SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On the longest night of the year, homeless advocates paused to remember those who have died in Sacramento County.
Around 200 homeless individuals have lost their lives in 2023, according to the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness. It is a worrying trend advocates say is not slowing down.
“We need more overnight shelters to open the door for us to be indoors. Every single night," said Mane Saechou, who is homeless.
Saechou told ABC10 she's been homeless for the past 20 years.
“Mother, kids and single father and child out in the street. The kids do not need to be suffering out here in the street,” Saechou said.
In front of the Sacramento City Hall, names were read aloud of the unhoused who lost their life so far this year.
During the 10th annual Homeless Memorial, advocates said they hope elected leaders will do more to help every one of the more than 9,000 homeless individuals in the county.
The city of Sacramento says they are working to reduce the unsheltered homeless population and encampments. They have recently unveiled a new data dashboard showing how many people they have referred to services and how much trash they have cleaned up. To see the dashboard, click here.
“Tragic,” said Bob Erlenbusch, Executive Director with the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness. “The homeless population has doubled in the last three years.”
Erlenbusch says this is a life-and-death issue demanding urgency.
“About 80% of the homeless population are now unhoused. Just think of the 7,000-8,000 people experiencing homelessness tonight,” said Erlenbusch.
The Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness recently released a report showing homeless deaths in Sacramento County are climbing.
- 2022: 203
- 2021: 199
- 2020: 137
- 2019: 138
- 2018: 124
- 2017: 71
- 2016: 78
- 2015: 71
- 2014: 71
Homeless individuals and advocates say a proposed ban on daytime camping is not the solution, but more housing is.
“Don't treat us like trash. We are just human beings like you guys, like everybody else. Just treat us like human beings. We are human beings like everybody out in the street,” Saechou said.
Sacramento Steps Forward is seeking hundreds of volunteers for the 2024 Point-in-Time count, which estimates the number of people who are homeless. People 18 years of age or older are asked to volunteer. For more information on volunteering for the Point-in-Time count, click here.
WATCH MORE: California Homelessness: How nearly $10 billion has been spent across the state | To The Point
