For more than two months, the City and County of Sacramento have been working together to provide outreach and support to people experiencing homelessness at an encampment at the corner of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard.
The encampment sits within City limits but borders the County of Sacramento.
To update the public on the outreach efforts and the status of the property, please see the following statement from Assistant City Manager Chris Conlin.
STATEMENT:
“The encampment near the intersection of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard has been the focus of significant and ongoing work by both the City’s Department of Community Response and the County’s Department of Human Assistance.
Representatives from the City, the County and several community-based organizations have visited this site dozens of times over the past several months to provide outreach and offer services to the approximately 30 people camping there.
On March 24, DCR, DHA and County behavioral support specialists visited the site. Individuals were offered all resources and services available at that time. This included available shelter space, mental health and substance use disorder assessments, ID vouchers, connections to general assistance, CalFresh and other resources.
DCR and DHA representatives returned to the site on April 6, again offering shelter alternatives, access to various programs and other resources.
In total, DCR has visited this encampment approximately 60 times, and along with our Sacramento County counterparts, will continue to communicate to those camping there not only about available services but also about a change in status with this property.
The City recently was approached by a local group that expressed interest in this property. The City has entered into a lease agreement with this group and anticipates transferring the property to them by mid-April after certain requirements are met.
The lease agreement is conditioned on repairing damage to the City’s water, irrigation and sewer systems and fencing the property. Because this work will involve heavy equipment, our Public Works Department will need to designate the property as a work zone and require the property to be vacated for safety reasons. This repair work is set to begin on April 11.”
For more information about the City’s work to help people experiencing homelessness in our communities, please visit this website, which includes an FAQ about what the City can legally do to address encampments on both public and private property.