SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento is working on developing another so-called Safe Ground camping area, designed specifically for seniors experiencing homelessness.
It's happening behind the Sierra Health Foundation headquarters off Garden Highway.
With some shade from a canopy of trees overlooking a view of the American River, the Sierra Health Foundation has a hidden oasis in their own backyard.
"We're going to give it up," Chet Hewitt, President and CEO of the Sierra Health Foundation, said.
Hewitt agreed to partner with the city of Sacramento and allow a Safe Ground camping area to eventually be set up on their property, behind their headquarters, while most of their staff members are working from home.
"We're going to be part of the solution," he said. "We like our lower yard, we like to walk down there, it's close to the river, but if we can do something meaningful, and change the trajectory of another person's life, there's nothing more important. There's nothing more rewarding that any of us get to do than something like that."
It's something that Hewitt said fits well within their core mission.
"It's segregated enough to provide a level of privacy and dignity for people who are living in those conditions, but it also has street access where you can actually bring in the mobile services that they would actually need," he said.
The city is hoping to fit at least 60 seniors experiencing homelessness on this site, and Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela says it's temporary.
"We've set a timeline expectation with Sierra Health, if this happens, of three months because in our mind, in three months, that should be enough time with this population," Valenzuela said.
Over at the first Safe Grounds pilot site near W and X streets, underneath the freeway, Valenzuela says the city has already been able to transition 100 people experiencing homelessness into more affordable housing alternatives since April. The goal is to do the same with this specific group of seniors living along the American River in a place they refer to as the "Island."
"Nobody should be on the street when they're in their 50s, 60s, 70s, you know. That's just not how it's supposed to be as a community, and this is really our failure as a system and as a government that we haven't provided the type of housing that would keep them from being in this situation," Valenzuela said.
Valenzuela is hopeful that other businesses could come forward too with some potential open space, if this model proves to be a success.
The goal to open this site for seniors is within the next couple of weeks.
This is in addition to the city's master plan to address homelessness which has about 20 other sites like this one around the city.
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