs among those who experience literal homelessness annually. The estimates assume a much higher use of services than currently (91% vs 66%) due to greater availability of services, improved community-wide and equitable access, and adherence by providers to evidence- based practices. The gaps included in the table are estimates and assume that each type of service is generally available when needed and desired by qualifying populations. 2American Community Survey, Sacramento County Population Estimates, July 2021 (V2021)
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
23 Key Takeaways
Estimates will be adjusted as more current data is available (e.g., forthcoming 2022 PIT data).
Investments in prevention, diversion, and permanent housing solutions (e.g., housing navigation, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing) will directly reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness, the time people spend homeless, and returns to homelessness. When funded, developed, and operated consistently, these responses can eliminate the need for additional emergency shelter capacity.
Alternatively, without significant additional prevention and rehousing capacity (“business as usual”), more people will experience homelessness, requiring more emergency shelter and other costly crisis services.
Near-term investment in additional shelter capacity is needed to ensure safety and access to rehousing assistance but should be flexible to allow for later repurposing/use for housing.
Efforts are needed to increase positive turn-over (and openings) among current PSH units, increase the overall number of PSH units funded with homeless assistance and other resources, and increase other community-based affordable housing and service solutions to address gaps.
The need for rehousing supports and affordable, supportive housing options cannot be met by the homeless crisis response system alone. Cross-sector collaborations to develop sustainable housing and service supports for people with needs beyond housing are needed, such as for people with severe and persistent disabling conditions, returning citizens (following incarceration), and for older adults.
Factors Influencing Future Need
Population growth and demographic changes:
Although the Sacramento County general population growth is just under 1% on average per year over the past ten years, changes in demographic makeup (e.g., higher rate of growth among low- and very low-income households) of the County can directly affect the number of people experiencing homelessness and potentially needing prevention or shelter and rehousing assistance. The gaps analysis assumes no marked changes in population growth or characteristics will occur over the next five years.
Availability of affordable housing and other forms of assisted/supportive housing in the community:
The severe lack of naturally occurring and subsidized affordable housing options directly impacts the number of households that are precariously housed and inherently at-risk of literal homelessness. The average rent in Sacramento County has increased 16.7% since 2019, increasingly pricing out lower-income households, while at the same time vacancy rates SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
24 3Fair Market Rents are often not fully representative of typical rental costs and likely understate actual rental costs in many areas. are declining, directly decreasing viable housing options for lower-income households, and increasing risk for housing insecurity and homelessness. According to the latest Out of Reach report from the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, a full-time worker would have to earn at least $28.75 to afford a two-bedroom apartment at current fair market rental rates ($1,495)3.
The gaps analysis assumes housing market conditions will not materially improve.
Landlord partnerships:
Landlord partners are essential the success of homeless crisis response system, both to support and prevent households who are facing eviction, as well as to increase access to housing options in the rental market that might otherwise not be available to people experiencing homelessness and systemic racism. Increased investment in landlord partnerships and the capacity to maintain and grow partnerships can indirectly and directly influence the success of prevention and rehousing efforts, particularly with owners and property managers willing to consider applicants with potential credit, rental history, or criminal justice system involvement. The gaps analysis assumes growing investment and partnerships will occur as part of the natural evolution of the homeless crisis response system, consistent with other communities around California and the U.S.
Fidelity to evidence-based and best practices:
There is a growing body of empirical research on program practices and interventions, and documented evidence-based practices that prevention and homeless assistance providers can adopt to improve service quality, equity, and outcomes. Adherence to practices such as Housing First, motivational interviewing, harm reduction, and positive youth development, are key to improving system performance while ensuring efficient and, when needed, targeted use of resources. The gaps analysis assumes local providers will continue to adopt and iterate evidence-based and best practices, while local public and private funders continue to further standardize such practices and requirements in program funding, monitoring, and compliance activities.
Funding availability and strategic allocation:
Funding availability and strategic allocation for prevention and homeless services is a critical ingredient to developing a comprehensive, coordinated, and community-wide approach to preventing and ending homelessness. Coordinated approaches to determining local priorities, allocating resources, and monitoring investments for intended outcomes are hallmarks of high functioning, equitable, and effective homelessness prevention, and crisis response systems.
The gaps analysis assumes that local entities – the City of Sacramento, Sacramento County, other Sacramento County municipalities, and the Continuum of Care – will continue to align funding priorities and allocation decisions toward achieving the regional plan, closing gaps, and achieving better outcomes for Sacramento residents.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
25 Appendix B
Summary of Strategies and Sub Strategies
Strategy 1: Build and Scale a Countywide Coordinated Access System (CAS) Sub Strategy 1.a: Increase targeted participation in homeless crisis response services.
Sub Strategy 1.b: Grow and embed problem-solving/diversion in all system access sites, safe grounds, respite centers and emergency shelters.
Sub Strategy 1.c: Provide comprehensive and aligned outreach Countywide.
Strategy 2: Ensure Current and New Emergency Shelter and Interim Housing is Focused on Rehousing
Sub Strategy 2.a: Align the Cities’ and County’s current and emerging shelter and interim housing programs with the Coordinated Access System to increase access and occupancy of available units.
Sub Strategy 2.b: Increase permanent housing exits across all emergency shelter & interim housing programs.
Strategy 3: Increase Permanent Housing Opportunities
Sub Strategy 3.a: Increase rehousing assistance and improve access to existing and new units in market and subsidized programs.
Sub Strategy 3.b: Increase the stock of permanent supportive housing units and other dedicated affordable housing units for people experiencing homelessness.
Sub Strategy 3.c: Develop a regional landlord engagement partnership program to increase the number of participating landlords across all homelessness rehousing programs.
Strategy 4: Expand Prevention and Diversion Resources
Sub Strategy 4.a: Coordinate and leverage prevention resources across jurisdictions to connect households at imminent risk of homelessness to stabilization resources to avoid literal homelessness.
Sub Strategy 4.b: Scale existing prevention and diversion programs into a countywide rehousing program.
Strategy 5: Invest in Community Capacity-Building and Training Sub Strategy 5.a: Create an inclusive & supportive working environment to retain the current workforce and attract new staff from historically under-resourced communities and partners with lived expertise.
Sub Strategy 5.b: Increase community stakeholder support for countywide homelessness activities through increased engagement.
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
26 Appendix C
Glossary of Terms
Cal-AIM is the California Advancing &
Innovating Medi-Cal initiative sponsored by
the state Department of Health Care Services
is a long-term commitment to transforming
and sustaining Medi-Cal, offering
Californians, including persons experiencing
homelessness, a more equitable,
coordinated, person-centered approach to
maximizing their health and life trajectory.
Chronically Homeless Individual
refers to an individual with a disability who
has been continuously homeless for one
year or more or has experienced at least four
episodes of homelessness in the last three
years where the combined length of time
homeless on those occasions is at least 12
months.
Chronically Homeless People in
Families refers to people in families in
which the head of household has a disability
and has either been continuously homeless
for one year or more or has experienced at
least four episodes of homelessness in the
last three years where the combined length of
time homeless on those occasions is at least
12 months.
Congregate Shelter is an emergency
shelter where the residents share a common
sleeping area.
Continuum of Care (CoC) is the local
planning body responsible for coordinating
the full range of homelessness services in the
Sacramento region and may cover the cities,
county, and unincorporated geographic areas.
Coordinated Access System (CAS)
is a regionally based system that connects
new and existing programs into a “no wrong-
door network” by assessing the needs of
individuals/ families/youth experiencing
homelessness and linking them with the most
appropriate housing and services to end their
homelessness.
Diversion Services is a client-driven
approach designed to immediately help a
person or household who just lost housing
find safe alternative housing, rather than
entering shelter or experiencing unsheltered
homelessness.
Emergency Shelter is a facility with the
primary purpose of providing temporary
shelter for homeless people.
Homeless describes a person who lacks
a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
residence.
Homeless Management Information
System (HMIS) is a computerized data
collection system designed to capture client
information over time on the characteristics,
service needs and accomplishments of
homeless persons. Implementation of an
HMIS is required by the federal department
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for
programs receiving federal funding through
the Continuum of Care (CoC).
SACRAMENTO LOCAL HOMELESS ACTION PLAN – 2022
27 homelessness, moving them quickly out of
homelessness and into permanent housing.
Street Outreach is defined as the activity
of engaging unsheltered homeless individuals
through the process of rapport building
with the goal of linking that individual to a
permanent housing resource.
Sheltered Homelessness refers to
people who are staying in emergency
shelters, transitional housing programs, or
safe havens.
Transitional Housing Programs
provide people experiencing homelessness
a place to stay combined with supportive
services for up to 24 months.
Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
(under 18) are people in households with
only children who are not part of a family
with children or accompanied by their
parent or guardian during their episode of
homelessness, and who are under the age of
18. Unaccompanied Homeless Youth
(18–24) are people in households without
children who are not part of a family
with children or accompanied by their
parent or guardian during their episode of
homelessness and who are between the
ages of 18 and 24.
Unsheltered Homelessness refers to
people whose primary nighttime location
is a public or private place not designated
for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping
accommodation for people (for example, the
streets, vehicles, or parks).
Veteran refers to any person who served on
active duty in the armed forces of the United
States. This includes Reserves and National
Guard members who were called up to active
duty.
Homelessness Prevention refers to
policies, practices, and interventions that
reduce the likelihood that someone will
experience homelessness.
Housing First is an approach that offers
permanent housing as quickly as possible
for people experiencing homelessness,
particularly for people with long histories
of homelessness and co-occurring health
challenges, while providing the supportive
services people need to keep their housing
and avoid returning to homelessness.
Individual refers to a person who is not part
of a family with children during an episode of
homelessness. Individuals may be homeless
as single adults, unaccompanied youth, or in
multiple-adult or multiple-child households.
Non-congregate Shelter is an
emergency shelter that provides private
sleeping space, such as a hotel or motel
room.
Other Permanent Housing is housing
with or without services that is specifically
for people who formerly experienced
homelessness but that does not require
people to have a disability.
People in Families with Children are
people who are experiencing homelessness
as part of a household that has at least one
adult (age 18 and older) and one child (under
age 18).
Permanent Supportive Housing
(PSH) is a housing model designed to
provide housing assistance (project and
tenant-based) and supportive services on
a long-term basis to people who formerly
experienced homelessness. Participants are
required to have a disability for eligibility.
Rapid Rehousing is a housing model
designed to provide temporary housing
assistance to people experiencing
City/County
Agreement to Address
Homelessness Crisis
CAPPENDIX
City of Sacramento
City Council - 2PM Report
915 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814
www.cityofsacramento.org
File ID: 2022-02103 12/6/2022 Discussion Item 24.
City-County Legally Binding Partnership Agreement to Address Homelessness Crisis File ID: 2022-02103
Location: Citywide
Recommendation: Pass a Motion authorizing the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee to execute an agreement with the County of Sacramento memorializing the respective roles and commitments of the City and County to address the homelessness crisis.
Contact: Howard Chan, City Manager, (916) 808-7488, [email protected], Office of the City Manager; Susana Alcala Wood, City Attorney, (916) 808-5346, [email protected], City Attorney’s Office
Presenter: Mario Lara, Assistant City Manager, (916) 808-8526, [email protected], Office of the City Manager
Attachments:
1-Description/Analysis
2-ESEA Partnership Agreement between the City of Sacramento and the County of Sacramento Description/Analysis
Issue Detail: The crisis of unsheltered homelessness is one that impacts our entire community, both those experiencing homelessness and the broader community of housed residents, businesses, and neighborhoods. Over the past several years, the City and County have made significant investments to increase availability of shelter, services and permanent housing for people and families experiencing homelessness. Despite these efforts, homelessness and its impacts continue to rise.
According to the 2022 Point in Time Homeless Count released by the Sacramento County Continuum of Care (CoC), there were 9,278 individuals experiencing homelessness in the County of Sacramento, an increase of 67% since 2019.
The City and County have a mutual desire to improve the coordination and combining of efforts to meet the needs of the unhoused and to move individuals out of homelessness.
File ID: 2022-02103 12/6/2022 Discussion Item 24.
Staff recommends approval of the attached agreement that is intended to formalize the City’s and County’s coordination to address homelessness within the City. The key provisions of the agreement are as follows:
· 5-year term with annual updates
· Outlines roles and responsibilities of each agency
· Addresses key provisions of the Emergency Shelter and Enforcement Act of 2022 · Demonstrates shared commitment to the Sacramento Local Homeless Action Plan and Coordinated Access System
· Sets forth provisions for accountability and measuring progress with reports in open session to both City Council and Board of Supervisors every 6 months Policy Considerations: The recommendation in this report furthers local coordination in response to homelessness, enhances existing sheltering and navigation efforts, is in alignment with the Local Homeless Action Plan, and fulfills key requirements of the Emergency Shelter and Enforcement Act of 2022.
Economic Impacts: Efforts to reduce and minimize the occurrence of homelessness in our community improves the economic outlook of all community members, including those who are able to avoid homelessness through prevention and diversion, those who are reintegrated into the workforce through local shelter and training options, individuals and families who gain permanent affordable housing and have greater expendable income to take care of their needs and support the local economy, and local businesses with access to a larger job pool and decreased impacts.
Environmental Considerations:
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): The current action is approval of partnership agreement. The execution of this partnership agreement is not a project pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378 (b)(4) and (5) (fiscal activities that do not involve commitment to any specific project and organizational or administrative activities of governments that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment). Even if it is a project, it is exempt under [1] the commonsense exemption in CEQA Guidelines section 15061 (b)(3) because it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, [2] CEQA Guidelines section 15308 (actions to ensure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment), [3] CEQA Guidelines section 15269 (c) (relating to specific actions necessary to prevent or mitigate an emergency), [4] Government Code section 8698.4(a)(4) (actions taken by a local agency to lease, convey, or encumber land owned by a city, county, or city and county, or to facilitate the lease, conveyance, or encumbrance of land owned by the local government for, or to provide financial assistance to, a homeless shelter constructed or allowed by the Shelter Crisis Law), and [5] Government Code section 65660 (b) (low barrier navigation centers). In
File ID: 2022-02103 12/6/2022 Discussion Item 24.
addition, the proposed agreement does not foreclose CEQA review otherwise required in connection with any individual project. This could include the need to meet the requirements of specific exemptions such as CEQA Guidelines sections 15303(c) (related to new construction or conversion of small structures), 15304 (e) (related to the temporary use of land having negligible or no permanent effects on the environment), 15311 (related to accessory structures), 15308 (actions to ensure the maintenance, restoration, enhancement, or protection of the environment - not including construction activities - and the process must include procedures for protection of the environment and not the relaxation of standards to allow environmental degradation), or 15002 (i) and 15369 (ministerial activities). The proposed agreement does not foreclose alternative solutions or mitigation measures to shelter persons experiencing homelessness or foreclose alternatives or mitigation measures that would otherwise be required in connection with any individual project.
Sustainability: Not applicable.
Commission/Committee Action: Not applicable.
Rationale for Recommendation: The action in this report is consistent with the Local Homeless Action Plan and enhances coordination efforts between the City and County to address homelessness.
Financial Considerations: Approval of the City-County partnership agreement to address homelessness does not require the allocation of additional City resources. The FY2022/23 Approved Budget exceeds $25 million for the Department of Community Response and includes funding for
24.0 FTE dedicated to Community Outreach and funding for contractual services and an additional
14.0 FTE for administration, temporary shelters, and storage/clean-up related to homeless encampments. Any need for resources to implement the City-County partnership agreement will be considered in subsequent budget requests during the annual budget adoption process.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE): Not applicable.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
THIS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT is made at Sacramento, California, by and between the CITY OF SACRAMENTO, a charter city and municipal corporation (“C ITY”), and the COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO, a political subdivision of the State of California (“C OUNTY”), as of the Effective Date, as defined below.
I. RECITALS
A. The CITY seeks to expand shelter bed capacity, behavioral health and social services, outreach/engagement, case management, and permane nt-supportive-housing resources for persons experiencing homelessness within its boundaries to mitigate public health and safety concerns.
B. In an effort to address the emergency caused by the rapid increase in persons experiencing homelessness, the CITY has undertaken multiple efforts to provide some housing, prevention, and re-housing services as well as outreach/engagement and case management to persons experiencing homelessness within its boundaries , but the CITY is unable to provide the needed mental health services, behavioral health services, or social services to the many persons experiencing homelessness in the City who need them.
C. The COUNTY provides housing, mental health services, behavioral health services, and social services, as well as prevention and re -housing resources for persons experiencing homelessness throughout the County, including within the City.
D. The CITY and the COUNTY have a mutual desire to improve the coordination and combining of efforts to meet the needs of the unhoused and to move individuals out of homelessness in the City.
E. The CITY and the COUNTY recognize that the only way to make real progress toward addressing this emergency humanitarian crisis that affects so many California citizens is to work collaboratively, diligently, and in a focused manner on a regional approach that seamlessly combines all available resources and staffing.
F. This Agreement is intended to formalize the Parties’ coordination and outline each Party’s role and responsibilities as it relates to serving the needs of persons experiencing homelessness in the City.
G. On April 6, 2022, the City Council adopted the Eme rgency Shelter and Enforcement Act of 2022 (City Ordinance No. 2022-0011) (“ESEA”), the effectiveness of which is contingent upon voter approval.
H. If approved by the voters, the ESEA requires the CITY to identify and authorize the number of emergency sh elter spaces that equals 60% of the estimated number of unsheltered
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
homeless persons in the City pursuant to the 2022 Point -In-Time Homeless Count report. The act further declared:
“This Act is not intended to relieve the State and County of their obligation to provide services to those who need assistance. It is intended to prompt the County to adopt a comparable county measure. This should be a unified regional approach to successfully address this crisis.”
I. On August 9, 2022, the City Council adop ted amendments to the ESEA. The amendments added the following provision to the ordinance:
“This ordinance shall not be operative, and no provision of [the ESEA] is enforceable, unless and until the City (acting through the City Council) and the County of Sacramento (acting through the Board of Supervisors) approve a legally -binding partnership agreement that, at a minimum, memorializes the respective roles of the City and County to improve the homelessness crisis. The partnership agreement shall include, but not be limited to, the County’s roles, responsibilities, and obligations to provide the following to homeless persons in the City who need them:
1. Mental-health services;
2. Substance-abuse services;
3. Clinical outreach and case management to refer individuals to appropriate County services, such as housing, medical, employment, social services, and drug -rehabilitation services; and
4. Child-welfare and domestic-violence services.”
J. This Agreement is intended to satisfy the condition set forth in the August 9, 2022, amendment to the ESEA.
K. The CITY and COUNTY have both adopted the Sacramento Local Homeless Action Plan (LHAP), which, “creates a cross -jurisdictional unified approach to addressing homelessness across Sacramento County.” The plan specifies:
“Among people who experience literal homelessness annually, it is estimated that … one out of five adults (~22%) report having a severe mental illness, … one out of ten adults (~10%) report having a substance use disorder.”
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
The LHAP further states that the stakeholders identified one of the guiding principles to apply across all proposed strategies to be:
“Implement a person -centered, trauma -informed countywide response system, which provides access to immediate and ongoing supportive service needs (i.e. mental health, substance abuse, housing retention).”
The plan also sets forth the following five core strategies: (1) build and scale a countywide Coordinated Access System; (2) ensure current and new emergency shelter and interim housing is focused on rehousing; (3) increase permanent housing opportunities; (4) expand prevention and diversion resources; and (5) invest in community capacity -building and training . And, in adopting the LHAP, the Sacramento City Council added the sixth strategy of, “Ensure adequate mental health and substance use services.” (City Resolution No. 2022-0211.) L. The 2022 Point-In-Time Homeless Count (PIT Count) report was published in July 2022, by the Division of Social Work and the Center for Health Practice, Policy and Research at the California State University, Sacramento. The report estimates that there were 9,278 persons experiencing homelessness throughout the County of Sacramento and 6,664 were unsheltered.
On the night of the count, 4,444 (67%) of the unsheltered homeless were sleeping within the boundaries of the City of Sacramento and another 594 (8%) resided in the portion of the American River Parkway that falls within the City limits. Ap proximately 4,314 adults were experiencing chronic homelessness, of whom 24% (approximately 1,035 persons) reported substance abuse, 53% (approximately 2,286 persons) reported a mental disability, and 61% (approximately 2,632 persons) reported a psychological disability. As a consequence, the report recommends that the following actions should be taken:
“…more and ongoing direct interventions with individuals liming in large encampments will be needed in the coming year. This includes deployment of integ rative outreach teams, street medicine programs, and other interventions that bring services directly to where individuals are currently residing (as opposed to requiring individuals to seek out and navigate these services themselves).”
M. This Agreement is intended to implement this recommendation. The parties commit to do whatever it takes to address the mental and behavioral health needs of the unsheltered homeless within the City limits.
N. Regardless of whether the ESEA is approved by the voters, t he purpose of this Agreement is to formalize a partnership between the COUNTY and the CITY to invest in and
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
coordinate strategies and programs to prevent and end homelessness in the County of Sacramento, with a particular focus on coordinating efforts and combining resources to serve persons experiencing homelessness within the City’s boundaries.
O. Future coordinated or shared CITY/COUNTY projects or efforts, if appropriate, may become amendments to this Agreement or can be the subject of subsequent rela ted agreements.
P. The COUNTY is required by State and Federal law to relieve and support indigent and poor individuals residing in the County (see Cal. Welf. and Inst. Code §§ 17000 et seq., 5771.1 et seq.) and has made the following baseline investments in recent months into behavioral health services that will assist the unhoused in accessing behavioral health care. Specifically within the Sacramento City limits, the COUNTY:
1. Funds Specialty Mental Health Services through community bas ed organizations that provide services to individuals who are eligible, including Full Service Partnerships and associated housing supports;
2. Funds Substance Use Treatment Services for individuals who qualify;
3. Funds the Mental Health Urgent Care Center, operated by TeleCare, which is slated to increase hours to 24/7 by January 1, 2023;
4. Funds the Crisis Receiving Behavioral Health Program, operated by WellSpace, which provides a behavioral health crisis response, including sobering services, to the unhoused;
5. Operates the Homeless Engagement And Response Team (HEART) comprised of behavioral health professionals doing outreach and engagement and providing behavioral health assessments in shelters throughout the City and County;
6. Operates the Wellness Crisis Call Center and Response Team, scheduled to go live on December 1, 2022, which is an alternative to 911 response for behavioral health calls;
7. Funds three CORE Wellness Centers that provide immediate and ongoing supports and assessment to adults experiencing behavioral health concerns; and
8. Funds a Primary Care Clinic at Loaves and Fishes for individuals seeking health/behavioral health care.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
II. AGREEMENT
The CITY and COUNTY agree as follows:
A. Definitions.
For purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions apply:
“Behavioral health assessment” means and includes an assessment of mental health symptoms, biopsychosocial history, history of treatment, level of impairment, substance use, medication usage, and suicidal risk. This information is used to determine eligibility and medical necessity for behavioral health services.
“Behavioral health services” means and includes both mental health services and substance use prevention and treatment services.
“CalAIM” means the California Advancing and Innovating Medi -Cal initiative of the California Department of Health Care Services to improve the quality of life and health outcomes of Medi-Cal members by implementing a broad delivery system, program , and payment reform across the Medi-Cal program.
“Central Business District” has the same meaning as in Sacramento City Code section
5.88.020.
“City limits” means the geographic boundaries of the City of Sacramento, excluding the American River Parkway.
“Community Supports” or “CS” means the Medi -Cal benefit, part of CalAIM, that is designed to addr ess social drivers of health. Medi-Cal managed care plans may offer the following 14 community supports: (1) housing transition navigation services; (2) h ousing deposits; (3) h ousing tenancy and sustaining services; (4) s hort-term post-hospitalization housing; (5) recuperative care ( medical respite); (6) d ay habilitation programs; (7) c aregiver respite services; (8) nursing facility transition/diversion to assisted living facilities; (9) community transition services/nursing facility transition to a home; (10) p ersonal care and homemaker services; (11) e nvironmental accessibility adaptations (home modifications); (12) m edically supportive food/meals/medically-tailored meals; (13) s obering centers; and (14) a sthma remediation.
“Coordinated Access System” or “CAS” means a streamlined system designed to match people experiencing homelessness with available shelter and housing. This process helps prioritize resources based on vulnerability and severity of service needs to ensure that people who need help the most can receive it in a timely manner. In Sacramento County, the CAS is currently administered by Sacramento Steps Forward.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
“CORE Wellness Center” means a site at which the COUNTY provides adult outpatient specialty mental health services through their Community Outreach Recovery Empowerment program.
“County limits” means the geographic boundaries of the County of Sacramento, including the City of Sacramento.
“Emergency shelter” has the same meaning as in Code of Federal Regulations, Title 24, Section 91.5, which states, “Any facility, the primary purpose of which is to provide a temporary shelter for the homeless in general or for specific populations of the homeless, and which does not require occupants to sign leases or occupancy agreements.” “Enhanced Care Management” or “ECM” means the Medi-Cal benefit, part of CalAIM , intended to address clinical and non -clinical needs of the highest -need Medi -Cal enrollees through intensive coordination of health and health-related services. Beneficiaries of Enhanced Care Management have a single lead care manager who coordinate s care and services among the physical, behavioral, dental, developmental, and social services delivery systems. “Full Service Partnership” or “FSP” means the program funded by the California Mental Health Services Act that supports people with the most severe and often co -occurring mental health needs. The program is designed to apply a “whatever it takes” approach to partnering with individuals on their path to wel lness and recovery. The COUNTY is required to provide full service partnerships pursuant to the California Code of Regulations, Title 9, Section 3620. “Homeless Management Information System” or “HMIS” is a local information technology system that is us ed by homeless service providers to collect confidential client -level data including demographics, history of homelessness and services accessed, and service needs.
Sacramento Steps Forward manages the HMIS for Sacramento County. “Laura’s Law” means California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5345 et seq. “Shovel-ready” includes, but is not limited to, a site with a hardened surface (asphalt or concrete), water, sewer and electrical readily available on the site , as applicable depending on the type of shelter.
“Sobering center” means a site at which the COUNTY, or its contractor, provides short- term (4-23.5 hour) recovery and recuperation from the effects of alcohol or drug intoxication and is staffed with healthcare professionals who provide medical monitoring, substance use disorder counseling, and connections to supportive services.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
B. Lead Staff; Administration of the Agreement.
The lead staff from the COUNTY and CITY for ongoing coordination and administration of this Agreement are identified below. They will be responsible for implementing this Agreement on behalf of their respective entity.
Sacramento County City of Sacramento
Executive leadership County Executive
Deputy County Executive –
Social Services
City Manager
Assistant City Manager
Overall strategy Director of Homeless
Services and Housing
Director of Community
Response or designee
Coordination of encampment
outreach and response efforts
Director of Homeless
Services and Housing
Director of Community
Response or designee
Public assistance benefits
outreach and coordination
County Director of Human
Assistance
N/A
Behavioral health services
outreach and coordination
County Behavioral Health
Director
N/A
Communication & Public
Messaging
County PIO City PIO
Medical health services
outreach and coordination
County Director of Health
Services
N/A
Emergency shelter, emergency
housing, coordinated access
system
Director of Homeless
Services and Housing
Director of Community
Response or designee
Pursuit of additional funding
sources to serve persons
experiencing homelessness
County Departments City Departments
C. Collaboration Protocol.
Within 60 days of the effective date of this Agreement, the COUNTY and CITY shall adopt a collaboration protocol, executed by the City Manager of CITY and the Chief Executive Officer of
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
COUNTY. The collaboration protocol will establish how the parties will meet the requirements set forth in this Agreement and do whatever it takes to remove all barriers to housing and services for all persons experiencing homelessness, including the sheltered and unsheltered. The protocol shall address the following matters:
1. Local Homeless Action Plan. Collaboration on the steps to be taken to advance the strategies adopted in the LHAP as adopted by the CITY and COUNTY.
2. Training and Sharing Information. Collaboration on assessing and meeting the training and information-sharing needs of CITY and COUNTY staff to most effectively address the needs of persons experiencing homelessness within the City limits.
3. Outreach. Collaboration on the future makeup and deployment of outreach efforts, including the encampment engagement teams, to meet the needs of the persons experiencing homelessness.
4. Services. Collaboration on the levels of service needed to meet the needs of persons experiencing homelessness within the City limits, including whether services need to be added or expanded, as well as whether services should be reduced or eliminated.
5. Shelter and Housing. Coordinate ongoing operations for emergency shelter sites that remain open at all times (including nights, weekends and holidays) , for respite sites, and for weather respite sites , including the staffing of the sites, and the provision of basic needs, security, hygiene, storage, cleaning, and maintenance.
6. Funding. Collaborate to seek additional funding that will either directly fund or provide reimbursement to the COUNTY for the provision of services to persons experiencing homelessness within the City limits.
7. Accountability. Identify the metrics and measuring tools that will be used to evaluate outcomes and impact on a system level, including a performance manageme nt plan that will track and evaluate the collaborative efforts in this Agreement is having on reducing homelessness within the City limits.
8. Internal Communication. Create regular communication mechanisms between executive leadership, department leade rship, and operational teams on coordinated CITY and COUNTY programs, initiatives, and investments as set forth in this Agreement, including weekly team meetings to ensure communication and coordination about new programs and coordinated efforts.
9. External Communication. Coordinate and agree upon public messaging of coordinated COUNTY and CITY projects prior to any public announcements or media communication.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
10. Community Engagement. Work collaboratively on the engagement of appropriate stakeho lders and the community on the implementation of any subsequently approved joint or partner project or initiative, including the collaboration with persons with lived experience.
11. Planning. Coordinate planning for new programs that will affect and serve people experiencing homelessness within the City limits . Identify and develop the scope, approach, and operations of coordinated COUNTY and CITY projects prior to launch and throughout implementation. Cooperate in good faith to obtain required local or State land-use approvals necessary to operate shared programs. Work to achieve consistency in contractor requirements, protocols, and standards for similar programming and joint projects. This may include, but is not limited to, issuing joint Request for Proposals (RFPs).
12. Subsequent Agreements. Negotiate and execute in good faith any subsequent agreements reasonably necessary to accomplish the objectives set forth in this Agreement, including the collaboration protocol.
D. Training and Information Sharing.
1. The COUNTY shall provide training and authorization for CITY-designated staff to write and issue 5150 holds (pursuant to Welfare and Institution Code section 5150).
2. The COUNTY shall provide Mental Health First Aid training to CITY- designated community partners and providers that serve individuals within the City limits.
3. The COUNTY shall provide County Public Health education and relevant communicable disease screening tools to shelter operators contracted by the CITY.
4. The COUNTY shall advise CITY-designated staff of all of the processes by which people experiencing homelessness within the City limits will have direct access to COUNTY- administered programs and benefits, including through encampment outreach teams.
5. To the extent allowed by law, CITY and COUNTY shall track and share customer information and aggregate data on program participation an d outcomes for purposes of services improvement and trends analysis . This includes the CITY’s and COUNTY’s use of the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and the Coordinated Access System (CAS).
The CITY and COUNTY shall facilitate the execution of customary data sharing agreements or releases of information as needed.
E. Outreach.
1. Within six months of the effective date of this Agreement, the CITY and COUNTY (along with its Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan partners ) shall provide 10 encampment
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
engagement teams to engage in intensive outreach, assessment, navigation, service delivery, and housing to as many people as possible in encampments within the City limits . Each team will have the responsibility to assess and enroll people in behavioral health services; make referrals to shelters through the Coordinated Access System; to the extent it is operational, provide housing navigation services and supports; assess/refer/and provide Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports; and provide a peer approach to engagement, using a whatever it takes approach to stabilizing and transitioning individuals into shelter or housing.
2. The CITY and COUNTY shall collectively provide 50 individuals for the encampment engagement teams. The teams shall be comprised and funded as follows:
a. CITY will provide 25 encampment workers (either Department of Community Response staff or contracted providers) to provide encampment assessment, coordination of outreach and mitigation services (debris removal, etc.), and linkages to sheltering and housing supports. The CITY and COUNTY will explore using a single contracted provider, through a joint RFP process or an MOU, to ensure uniformity in engagement efforts between the CITY and COUNTY operated encampment teams.
b. COUNTY will provide 10 mental health workers with the ability and qualifications to provide a behavioral health assessment and enroll or link persons to an appropriate level of mental health and substance use services, based on the individuals’ level of need. The COUNTY will work assertively to hire additional mental health workers sufficient to serve persons experiencing homelessness within the City limits , and will deploy 67% (based on the unsheltered PIT Count) of all of its behavioral health outreach team members to work within the City limits.
c. COUNTY shall provide 15 Homeless Engagement Workers, who are contracted with and funded by the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, to provide assessments and referrals to ECM/CS services as well as to provide the services themselves for a period of one year. If it is determined by both the CITY and the COUNTY that Homeless Engagement Workers are still needed after one year, the COUNTY and the CITY will either renegotiate with the Plans to continue providing them , or issue a joint RFP or LOI for a provider or providers that are currently contracted with the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans to provide ECM/CS services to provide an agreed upon number of Homeless Engagement W orkers. The provider(s) will be expected to leverage CalAIM ECM and CS funding to the greatest extent possible. The CITY and COUNTY will share in the costs that are uncovered by CalAIM at an agreed upon proportion.
3. The COUNTY’s staff in the encampment engagement teams shall conduct behavioral health assessments for willing people in encampments and city -run shelters and , if eligible, enroll them in county -funded services and programs, regardless of whether they are insured or uninsured. The COUNTY shall do whatever it takes to provide services including, but
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
not limited to , mental health services, substance use prevention and treatment services, child welfare services, housing services, General Assistance, CalWorks and CalFresh. The teams shall also coordinate with the COUNTY-funded domestic violence assistance programs to meet the sheltering and housing needs of domestic violence victims and their families within the City limits.
4. The COUNTY staff in the encampment engagement teams shall also have the authority to, where appropriate, authorize a person to be held pursuant to California Welfare and Institutions Code section 5150 , petition the court to order a person to obtain ass isted outpatient treatment pursuant to Laura’s Law , and enlist the Sacramento County Probation Department to investigate whether people are violating the terms of their probation and provide other resources they may be able to offer.
5. The CITY staff shall be responsible for d etermining which sites the encampment engagement team will be deployed to each day, conducting initial outreach , and coordinating CITY services, such as solid waste removal , code enforcement, and public safety services. Roles and responsibilities within encampments will be developed through the Coordination Protocol.
6. Each encampment engagement team shall engage and provide services to people experiencing homelessness in at least two large encampments within the City limits each month. The intent of this Agreement is have the encampment engagement teams actively intervening in at least 20 large encampments within the City limits per month.
7. If a person has travelled into the City limits from another jurisdiction, the encampment engagement teams will endeavor to navigate them back to the other jurisdiction when appropriate arrangements can be made.
F. Services.
1. CORE Behavioral Health Centers.
The COUNTY shall continue to fund and operate at least three CORE Wellness Centers within the City limits. A fourth CORE center shall be opened by the COUNTY in the Central Business District within nine months of the effective date of this Agreement , provided a reasonable and appropriate location has been identified . The CITY shall assist the COUNTY and any of its contracted providers with identifying appropriate properties for these facilities.
2. Sobering Centers.
The COUNTY shall continue to support a sobering center operating within the City limits to meet the needs of those who are detoxing from substances.
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
3. Full Service Partnerships.
The COUNTY and CITY shall work through the encampment engagement teams to refer all persons experiencing homelessness to programs that provide care coordination for the unhoused. In some cases, the most appropriate level of care will be through a Full Service Partnership which utilizes a “whatever it takes” approach for individuals with a severe mental illness who qualify for Specialty Mental Health services. Other individuals who do not qualify for an FSP may be referred to a slightly lower level of care through CORE Centers. Individuals who do not meet criteria for Specialty Mental Health treatment may be referred to CalAIM Enhanced Care Management and Community Supports , which will ensure that each individual who is willing, is linked to a program that provides care management. If the County’s FSP program reaches full capacity, the COUNTY will add slots to accommoda te the need. Enrollment into CalAIM ECM or CS is based on approval by the Managed Care Plans and is not a COUNTY funded, operated or controlled program.
4. Substance use disorder beds.
The COUNTY shall meet the State standards for access to the continuum of substance use disorder services and supports as identified in the Drug Medi -Cal Organized Delivery System Waiver. (MHSUDS Information Notice No. 18-011)
5. Involuntary Services and Treatment.
Some individuals may qualify for involuntary beha vioral health treatment or diversion programs through a variety of programs funded by or operated by the COUNTY when engagement is neither successful, nor appropriate (Laura’s Law/Assisted Outpatient Treatment, Public Conservatorship/Guardianships, Care Co urts upon implementation, etc.). The COUNTY Encampment Engagement Team members will be responsible for assisting with referrals and coordination with the most appropriate Program to meet the needs of the individuals.
G. Shelter and Housing.
1. Emergency Shelter.
In addition to the number of beds in permanent shelter programs that are funded or operated by the COUNTY on the effective date of this Agreement , the COUNTY shall open emergency shelter sites that are accessible to unhoused individuals from within the City limits , as follows:
a. Within 12 months of the effective date of this Agreement, the COUNTY shall open emergency shelter sites within the County limits with a minimum of 200 shelter beds;
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
b. Within 3 6 months of the effective date of this Agreement , the COUNTY shall open additional emergency shelter sites within the County limits with a minimum of 200 shelter beds; and
c. If the CITY provide s shovel-ready sites or existing buildi ngs within the City limits that can support non -congregate sheltering, for this purpose, the COUNTY shall open and operate an additional emergency shelter site or sites at those locations with a minimum total of 200 beds between those sites. However, if the COUNTY provides a site or sites within the City limits and opens and operates an emergency shelter site at that location, the number of beds on that site or sites shall be counted toward the aforementioned 200-bed requirement.
2. Coordinated Access System.
In order to ensure the most ef ficient use of resources, w ithin 60 days of the effective date of this Agreement, the CITY and COUNTY shall fully integrate all of their emergency shelter beds into the coordinated access system to the extent possible , including all new beds such as those opened in accordance with section II.G.1, above. For every emergency shelter site in the County limits, the CITY and COUNTY shall agree upon a radius from the site from which unsheltered homeless persons would get priority for a bed or space at that site. However, beds or spaces will not be held in reserve at any site for persons residing within that radius and an available bed or space shall not be denied to an eligible individual from outside the agreed upon radius when there is not a competing demand or request from within the radius.
3. Affordable Housing.
The CITY and COUNTY shall work aggressively to meet the permanent supportive and affordable housing needs identified in the Local Homelessness Action Plan. Within 180 days of the effective date of this Agreement, the CITY and COUNTY will finalize an affordable housing plan that follows the strategies outlined in the Local Homeless Action Plan to increase permanent housing opportunities.
H. Funding Sources.
In order to carry out the purposes of this Agreement, COUNTY agrees to use all reasonable efforts to seek additional fu nding that will either directly fund or provide reimbursement to the COUNTY. The sources of this funding may include, but are not limited to, Federal sources such as FEMA, and COVID-relief grants and programs; and State sources such as Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (“HHAP”) funds (Cal. Health & Saf. Code, § 50216 et seq.), Investment in Mental Health Wellness Act 2013 funds (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code, § 5848.5), and Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission grants relating to the Mental Health Services Act. CITY agrees to commit dedicated homeless funding for the purposes
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
of carrying out this agreement and agrees to cooperate and assist COUNTY in additional funding pursuits.
I. Accountability.
Every six months followi ng the effective date of this Agreement, t he CITY and COUNTY shall present a joint report for discussion (i.e. not on the consent calendar) at the meetings of both the Sacramento City Council and Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. The report must include metrics on all the conditions of this Agreement.
J. General Provisions.
1. Amendment and Waiver. Except as provided herein, no alteration, amendment, variation, or waiver of the terms of this Agreement shall be valid unless approved by both the Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. Waiver by either party of any default, breach or condition precedent shall not be construed as a waiver of any other default, breach or condition precedent, or any other right hereun der. No interpretation of any provision of this Agreement shall be binding upon COUNTY unless agreed in writing by the COUNTY’s Deputy County Executive and the County Counsel. No interpretation of any provision of this Agreement shall be binding upon CITY unless agreed in writing by the CITY's Assistant City Manager and the City Attorney.
2. Disputes. Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be decided by the Deputy County Executive, Social Services and the Assistant City Manager, with the assistance of their operational staff. In the event that the Deputy County Executive , Social Services and the Assistant City Manager cannot resolve the dispute, the Sacramento County Executive and Sacramento City Manager shall meet within thirty (30) days to consider the matter and reach a decision. In the event that the Sacramento County Executive and the Sacramento City Manager cannot resolve the dispute, either party may pursue its available legal and equitable remedies, pursuant to the laws of the State of California.
3. Notices. Any notice, demand, request, consent, or approval that either party hereto may or is required to give the other pursuant to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be either personally delivered or sent by mail, addressed as follows:
COUNTY: CITY:
County of Sacramento City of Sacramento
Attn: Ann Edwards Attn: Howard Chan
700 H Street, Suite 7650 915 I Street, Fifth Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 874-5510 (916) 808-7488
[email protected] [email protected]
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
4. Term Length and Termination. This Agreement shall be effective for five years from the effective date of this Agreement . Upon mutual agreement, the parties may extend this Agreement for an additional five-year term. This Agreement shall only terminate prior to the end date above upon mutual agreement by the Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors and City Council shall review this Agreement on an annual basis.
5. Indemnification. COUNTY shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless CITY and its officers, directors, agents, employees, and volunteers, from and against an y and all liability, loss, expense (including payment of reasonable attorney's fees), or claims for injury, including death, or damages arising out of the performance of this Agreement, only in proportion to and to the extent such liability, loss, expense, attorneys' fees or claims for injury or damages are caused by or result from the negligent or intentional act or omission of COUNTY, its Board of Supervisors, officers, employees, or agents.
CITY shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless COUNTY, its Board of Supervisors, officers, directors, agents, employees, and volunteers, from and against any and all liability, loss, expense (including payment of reasonable attorney's fees), or claims for injury, including death, or damages arising out of th e performance of this Agreement, only in proportion to and to the extent such liability, loss, expense, attorneys' fees or claims for injury or damages are caused by or result from the negligent or intentional act or omission of CITY, its officers, employe es, or agents.
This indemnity shall survive the termination or expiration of the Agreement.
6. Severability. If any term or condition of this Agreement or the application thereof to any person(s) or circumstance is held invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect other terms, conditions, or applications which can be given effect without the invalid term, condition, or application; to this end the terms and conditions of this Agreement are declared severable.
7. Interpretation. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been prepared equally by both of the parties, and the Agreement and Its individual provisions shall not be construed or interpreted more favorably for one party on the basis that the other party prepared It.
8. Compliance With Laws. COUNTY and CITY shall observe and comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws, regulations and ordinances.
9. Governing Laws and Jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be deemed to have been executed and to be performed within the State of California and shall be construed and
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO AND THE COUNTY OF SACRAMENTO
governed by the internal laws of the State of California. Any legal proceedings arising out of or relating to this Agreement shall be brought in Sacramento County, California.
10. Duplicate and Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in duplicate counterparts. The Agreement shall be deemed executed when it has been signed by both parties.
11. Entire Agreement . This Agreement constitutes the entire contract between CITY and COUNTY regarding the subject matter of this Agreement. Any prior agreements, whether oral or written, between CITY and COUNTY regarding the subject matter of this Agreement are hereby termina ted effective immediately upon full execution of this Agreement.
12. Authority to Execute. This Agreement shall not take effect until approved by both the Sacramento City Council and the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors . Each person executing this Agreement represents and warrants that he or she is duly authorized and has legal authority to execute and deliver this Agreement for or on behalf of the parties to this Agreement. Each party represents and warrants to the other that the execution and delivery of the Agreement and the performance of such party's obligations hereunder have been duly authorized.
13. Effective Date. This Agreement shall be effective beginning on the date it is fully executed by the duly authorized parties.
X
Ann Edwards
County Executive, County of Sacramento
X
Howard Chan
City Manager, City of Sacramento
________________________________ ________________________________ Date Date
Meetings Conducted
in Support of the
Affordable Housing
Plan
DAPPENDIX
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN D - 1
Appendix D: Meetings Conducted in Support of the
Affordable Housing Plan
Meeting Date Description
Stakeholder Meeting #1 3/13/23 Stakeholder Meeting #1, the Affordable Housing Plan kick off meeting, was held to determine the scope and direction of the Affordable Housing Plan.
The meeting was attended by representatives from each of the contributing partners.
Stakeholder Meeting #2 3/29/23 Stakeholder Meeting #2 was held to identify existing and potential permanent supportive housing activities that could be included in the Affordable Housing Plan. The meeting was attended by representatives from the City of Sacramento, the County of Sacramento, and SHRA.
Gaps Analysis Meeting 4/10/23 Sacramento Steps Forward and SHRA met to discuss community needs related to rehousing. Sacramento Steps Forward described the forthcoming gaps analysis data and provided information on rehousing in Sacramento.
Stakeholder Meeting #3 4/11/23 Stakeholder Meeting #3 was held to identify existing and potential rehousing activities that could be included in the Affordable Housing Plan. The meeting was attended by representatives from the City of Sacramento, the County of Sacramento, and SHRA.
Stakeholder Meeting #4 4/21/23 Stakeholder meeting #4 was held to provide an overview of the In-Progress Draft Affordable Housing Plan and solicit general feedback from the contributing partners.
Stakeholder Meeting #5 5/31/23 Stakeholder meeting #5 was held to provide an overview of the Draft Final Affordable Housing Plan and solicit feedback from the contributing partners.
Focused Community
Meeting #1
6/5/23 A community engagement meeting was held with the Sacramento Area Congregations Together (ACT) to present the Affordable Housing Plan to community members and solicit feedback.
Focused Community
Meeting #2
6/7/23 A community engagement meeting was held with the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness to discuss the Affordable Housing Plan and solicit feedback.
Focused Community
Meeting #3
6/9/23 A community engagement meeting was held with the Sacramento Housing Alliance to discuss the Affordable Housing Plan and solicit feedback.
Focused Community
Meeting #4
6/14/23 A meeting was held with the Sacramento Continuum of Care Board to discuss the Affordable Housing Plan and solicit feedback.
Focused Community
Meeting #5
6/15/23 A meeting was held with the Sacramento City Housing Policy Committee to discuss the Affordable Housing Plan and solicit feedback.
SHRA Commission
Meeting #1
6/21/23 A meeting was held with the SHRA Commission to discuss the Affordable Housing Plan and solicit feedback.
Focused Community
Meeting #6
6/23/23 A meeting was held with the Sacramento Steps Forward Person’s with Lived Experience (PLE) Cohort to discuss the Affordable Housing Plan and solicit feedback.
City Council Meeting #1 7/25/23 Environmental Science Associates and SHRA gave a presentation at City Council, describing the in-progress content of the Affordable Housing Plan.
Feedback from City Council and community members was collected.
Board of Supervisors
Meeting #1
7/25/23 Environmental Science Associates and SHRA gave a presentation at the Board of Supervisors, describing the in-progress content of the Affordable Housing Plan. Feedback from Board of Supervisors and community members was collected.
SHRA Commission
Meeting #2
10/18/23 The Affordable Housing Plan was presented to the SHRA Commission for approval.
Board of Supervisors
Meeting #2
10/24/23 The Affordable Housing Plan was presented to the Board of Supervisors for approval.
City Council Meeting #2 10/24/23 The Affordable Housing Plan was presented to City Council for approval.
Related County and
City Housing Element
Goals, Policies and
Programs
EAPPENDIX
SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN E - 1
Appendix E: Related County and City Housing Element
Goals, Policies and Programs
Sacramento County Housing Element
The Sacramento County 2021-2029 Housing Element (HE) provides goals and guiding policies along with programs related to the development of affordable housing in the unincorporated areas of the County, as outlined below.
Goal HE 1 “Adequate Supply of Land for Housing”
HE 1.1.1 The County will provide an adequate supply of land for housing affordable to all income groups with public services and facilities needed to facilitate the development of housing to accommodate projected housing needs based on the SACOG Regional Housing Needs Plan. The Plan requires that the County accommodate 4,466 very low-income units, 2,692 low-income units, 4,186 moderate-income units, and 9,928 above moderate-income units.
HE 1.2.3 When feasible, the County will integrate housing with compatible non-residential uses in an effort to locate affordable housing near employment opportunities and take maximum advantage of infill development opportunities.
Related Goal HE 1 Programs:
A2. By-Right Development on Land Inventory Sites.
A8. Facilitate Affordable Housing on Large Sites.
Goal HE 2 “Reduction of Constraints to Housing Production” HE 2.1.2 The Office of Planning and Environmental Review shall provide expedited review for projects in which at least 20 percent of the units are affordable to very low- and low- income households, as certified by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.
HE 2.3.2 The County will continue to defer and/or waive development impact fees for residential projects that have at least a minimum number of housing units on sites that are affordable to very low and low-income households, as certified by Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency up to the approved annual quota of the number of units.
Related Goal HE 2 Programs:
B3. Expediting and Aiding the Processing of Affordable Housing Projects.
B5. Affordable Housing Education.
B9. Fee Waiver and Deferral Programs for Affordable Housing Projects.
B10. Additional Fee Waivers and Deferrals.
Appendix E: Related County and City Housing Element Goals, Policies and Programs E - 2 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
Goal HE 4 “Improvement of Housing Opportunities for Special Needs Groups” HE 4.1.7 The County will promote the construction of affordable housing that meets the needs of female heads of households.
HE 4.2.1 The County will facilitate the development of new Extremely Low-Income (ELI) rental units.
HE 4.2.2 The County will assist extremely low-income households through the use of portable and project based housing vouchers, including Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) and Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) vouchers.
HE 4.3.1 The County will maintain an adequate supply of land where homeless shelters are allowed by right and where public services, infrastructure and facilities are available to facilitate the development.
HE 4.3.2 The County will strengthen diversion strategies to help people resolve their current housing crisis before they become homeless. Diversion services include problem solving as well as financial assistance and connection to services that support crisis resolution, resiliency, and stabilization.
HE 4.3.3 The County will strengthen outreach and navigation efforts that connect unsheltered people to services and housing and address individual and public health issues that arise.
HE 4.3.4 The County will expand and improve emergency shelter and interim housing capacity, improving access for all populations by reducing barriers, and expanding services that will help people experiencing homelessness return to permanent housing stability.
HE 4.3.5 The County will expand targeted permanent housing through two primary strategies:
1) by providing temporary or ongoing rental subsidies and supportive services, facilitating exits from homelessness within the existing rental market and 2) by developing additional new permanent housing, including permanent supportive housing.
HE 4.3.6 The County will expand access to and coordination of essential mainstream services such as physical health, mental health, employment and other services necessary to assist people experiencing homelessness to stabilize, obtain or retain housing, and improve quality of life.
Related Goal HE 4 Programs:
D8. Emergency Housing.
D11. Shelter Plus Care Program.
D12. County Homeless Plan Update.
D13. Developing Metrics and Reporting.
D14. Housing for People Experiencing Homelessness.
D15. Project-Based Rental Subsidies such as Housing Choice Voucher Program.
Appendix E: Related County and City Housing Element Goals, Policies and Programs SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN E - 3
Goal HE 5 “Preservation of Existing Affordable Housing Stock and Provision of Affordable Housing”
HE 5.1.1 The County will preserve the affordability of subsidized rental housing whenever possible through a combination of regulatory and financial incentives.
HE 5.2.1 The County will continue to implement its affordable housing program.
HE 5.2.2 The County will support the use of federal, state, and local programs for the purchase of affordable housing (new and existing) and assist low- and moderate- income households to purchase such dwelling units. The County will promote a partnership between the public and private sector for the provision of affordable housing, with an objective of increasing homeownership for low- and moderate- income families.
HE 5.2.3 The County will support programs that provide assistance to developers who construct affordable rental units.
HE 5.2.4 The County will incentivize the development of residential accessory dwelling units as a means to increase the overall supply of affordable housing.
HE 5.2.5 The County will prevent the conversion of existing very low- and low-income rental housing units to market-rate condominiums through the condominium conversion ordinance.
HE 5.2.6 The County will identify new funding sources for the provision of affordable housing.
HE 5.2.7 The County will continue to implement a density bonus ordinance that provides for a greater number of dwelling units and other incentives in exchange for housing units affordable to lower income households. This ordinance will be amended to comply with State law.
Related Goal HE 5 Programs:
E1. Preserve Affordable Housing at Risk of Becoming Market-Rate.
E2. Prevent the loss of units in SHRA’s public housing stock.
E3. Affordable Housing Ordinance Amendment.
E4. Housing Incentive Program.
Goal HE 7 “Promote and Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Opportunities for County Residents”
HE 7.1.3 The County will encourage the development of new affordable housing in areas of opportunity, or areas which offer low-income families the best chance at economic advancement, high educational attainment, and good physical and mental health.
The County will accomplish this by rezoning sites to allow multifamily uses in high and moderate resource areas during the Countywide Rezone Program.
Appendix E: Related County and City Housing Element Goals, Policies and Programs E - 4 SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
City of Sacramento Housing Element
Similar to the County Housing Element, the City Housing Element establishes related goals, policies and programs for the advancement of housing access and equity within the City, as outlined below.
Goal 1 “Increasing Overall Housing Production”
H-1.5 Facilitate Development Through Specific Plans and Commercial Corridor Action Plans. The City shall prepare specific plans and action plans in infill areas and along commercial corridors through a process that includes significant community participation and facilitates infill residential development, affordable housing production, and accommodates more “by-right” housing development in these areas with reduced processing time and costs, while protecting existing residents and businesses from displacement.
Goal 2 “Increasing Affordable and Workforce Housing Production” H-2.1 Provide Opportunities for Affordable Housing Throughout the City. The City shall ensure that there are sites zoned appropriately for affordable housing in each of the City’s 10 community plan areas, especially high resource areas.
H-2.2 Maximize Use of Public Properties for Affordable Housing and Shelters. The City shall make City-owned properties that are no longer needed for current or foreseeable future public operations available for the development of affordable housing and emergency shelter space to the maximum extent feasible and shall encourage other public partners to do so as well.
H-2.3 Assist in the Development of Affordable Housing. The City and SHRA shall assist affordable housing developments through site identification, direct funding, supporting funding applications, land donation, expedited permit review, and other incentives.
H-2.4 Provide Deferrals and Zero-Dollar Impact Fees for Affordable Housing. The City shall continue to offer deferrals of City-controlled impact fees and consider the continuation of zero-dollar impact fees for affordable housing units.
H-2.5 Create Additional Local Funding for Affordable Housing. The City shall strive to create additional local funding for affordable housing.
H-2.6 Advocate for State and Federal Legislative Changes. The City shall advocate for additional financial resources and legislative changes from the State and Federal government to support the production of affordable housing.
H-2.7 Commercial Linkage Fee. The City shall continue to require new commercial development to meet the housing demand they generate, particularly the need for affordable housing for lower-income workers.
H-2.10 Awareness and Support. The City shall work to increase community awareness and support for affordable housing citywide.
H-2.12 Housing Choice Vouchers. The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) shall continue to educate, market, and provide incentives for landlords to participate in the Housing Choice Vouchers program to provide affordable housing Appendix E: Related County and City Housing Element Goals, Policies and Programs SACRAMENTO AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN E - 5
opportunities throughout the City. Based on funding availability, SHRA may use Housing Coordinators and other best practices in assisting participants with leasing housing and maintaining landlord partners.
H-2.13 Affordable Housing Set-Aside in Enhanced Infrastructure Financing Districts. The City shall require a 20 percent set-aside for affordable housing in all new enhanced infrastructure financing districts to the extent permissible by State law.
H-2.14 By-right Housing on Previously Identified Housing Sites. The City shall allow housing developments with at least 20 percent affordable housing by-right, consistent with objective development and design standards, on lower-income vacant sites identified in the sites inventory that have been counted in two previous housing cycles or lower-income nonvacant sites counted in one previous housing cycle, consistent with AB 1397.
Goal 7 “Housing for People Experiencing Homelessness”
H-7.4 Permanent Supportive Housing. The City shall facilitate and provide permanent supportive housing options that offer appropriate services so that people experiencing chronic homelessness can maintain permanent housing.
Goal 8 “Increasing Accessible Housing”
H-8.4 Financial Assistance for Accessible Affordable Housing. The City shall prioritize financial assistance for affordable housing and permanent supportive housing projects that exceed the minimum accessibility provisions of State and Federal law.
Related Housing Element Programs:
H3. Establish New Sources of Funding for Affordable Housing H12. Rezone Additional Affordable Housing Sites in High Resource Areas H13. Homeless Plan
H21. Prioritize Infrastructure for Affordable Housing
H33. Identify Local Financing for Affordable Housing
H36. Support Affordable Housing Development
H37. Surplus Public Lands
H40. Tenant-Based Housing Choice Vouchers
H41. Asset Repositioning of Public Housing
H43. Housing for Extremely Low-Income Households
H47. Preserve Existing Supply of Affordable Housing
Prepared for:
Sacramento Housing and
Redevelopment Agency
Prepared by:
Developed in partnership with: