SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento's new Department of Homeless Services and Housing is finally operational months after launching.
The department became official in January but was only staffed and funded beginning July 1.
It was created just before the Grand Jury released its homeless report suggesting introducing more innovative solutions to the crisis.
"Fostering innovation within and among county entities may provide a way forward for some of the mental health and substance abuse problems associated with homelessness," said the report. "Freedom to innovate helps to address complicated problems."
Emily Halcon is the director of this new department and says the new resource will bring help to those who need it.
“This will be a one stop shop for those experiencing homeless needing assistance or wanting more information about what we are doing. There can be one place dedicated staff that does nothing but address the issues of homelessness,” said Halcon.
The department is taking over four main areas: outreach and engagement, shelters, rehousing and connecting existing and new resources — which the report says is the major takeaway.
"When one agency acts without coordination and collaboration with the other, the unintended consequences can be severe," said the report. "Improved transparency of communication in all facets of the programs to resolve the homeless mental health and substance abuse crisis in Sacramento County is likely to improve the trust of the community in our government to effectively address this issue."
This is something Halcon says they're working on by deploying outreach teams in the city to work on a weekly basis to "lift up outcomes" of their efforts and work "across the aisle with county counterparts" to make sure critical connections are made and the partnership agreement is followed.
A project the department has just started is assigning 20 navigators to the unincorporated part of Sacramento County and the American River Parkway.
For the 2023-2024 year, the department is looking at a $51 million budget with the majority going to sheltering, then rehousing and operations.
The Grand Jury also recommended appointing a new deputy county executive to oversee budget and policy implementation, which this department could help with by handling some of those responsibilities.
The department is also investing $10 million in rehousing programs like Landlord Engagement and Assistance Programing (LEAP) to find places in the community to rehouse people.
The department will also take on the safe stay communities, or tiny home communities, along Florin Road that are now almost a year behind in opening.
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