The steep decline in Sacramento’s unsheltered homeless population, as quantified in the recent Point-in-Time Count, has been attributed to many causes, including increased shelter capacity, an easing of apartment rental prices, better outreach coordination among local service providers and ongoing assistance from the State of California.

However, some stakeholders have cited another factor to positively affect the local homelessness landscape: the City’s Incident Management Team.

The City launched the IMT in 2023 to better coordinate response to the ongoing homelessness crisis among various departments and partner organizations.

The team leverages staff and resources from the City’s Department of Community Response, Code Enforcement, the Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento Fire Department, Park Rangers, Public Works and Animal Care — as well as Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services and private contractor Forensiclean — to maximize effectiveness.

“The IMT is crucial to the City’s comprehensive response to homelessness,” said Brian Pedro, who leads both the Department of Community Response as well as the IMT. “The City’s efforts to provide community health and safety take many forms, and we remain committed to exploring new avenues and partnerships to support those in need.”

In response to 311 calls, interdepartmental staff from the IMT are deployed seven days a week into the community to achieve the following objectives:

• Connect community members experiencing homelessness with appropriate services.
• Reduce and minimize the negative impact of encampments on surrounding areas by enforcing compliance with Sacramento City Code and California Vehicle Codes.
• Provide encampment management and cleanup services.

Pedro said the IMT works hard to maintain the balance of providing human compassion and care in conjunction with the compliance needed to reduce the impact to the city, and it is an extremely tough daily responsibility.

The IMT’s effectiveness, especially in providing outreach and service connection to people experiencing homelessness, is evident in the latest statistics from the City’s data dashboard:

Responding to a high call volume: Between Sept. 25, 2023, and June 2, 2024, the IMT responded to approximately 31,000 calls for service related to unsheltered residents.

Providing homelessness support: A total of 4,127 individuals were enrolled or referred into the Homeless Management Information System and the Coordinated Access System, showcasing the City’s proactive approach in connecting people to critical resources, including shelter.

Offering services: The IMT provided services to 8,272 clients, demonstrating the City’s dedication to supporting community members through various programs and partnerships, including those with Hope Cooperative and Community Healthworks.

Providing massive clean-up: A remarkable 7.7 million pounds of trash was removed from city streets and public spaces, contributing to a cleaner and healthier community environment.

“These efforts demonstrate the tangible impact of the IMT,” Pedro said. “Despite the notable reduction in numbers, the work to support people experiencing homelessness continues.”

Click here to learn more about the City’s comprehensive response to the homelessness crisis.