The Sacramento City Council recently took action to support a new partnership that would bring together elected officials from local jurisdictions and the Sacramento Continuum of Care (CoC) to help guide regional housing and homelessness efforts.
The action taken on April 28 directs City staff to pursue a new governance structure to improve collaboration, align funding priorities and support regional decision making. The proposed model is aligned with a similar framework previously approved by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.
The intention is to create a single forum for setting policy direction, coordinating strategies and sharing information across agencies working on housing and homelessness. Local jurisdictions would continue to make final decisions on projects and funding within their own communities.
“Too many people continue to languish – and even die – on our streets,” said Mayor Kevin McCarty. “Homelessness has changed dramatically since the Continuum of Care was established in 2010, and we must modernize our systems to better meet today’s challenges. The public demands greater urgency, stronger accountability, and measurable results for every tax dollar spent. We are strengthening our partnership with the County and neighboring jurisdictions because addressing this crisis remains our highest priority.”
The effort continued on May 13, when the CoC Board voted to join the City and County in further developing the proposed model. Under the framework, elected officials from the City, County and surrounding cities would serve alongside community members on a new CoC governing board focused on housing and homelessness efforts.
Community input would continue through committee participation and broader CoC membership. An independent administrator would help coordinate implementation and day-to-day activities.
The City, County, CoC and interested surrounding cities will now continue discussions to develop additional details for the proposed structure, including board membership, responsibilities and implementation steps, before returning to their governing bodies for future consideration.
Click here to learn more about the City’s comprehensive response to the homelessness crisis.