SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento city officials are providing more details into a homeless shelter that could be built on a parking lot at Cal Expo.
On Tuesday, the Sacramento City Council voted to fund a homeless triage shelter for two-years on Cal Expo’s Parking Lot P, a one-acre site. The shelter would house at least 100 people per year and allow the homeless to bring their partners, pets and belongings.
It would cost an estimated $5.2 million to build and operate over two years, according to city officials. The city plans to place numerous “Sprung” structures, which are portable temporary housing units.
The lot is typically used for storage of trailers and other equipment during Cal Expo events, said Emily Halcon, the homeless services coordinator. The lot is not typically used for patron parking and should not affect parking for Cal Expo events like the California State Fair.
Some reached out on the ABC 10 Facebook page regarding how the city would address the safety and cleanliness of the area.
"Our expectation is that there will be internal security provided by the operator, a fence all the way around, the street team as well additional police patrol,” Halcon said.
The Sacramento Downtown Streets Team is a non-profit volunteer group that picks up trash, debris, and cleans graffiti. Many of the volunteers are homeless or formerly homeless.
City leaders have made clear that there will be multiple homeless shelters opened across the city to address the growing issue.
City Councilman Jay Schenirer has proposed two locations in his district for potential shelters – one on Florin Road and another near Broadway and 29th Street.
“So, this is really a step along the road to what we want as a holistic plan for the city, where we can really make a dent in the homeless problem that we have,” Schenirer said.
City Council Member Larry Carr says his staff is "aggressively looking" for sites. While he could not provide specifics of where, he says the site will need to be away from schools, homes, parks, and community centers.
Carr says he continues to remain concerned about an "exit strategy," saying the city leaders have approved temporary solutions. He would like to see the city first focus on homeless mothers with children, victims of domestic violence and former foster children.
The planned shelter at Cal Expo would be the second low-barrier shelter to open in Sacramento. A shelter that was opened in North Sacramento about 15 months ago, will soon close as the city looks for more permanent shelter solutions across the metro.
The Cal Expo Board and State Board of Directors are still in negotiations with the City of Sacramento over the final details of the plan.
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Like many cities, Sacramento is facing a homelessness epidemic. People living through it shared their stories with Lilia Luciano to paint a picture of the many ways any of us, or someone we love, could end up living life unsheltered.