​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Get Informed

Understand the Challenge​

​Sacramento County is facing a homelessness​ crisis. Homelessness is usually the result of the cumulative impact of a number of factors, rather than a single cause.​ ​OHI's mission isto bring together a collaborative team to focus on improving housing outcomes and reducing the negative impact our community is facing.

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Understand our Plan​

The County, in collaboration with the

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​Understand the Broader Context

People who experience homelessness are not distinct and separate from the rest of the population. In fact, the line between being housed and unhoused is quite fluid. In general, the pathways into and out of homelessness are neither linear nor uniform. Individuals and families who experience homelessness may not share much in common with each other, aside from the fact that they are extremely vulnerable, and lack adequate housing and income and the necessary supports to ensure they stay housed. The causes of homelessness reflect an intricate interplay between structural factors, systems failures and individual circumstances. 

To learn more about the different causes of homelessness, click here: What Causes Homelessness​?
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Outreach/get vocal 

Talk to People Experiencing Homelessness

Speak to people experiencing homelessness in your neighborhood. Introduce yourself, ask them if they are getting help with housing or other services. Give them information about organizations that can help them. Tell them about our local homeless action plan and progress with supportive services to end homelessness. Saying hello and acknowledging the people living outside in your neighborhood can be incredibly powerful and help restore dignity for them and for our entire community. Instead of passing by, stop for a minute and get to know someone new.​ 

Talk to Your Elected Officials

Find ​and contact your Federal, State, County and local elected representatives​: Who represents you? 
Many of the decisions about funding and construction of affordable and supportive housing are made by members of your city council, the County of Sacramento Board of Supervisors, California state representatives and city staff members in housing and planning departments. Send email messages and speak at city council and other public meetings to encourage your representatives to do all they can to help build the supportive housing we need to end homelessness.


Your Voice Matters

Join one of the continuum of care meetings to make a positive impact. These meetings include a diverse body of stakeholders throughout the entire geographical area of the Continuum of Care (Coc) to ensure a community-wide commitment to preventing and ending homelessness. ​Continuum of Care Meetings​

GET INvolveD​

Work with Us

​Sacramento County Department of Homeless Services and Housing needs community organizations and partners to help meet specific needs in our response to homelessness.

Review the procurement page​ for active Requests that your organization may be able to fill!

Join the 2024 Point in Time Count

Sacramento Steps Forward is holing the bi-annual Point in Time (PIT) Count on January 24 and 25, 2024. The 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a real-time survey of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night.  

The PIT Count helps inform federal, state, and local decision-making and resource allocation to effectively address homelessness. It augments other regional monitoring processes operated by Sacramento Steps Forward.  

To receive federal funds, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that communities perform a PIT count annually of people who are experiencing homelessness. This count is done annually for those who are sheltered in emergency shelters, transitional housing, and Safe Havens on a single night. Additionally, every other year a PIT count is required of people experiencing homelessness ​who are unsheltered and living in places not meant for human habitation.​

Be an Advocate

Subscribe to action alerts from the following sites to learn how you can get involved and advocate for affordable housing.

​Be a Volunteer

Every month, dozens of community events about homelessness and housing take place in our community. A great way to get involved, make new friends, learn more and have an impact is to attend these events. 

​Spread the Word

Share helpful information on social media about what the County is doing as well as our partners and other CBOs and how folks can get involved.​

Donate

Donations are essential to many organizations. Your donation, goods or services may help our unified mission to improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness. We encourage you to visit your local non-profit agency and ask how you can help.

​Myth Busters​

​​​Myths​​ ​Facts​
​People who are homeless should just get a job and then they w​ould not be homeless.
​M​​any people who are homeless do have jobs. The National Coalition for the Homeless estimates as many as 40%-60% of people experiencing homelessness nationwide are employed.
​People choose to be homeless.​
​This myth is dangerous and allows us to ignore the trauma of homelessness. Being homeless is stressful, humiliating, exhausting, and dangerous.
It's their fault that they are homeless.
​Homelessness is caused by a complex compilation of circumstances including systemic injustices & structural failures. These include lack of affordable housing, inadequate mental health care, & few jobs that pay a living wage, among many others.​
​People living on the street should just go to a shelter.
​There are not enough shelter beds. Shelters can sometimes separate people from their partners and communities. People can feel that their autonomy is taken away while staying in a shelter.​
​We will never solve homelessness
​If we treat housing as a human right and not as a commodity to be bought and sold, we can make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
​Panhandlers will spend donated money on drugs or alcohol
​Several studies show that when money is donated to panhandlers, most spend it primarily on food and other necessities