SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — The Sacramento City Council voted Tuesday to transfer $4.6 million to a Motel Voucher Program that will house people experiencing homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic.
At Motel 6 off Elsie Avenue in Sacramento, 121 rooms have been turned into a temporary shelter for homeless people through the Motel Voucher Program. That is where we found one woman who didn’t want to be identified who says the program was her saving grace.
"[They] gave me a voucher so we came here, it’s a nice place to live, you can enjoy yourself," said the woman.
The program participant has been staying at the motel for 3 months and says she is provided lunch and dinner, she's able to shower and was recently paired with the organization Step Up to find permeant housing.
"I am ready to get my own place. I’m ready to go again and get on my feet, go back to college, get myself together," she said.
However, Kevin Carter is with the Poor People’s Campaign and says he has concerns about the city council vote to transfer $4.6 million to the Motel Voucher Program. He says there is already a waitlist of people trying to get into the Motel 6 and another hotel.
Carter would rather see the money be used to add new shelters.
"Create encampments triage centers in their safe grounds, this is one of the solutions, then bring the services out there to them so they can transition into an apartment," Carter said.
This comes as the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance ends its heat-related motel program and vouchers are no longer being issued.
Carter says the county's program only helped a few people due to lack of transportation and also lack of space.
"Most of those rooms that they are talking about already have been filled or there’s no space. So, for the city to say that during this process of the heat they are going to be moving people to hotels for seven days is really wrong," Carter explained.
