SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After opening about two months ago, the Safe Stay community in South Sacramento has phased in residents to fill half their capacity. The transitional housing for homeless residents is comprised of 75 single and 25 double unit tiny homes at Florin and Power Inn roads.
The site can house up to 125 people in total. Janna Haynes, Sacramento County spokesperson, said 61 people and 16 pets live at the site so far.
"There's a couple reasons for that. This is the first tiny home community that we have done here in Sacramento County," Haynes said. "And so instead of trying to bring everyone in at once and potentially overwhelm not only the residents but the staff, we're doing a phased in approach, not only to help make sure we're successful in this program but our operator is also staffing up."
Residents must receive a referral to stay and pass a background check. Pets are also allowed, which is typically a barrier for accessing transitional housing.
Residents are provided with a locking unit, meals, transportation and services, like behavioral health and medical.
"We've heard some really great feedback from people about just the safety, the security, the privacy that they feel here as opposed to being out in an encampment or on the streets," said Haynes.
The ultimate goal is to connect residents to permanent housing. With an estimated 10,000 people experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County, the need is great.
"I think Safe Stay is going to be one of many parts of our solution," said Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy.
Safe Stay is located in Kennedy's district. On Wednesday, Kennedy stayed at the site to get a closer look at how it operates and what it offers residents.
Kennedy plans to stay the night with his dog, Fergus, to get the full experience.
"What it's going to feel like for safety and security and the services that we're providing, I'll actually see them myself and not just hear about them in briefings," he said.
A second tiny home site is under construction on East Parkway, which is set to open in the next couple of months, according to Haynes.
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