SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Solutions to the homeless crisis are often met with so-called "NIMBYism: Not In My Backyard."
One Sacramento woman, however, is saying: YIMBY! (Yes in my backyard.) She is literally housing people in her backyard.
Robin Moore is the founder of WEforce California Inc., a Sacramento non-profit that runs Safe Harbor. That’s a community of four tiny homes for families transitioning out of homelessness and into permanent housing.
“Everyone's dealing with something different, so the average stay is about 45 days,” Moore said.
She came up with the idea during the COVID-19 lockdown, when in-person volunteer opportunities ground to a halt.
“How do you put your heart on lockdown?” she asked.
She opened not only her heart but also — her own backyard, which is where Safe Harbor is located, in Sacramento’s Del Paso Heights area.
“People need to know that here in [Sacramento City Council District 2], we’ve got a woman who's got people in her backyard, housing them. I mean, who does that?” WEforce board member and Moore’s longtime friend Christine Jefferson said. “She just has a big heart. She really does. And she's a sweetheart. And I'm so proud of her. I'm proud of this project.”
On a tour of the small, colorful, tidy campus – which includes a play area for kids, plus a community kitchen, washer-dryer, and bathroom, Jefferson said families don’t always gravitate to the kitchen when they first move in.
“They were so used to being homeless that they didn't really have anywhere to cook, so we had to encourage them to come in here and use this area right here,” Jefferson said.
Safe Harbor took in its first family in December of 2021 and is expecting its 20th family to move in by the end of March. Altogether in its nearly 14 months of operation, Safe Harbor has served about 50 people, Moore said. Families are screened and referred by another local non-profit, Family Promise of Sacramento
“I don't know where they're coming from. Sometimes out of their cars. Sometimes out of hotels and motels because they're working just to be sheltered,” Moore said, explaining that “there's almost a whole new layer of homelessness. We're all used to the homelessness that you see, you know, at the intersection or that you look down into the river area and you see all these [tents]. There is an even bigger layer that you don't see, and there are families that are just trying to make it from day to day.”
Kristina Talley and her 15-year-old daughter became homeless after leaving an abusive relationship. They were the fifth family to come through Safe Harbor—and Talley calls it life-changing.
“The biggest thing, I think, was the no-judgment zone. That allowed me to release the shame that I had in reference to being connected to someone who had been addicted to methamphetamines, to being in a domestic abuse relationship. That right there, I think-- that was the most powerful point for me with this whole entire program,” Talley said, gesturing to the tiny home behind her. “Just that little white house alone did that, just being there. And conversations with Robin here and there…and then the next thing I know, I could tell her how I am, and that's huge.”
Talley and her daughter have moved on from Safe Harbor and are now living in an apartment.
“We’re wanting to be on the track of home purchasing,” Talley said. “We are just really excited to get this party started because it's a forever thing.”
Through it all, Moore remains a supportive person in their lives.
“Beyond even what I could even imagine that could happen,” Talley said, tearing up. “And I'm like, ‘I deserve this?’ And they're telling me that I do.”
And Moore wants to help more.
WEforce has received a $100,000 grant, which Moore plans on using to grow Safe Harbor.
“Our plan is to go next door with two more units and an actual resource center,” she said. “Let’s get this done. Together, we’re a force!”
She calls herself a nerd when it comes to doing things right—dotting every 'i,' crossing every 't,' getting the permits and the insurance—because she wants Safe Harbor to last and thrive as a bridge from homelessness to housing.
If anyone is interested in exploring doing this on their own property, Moore said she has a road map she’s happy to share with anyone. People can get in touch on WEforce’s website HERE and donate HERE.
