SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Sacramento County has three ‘Safe Stay Communities’ in the works, which will ultimately be able to take a total of about 400 people off the streets.
The county describes them as "low-barrier, full-service shelters located proximate to where unsheltered encampments exist in the community."
However, two of the three sites are behind schedule and the third is just in the beginning phases of development.
In June, supervisors approved the county’s first Safe Stay Community, to be built at 8144 Florin Road, near the intersection of Power Inn Road. This site is designed to include some 100 pallet sleeping cabins, housing a total of up to 125 people– since some of the cabins are made to house partners.
In its initial announcement, the county said, “we anticipate moving guests sometime in November if there are no delays.”
However, there have been delays.
A visit to the site shows the cabins erected and the lot surrounded by a chain link construction fence.
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A county spokesperson told ABC10, “there will be plumbed bathrooms and showers at the site, but we haven’t reached that point yet. We’ve had a number of delays due to material supply chain issues, contractor delays and the overall change in design concept by our on-site operator, who has run successful programs just like this in other areas.”
She said the site will likely open in late spring.
Back in July, supervisors approved the county’s second Safe Stay Community, at 7001 East Parkway. That’s just two-and-a-half miles away from the first Safe Stay Community, a straight shot west along Florin Road. It is expected to include about 45 pallet cabins, housing up to 56 people.
At the time, the county said, “the East Parkway location will likely move on a parallel timeline as the Florin and Power Inn location and will hopefully welcome guests early next year.”
However, a county spokesperson said, because this site is on a parallel timeline with the 8144 Florin Road one, it will be delayed as well, likely opening now in the spring.
The third Safe Stay Community is set for the North Highlands Community, at 4837 Watt Avenue. It will be the county’s first indoor-outdoor shelter, with up to 140 palette cabins inside a warehouse already located on the property and room for 50 cars and RVs in the parking lot “for those wishing to transition from homelessness while remaining in their vehicles,” the county said. Altogether, this community can accommodate more than 200 people.
County supervisors just approved the $23 million purchase of the property, using funds allocated from the federal government’s American Rescue Plan Act. The county anticipates needing an additional $17 million to make capital improvements to the property, making it ready for the Safe Stay Community to open. On top that, there will be the annual cost to run the services at the site.
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