After a few years of disconnect, the city and county of Sacramento on Tuesday approved a plan to unite in tackling the growing homelessness crisis. Both city and council leaders voted on a five-year agreement to work together in partnership to address the crisis.Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg even called this a fundamental breakthrough in the “homeless problem” and this plan details the roles and responsibilities of both the city and county. This agreement will create 10 encampment engagement teams which will include county mental health officials who are qualified to address mental health issues within the homeless community. “I understand people are saying, ‘Show me, don’t just tell me.’ It goes into effect immediately and, in fact, the city and county have committed to starting the first two teams. Every team, by the way, has a mental health clinician who can diagnose people on the spot in the street. Peer navigators, housing specialists. Two teams, and they’re going to start with five or six encampments themselves right away this week,” Steinberg said. The county also will agree to create more shelter beds and the city will agree to more solid waste disposal, code enforcement and public safety. Although approved, changes won’t be seen for some time. Leaders said it will take up to six months to get those 10 outreach teams deployed in the city and county.
After a few years of disconnect, the city and county of Sacramento on Tuesday approved a plan to unite in tackling the growing homelessness crisis.
Both city and council leaders voted on a five-year agreement to work together in partnership to address the crisis.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg even called this a fundamental breakthrough in the “homeless problem” and this plan details the roles and responsibilities of both the city and county.
This agreement will create 10 encampment engagement teams which will include county mental health officials who are qualified to address mental health issues within the homeless community.
“I understand people are saying, ‘Show me, don’t just tell me.’ It goes into effect immediately and, in fact, the city and county have committed to starting the first two teams. Every team, by the way, has a mental health clinician who can diagnose people on the spot in the street. Peer navigators, housing specialists. Two teams, and they’re going to start with five or six encampments themselves right away this week,” Steinberg said.
The county also will agree to create more shelter beds and the city will agree to more solid waste disposal, code enforcement and public safety.
Although approved, changes won’t be seen for some time. Leaders said it will take up to six months to get those 10 outreach teams deployed in the city and county.