SACRAMENTO, California — Sacramento Capitol City Seventh-day Adventist Church has partnered with the city to open a warming center and safe parking site to support unsheltered residents in its neighborhood.
The warming center officially opened to those in need on Monday, Feb. 22. The site is slated to have safe parking for unhoused people with a car within the week.
Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra, who represents the district where the church is located, said in a press release this site could help unhoused people have a warm place to stay during extreme weather.
“This isn't a solution to addressing the long-term issue of homelessness, but it does save lives if done in every part of the city,” Guerra said.
This new site's opening comes after two Sacramento warming centers were recently closed after a staff member at the site tested positive for COVID-19. These warming centers were opened after multiple people who were homeless died during extreme winter weather in January.
The center will operate nightly from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m., offering an indoor place for up to 35 people. The safe parking area will allow for approximately 15 vehicles.
First Step Communities is running the site under a contract with Sacramento and in coordination with Sacramento Capitol City Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The site is only scheduled to operate until March 31, 2021, with the possibility of an extension of the program.
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