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County Homeless ​​​FAQs

The Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH) was created to coordinate the response of various County departments to provide services to those experiencing homelessness in Sacramento County, as well as mitigating the impacts of homelessness on the community.  DHSH staff work on long term programs and solutions to homelessness, provide regular report outs to the Board of Supervisors (BOS), and engage with a variety of community stakeholders on solutions.

The DHSH is committed to developing programs that endeavor to make homelessness in our community rare overall and brief when it occurs and that treat those experiencing homelessness with dignity, respect, and compassion. DHSH's mission is to bring together a collaborative team of county departments, social advocates, those with lived experience, businesses and community based organizations to focus on improving housing outcomes and reducing homelessness in Sacramento County.  DHSH finds the unique solutions to serve our community members experiencing homelessness, via a comprehensive offering of programs and services such as shelter, re-housing, behavioral health, physical health, and prevention and diversion.​​

Nearly all County Departments a​re working on issues intersecting with the homelessness crisis.  Some of the departments that are regularly involved in responding to homelessness are:

  • County Executive Office
  • ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Department of Homeless Services and Housing​
  • Human Assistance​
  • Health Services
  • Child, Family and Adult Services
  • Code Enforcement
  • Animal Services
  • Regional Parks
  • Department of Transportation
  • Sheriff​
  • Finance
  • General Services

The latest Point in Time Count (PIT) estimates there are 9,278 people living unhoused in Sacramento County on any given night. Of those, 72 percent of those living unsheltered– which means they are living in a tent, a vehicle or without any shelter. ​

In Fiscal Year 21/22, it is estimated that Sacramento County committed approximately $181 million in funding to provide services and supports to those experiencing homelessness. Much of this funding is on-going annual commitments to current and new programs that provide outreach, shelter, treatment and rehousing services to those living unhoused and help mitigate the impacts to the community. Additional funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) was committed in FY 22/23 and will be invested in multi-year projects to increase these services and supports.​​​

No. The County spends 18% of its budget on law enforcement and 36% of its budget on social services. The County spends more on social services than any other category:

  • Social Services: 36%
  • Community Services: 26%
  • Public Safety and Justice: 18%
  • Administrative Services: 12%
  • General Government: 8%​
  • The County has approved two new-concept locations for Safe Stay Communities, adding another 165 indoor beds that provide privacy, dignity and a place for people to receive services to end their homelessness. 
  • The County added 11 new behavioral health staff to the Encampment Service Teams to connect people to mental health and substance abuse services.
  • Allocated $10 million in ARPA funding for a Landlord Engagement and Assistance Program (LEAP), which will fund re-housing of 300+ households from shelters and encampments.
  • $2.5 million to fund 60 beds to support the Parkway Navigation team, prioritizing those exiting the portion of the Parkway between I-5 and Highway 160, with an annual goal of rehousing 180 people who previous lived on the Parkway.
  • $5 million toward the construction of Marisol Village – an affordable housing project slated to add an additional 116 units to the final project.
  • Allocated $28 million in MHSA funding since 2017 through the MHSA Housing Program and No Place Like Home Program.
  • The County has 221 housing units funded through MHSA and an additional 234 coming in the next two years.

  • $10 million to procure an additional 156 beds for Substance Use Disorder residential treatment
  • $5 million for behavioral health crisis stabilization units required in Medi­Cal
  • $7.5 million in Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) funds and federal match for additional Full Service Partnerships
  • $1 million to expand the scattered site sheltering program
  • $5 million to fund the new American River Parkway Homeless Reserve

Yes, Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services is responsible for providing specialty mental health and substance use and prevention services throughout the County, inclusive of all of the cities. Whether homeless or not, Sacramento County is responsible for providing specialty mental health assessment and treatment services for those with severe needs and functional impairment.

Of the County's 30,000 behavioral health and substance abuse clients, the County served 9,862 people in the City of Sacramento in 2021/22. Of those 9,862 City of Sacramento clients, the County served 1,281 people who were experiencing or at risk of becoming homeless.​​​​

There are approximately 2,600 emergency shelter beds throughout Sacramento County, serving individuals, families, and transition age youth. Most are available year-round; some are seasonally opened during inclement weather. The County currently funds about 1,300 of these beds, with another 165 set to welcome guests within the next six months.

Additionally, the County has 13 encampment team members and 17 homeless navigators, as well a behavioral health access clinician who offers 'office hours' at all shelters in the County, including those in the cities.

Sacramento County is currently working to stand up new shelter programs and locations and will announce details around those projects once they go to the Board of Supervisors for approval.​

In June of 2022, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved a collaborative Local Homeless Action ​Plan (LHAP)​ that was created in partnership with the Continuum of Care, Sacramento Steps Forward and the City of Sacramento. The Plan details the current state of homelessness in Sacramento County, lays out the current system gaps in shelter and housing resources to meet the needs of the population and establishes strategies in six key areas:

  • Build and scale a Coordinated Access System (CAS)
  • Ensure emergency shelter & interim housing is focused on rehousing
  • Increase permanent housing opportunities
  • Expand prevention & diversion program
  • Invest in community capacity building & trainin
  • Ensure adequate behavioral health services​