Sacramento, CA – Sacramento Steps Forward will expand its emergency shelter program to meet additional demand. An additional 57 beds will be made available through expanded Winter Sanctuary and Motel Voucher programs.

Councilmember Steve Cohn and Jay Schenirer met last week with Sacramento Steps Forward, Sacramento Housing Alliance, as well as homeless advocates, the faith community, and business leaders to discuss the critical need for additional winter shelter options. The added beds will double the existing capacity of the Motel Voucher program from 40 to 80 beds and increase the Winter Sanctuary program from 100 to 117 spaces per night.

The additional beds are not fully funded for the entire winter. Several members of the City Council, including Schenirer, Cohn and Ashby, committed to raising the necessary funds to ensure both programs are able to remain operational for the entire winter and are asking businesses, individuals, and others to make contributions. To support the winter shelter, please visit Sacramento Steps Forward at http://sacramentostepsforward.org/ or mail checks to (payable to Sacramento Steps Forward):

Sacramento Steps Forward
1331 Garden Highway, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95833

“This immediate step by the City will help relieve a trying situation,” said Councilmember Steve Cohn. “In these difficult times, we need the business community, other jurisdictions throughout the region and the public to assist by stepping up to contribute to this effort.”

“The existing shelter programs are operating at capacity,” said Councilmember Jay Schenirer. “I’m happy we were able to work together with housing advocates and members of the business community to make this happen. These are temporary solutions as we continue to work on the long term solution of permanent housing.”

“Sacramento is a city that knows how to step forward in times of need,” said Mayor Kevin Johnson.
“It’s gratifying to see the collaboration among so many diverse people pulling together during the holidays to increase the capacity of our winter shelters.”

“The Sacramento Housing Alliance [SHA] deeply appreciates the leadership shown by Councilmember Schenirer and Cohn in expanding the emergency shelter programs, especially at a time when the temperatures are approaching freezing,” said Bob Elrenbusch, Executive Director of Sacramento Housing Alliance (SHA). “This is an important effort to keep an additional 57 homeless people safe and warm. SHA knows that we cannot continue to scramble to find stop gap emergency solutions, and we are committed to partner with Sacramento Steps Forward, the City and County to proactively create permanent housing solutions to end and prevent homelessness.”

The Winter Sanctuary program is an interfaith program run by Volunteers of America in partnership with Sacramento Steps Forward. They provide a safe place to sleep, meals and transportation for up to 100 homeless individuals each night at more than 20 houses of worship throughout Sacramento. The motel voucher program currently shelters approximately 40 plus women and children who would otherwise have nowhere safe to sleep.