Safe Stay temporary housing site for homeless opens in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO — As the homeless population in Sacramento soars, a temporary housing site is offering a path to success.
Louise Freshaur and her husband are newly homeless. They waited outside the front gate, strategizing.
"I plan on getting a job, even if it's part-time, to add to our income and get us a permanent place," Freshaur said.
The new safe stay housing site at Power Inn and Florin Roads is a project that has been in the works for the past year. It features 100 sleeping cabins that can provide a place to live for up to 125 people for 90 days.
It comes with 24/7 security, case management services, on-site power, sanitation and food services, a communal eating space, laundry services, a storage facility and a dog park. Authorities say building trust with residents is key to changing lives.
"Everybody's path into homelessness is different. Everybody's path out of homelessness is different," said Emily Halcon, the director of the Sacramento County Department of Homeless Services and Housing. "But we know when people are living unsheltered and don't know where they are going to get their next meal and don't know where they are going to be able to use the restroom, their ability to connect with services is really limited."
District 2 Supervisor Patrick Kennedy said the $4 million project took a lot of collaboration.
"It was a big lift from the county we had to commit to do because this is a little outside what counties normally do," he said. "Normally, counties provide the services and cities provide the shelters, but we decided to step up in order to meet some of the housing crunch needs."
The tiny houses come on a pallet and are pretty easy to put together, and they are easy to take down and move somewhere else. County leaders say cabins could be moved to other sites if needed, but for now, the need is there.
Freshaur remains humble and hopeful.
"We'll make it," she said.
County outreach teams say they will first focus on the unhoused in the immediate vicinity. People are expected to move in as early as next week. If you'd like to get on a list for a cabin, call 211.