Elected and City officials gathered yesterday in Sacramento’s River District to celebrate the opening of a new Safe Camping site that will serve approximately 100 people experiencing homelessness, expanding the City’s shelter and service options.
Located at 291 Sequoia Pacific Blvd., the site provides temporary shelter and access to case management, behavioral health services and housing navigation resources.
The site features City-provided tents on raised platforms beneath covered structures designed to provide protection from sun and rain. Additional amenities include showers, restrooms, dog kennels, phone charging stations, community gathering space and 24/7 security.
“Homelessness remains one of our biggest and most unfinished challenges,” said Mayor Kevin McCarty. “Too many people continue to languish on our streets, but we are making progress, as demonstrated in our recent PIT Count. Today, 590 fewer people live unsheltered than two years ago. We have expanded shelter and bed capacity and built stronger connections to services, but we still have a long way to go. We need to meet people where they are; this Safe Camping site is one piece of the puzzle.”
The Department of Community Response manages intake and operations at the site. Participants are referred through City outreach teams working directly with individuals experiencing homelessness in the River District.
The site was designed using lessons learned from previous Safe Camping operations and includes covered structures intended to improve weather protection and site durability.
“Addressing homelessness requires a range of strategies and a commitment to continuous improvement,” said City Manager Maraskeshia Smith. “This site expands our ability to connect people with services and housing resources while adding another option within Sacramento’s homelessness response system. It also supports our efforts to improve quality of life in neighborhoods throughout the city.”
Participants will have access to case managers, outreach staff and behavioral health clinicians who can assist with identification, benefits, employment resources, health care and housing navigation. Through a partnership with Front Street Animal Shelter, participants with pets will also have access to animal support services and resources.
The Safe Camping site is the latest addition to Sacramento’s broader homelessness response system, which includes the Roseville Road Service Campus, the Outreach and Engagement Center, the Meadowview Navigation Center, the Grove Avenue Bridge Housing program for transitional-aged youth and the Stockton Boulevard Safe Stay community.
These investments continue to produce measurable results. The 2026 Point-in-Time Count found a 19% reduction in unsheltered homelessness within the city compared to 2024, representing nearly 600 fewer people living on Sacramento streets.
Since 2024, the City has added more than 500 shelter beds and interim housing units. The Street to Housing pilot program has also helped more than 120 people move directly from encampments into apartments.
To learn more about the City’s homelessness response efforts, visit homeless.cityofsacramento.org.
