Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "sacramento steps forward"

Making a difference: Sacramento Steps Forward helps to stop homelessness in Sacramento

2013-01-31T23:35:35Z

With temperatures down to the 30s at night, it's hard to imagine that those without homes live on the street, without a place to go.

Unfortunately, this is the case for many.

From the homeless on K Street to those taking shelter on the river, there are many homeless men and women who have hit a rough spot, and are in need of support.

Every other year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires local communities to perform a homeless street count in order to decipher how much assistance a particular city needs.

With over 250 volunteers and 60 formerly homeless advisors, this year’s homeless street count was conducted last Thursday, Jan. 24th.

This year, Sacramento Steps Forward (a nonprofit started in 2009), with assistance with Community Link and Hands on Sacramento; MKS Consulting and Focus Strategies; Sacramento County Geographic Information Services; and Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance, came together to coordinate the count.

From North Sacramento, to Antelope and Midtown, there were over 40 areas of the Sacramento region that were mapped out to cover for the count.

Each team had a mixture of homeless advisors and volunteers, who were in charge of counting the homeless they came in contact with, as well as surveying those who were willing to give information.

The surveys ask for basic information regarding age, gender and race, and go as personal as touching on topics such as sexual and substance abuse.

Finding out information about areas such as substance abuse can help the city decipher what programs should be implemented or updated to ensure that those who are homeless are getting the care that they need.

Two of the homeless advisors participating in the count sat down with me to talk about their struggle with addiction, and how local programs in the city helped them to break their drug cycle and better their lives.

Gilbert Hernandez, 39, has been sober from drugs and alcohol for 16 years. But the road hasn’t been an easy one.

When he tried meth for the first time at age 16, drugs were nothing new to him, as he had a family history of substance abuse.

"I was willing to try something different," explains Hernandez. "I was very uncomfortable in my own skin. I hated myself to the point where I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror."

The fight to use meth to fill a void in his heart forced Hernandez to sleep on empty trains and bounce from one place to the next. He even traded food stamps in exchange for drugs.

What ultimately helped Hernandez want to be sober was his motivation to not only change for himself, but to be able to help others.

"I wanted to be able to give back and have a purpose in life," explains Hernandez. "I wanted people to know that there is a different way to do things and they can be successful, with success being different for each each person."

Along with attending weekly meetings at Alcoholics Anonymous and being a sponsor, Hernandez is also involved with local programs, including Breaking Barriers.

Another homeless advisor suffered from the same meth addiction, but had motivation from her children to better herself.

"I was addicted (to meth) for two years," explains Dawn Silvernail, 51.

"I was in a very dark place at one point where I thought about killing myself. I had lost my job, and that was my rock bottom."

Silvernail was living in a car with her two kids when she realized she had to do something about her addiction.

She was able to get a place to stay at the St. John's Shelter Program for Women and Children, and eventually was able to make a residence at the Mather Community Campus in Rancho Cordova.

Without the help of a support group, Silvernail was sure she wouldn't have made it. "You can't do it without a support group."

Silvernail's support group is her soccer team, Street Soccer USA.

Having never played soccer before, it enabled her to be active, travel and be a role model and example to other homeless and addicts.

"It's been a long way getting here, but finding the right program is important," explains Silvernail.

As the amount of chronic homelessness in Sacramento has decreased by 50.8 percent since 2007, it's evident that not only can the rate of homelessness be lowered, but helping out those who suffer from addiction can be done as well.

Hernandez has advice to those who are suffering from addiction or are chronically homeless.

"Be open to change. (They) kind of get used to it, their way of life, but being able to walk through experiences in a different way helps them to better themselves."

Editor’s note: The “News Digest” goes out every Tuesday morning and highlights our best stories, photos and videos from the week prior. Sign me up.

Disclosure: The results of the 2013 street count will be available on the Sacramento Steps Forward (www.sacstepsforward.org) website around the first of May.

Sacramento prepares for homeless street count: volunteers still needed for this important event

2013-01-10T16:19:43Z

Volunteer for the point-in-time Homeless Street Count on Jan. 24, 2013, and make a difference for our community and those in need.

The biennial Homeless Street Count is an effort to learn more about the individuals and families experiencing homelessness on any given night in Sacramento County. Information collected helps us better understand why they are homeless, so we can refine existing programs to best serve those in need.

The Homeless Count captures a snapshot of those who are unsheltered – literally sleeping outside – on the street, in a car or abandoned building on the night of the canvass. Information collected will also provide important data for the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.

During the 2011 Homeless Count, more than 400 volunteers and members of law enforcement participated, including Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna. “Documenting the condition and circumstances of our homeless population every two years helps guide important policy decisions and local resource allocation,” said Serna.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires local communities to perform the Homeless Street Count every two years during the last 10 days of January to demonstrate federal funding eligibility for emergency shelter operations and transitional and permanent supportive housing projects. Sacramento Steps Forward, the primary recipient for these funds, receives approximately $15 million annually to contract with community agencies to provide housing and services for homeless men, women and children.

On the night of the count, volunteers will meet at a staging location to receive their assignment. Teams consisting of trained volunteer counters, a team leader, law enforcement and a homeless advisor will disperse to survey homeless individuals in more than 50 designated geographic areas throughout Sacramento County.

Volunteer counters and team leaders must complete a two-hour training session prior to the night of the count. Training dates are available Jan. 14-19, at various times and locations.

Additional roles are available to support event logistics, including registration and staging assistance on the night of the count. All volunteers must be at least 16 years old.

If you are interested in more information about the Homeless Street Count or want to volunteer Jan. 24, please visit www.handsonsacto.org or email us at info@handsonsacto.org.

Editor’s note: Every Thursday we deliver a local event guide straight to your inbox, right on time to make your weekend plans. Sign me up.

Disclosure: Ben Burton is the executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward. Contact him at bburton@sacstepsforward or 916-577-9785.

Sacramento’s interfaith Winter Sanctuary prepares for third season

2012-10-29T17:31:35Z

There are nearly 1,000 homeless men and women sleeping outdoors on any given night in Sacramento. As the cold, rainy weather approaches, the demand for emergency shelter will exceed available beds in our community. Without a warm, dry, safe place to sleep, these homeless individuals may be at greater risk of illness, injuries and even death.

Sacramento Steps Forward has partnered with the faith community early this year to make sure the third Winter Sanctuary Program is available for homeless men and women needing a place to sleep during the harsh winter months. Twenty-two churches and mosques have already signed up to provide nightly shelter and meals on a rotating basis to 100 single homeless people, beginning in late November through March 31. Transportation and staffing for the program are provided by Volunteers of America.

During their stay at Winter Sanctuary, homeless men and women receive encouragement and support from staff and congregation volunteers who often connect them with social services that can help transition them off the streets permanently. Last year the program served more than 500 individuals.

Winter shelter program funding

The City and County of Sacramento have already provided $250,000 for winter overflow shelter for families with children, the elderly and people with disabilities.

The cost to operate Winter Sanctuary, which serves adults only, is $150,000 annually. The Sacramento Region Community Foundation recently made a generous commitment of $35,000 for this year’s program, and the River District donated another $3,000. Sacramento Steps Forward, in its preliminary efforts, raised $5,000. This leaves a funding gap of $107,000.

Priscilla Enriquez, chief giving officer at Sacramento Region Community Foundation, said, “Our board felt that winter sanctuary, although not a permanent solution to homelessness, provided a valuable source of needed emergency housing for those in need during a critical part of the year where the weather makes being outside a risk to health and safety.”

Sacramento Steps Forward will continue efforts to raise the funds needed for this and next year’s Winter Sanctuary Program, and will set up a dedicated fund for emergency shelter that can be accessed year round.

How you can get involved

We welcome your participation as a donor, volunteer or community partner for Winter Sanctuary’s third winter season. It only costs $11 a day to provide a safe place to sleep and a warm meal for someone in desperate need. You can donate individually or as part of a group effort at your workplace.

Call 916-577-9770 or visit sacramentostepsforward.org for more information about Winter Sanctuary and how you can make a difference.

Sacramento Steps Forward, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was launched in 2009 as new momentum gathered to refocus efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness in the greater Sacramento area. The agency is responsible for the planning and community work required by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for receipt of homeless funding in Sacramento.

Disclosure: Ben Burton is the executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward. Contact him at bburton@sacstepsforward or 916-577-9785.

Volunteers Needed for 5th Annual Sacramento Homeless Connect!

2012-05-17T20:04:58Z

This year is our 5th Annual Homeless Connect Event! Homeless Connect is a one-day, one-stop resource fair for homeless folks, with an emphasis on hospitality and an overarching goal to bring the community together to support the services that help end homelessness. This year, Homeless Connect will be held on June 2, from 10am - 3pm at Sacramento City College.

Community volunteers assist service providers and staff in providing an amazing, welcome and heartwarming experience for our homeless neighbors. After the event, volunteers genuinely agree that the experience is a great one; some volunteers have felt their opinions around homelessness forever changed for the better!

Homeless Connect serves the community by enhancing the quality of life for homeless individuals, engaging civic leaders and community volunteers, and debunking myths and stereotypes about homeless people. The layout of the event is helpful and empowering for guests. As homeless folks have noted, it is often stressful, frustrating or impossible to navigate separate services housed throughout the city and county. At Homeless Connect, all of the services are in one location, making it easier for folks to access what they need!

One of the most unique components of Homeless Connect is the emphasis on hospitality. Homeless folks and families in attendance are treated as guests. Services that have been present at the past events include: housing, mental health services, help with applying for Social Security, legal advice, dental and medical screenings, foot washing and haircuts, childcare and pet care assistance, veterans’ resources and free California IDs.

In order for us to put on this awesome event, we need volunteers to participate! Each year volunteers participate in the event, helping out with various stations, working at the intake, and guiding guests. Please consider volunteering for this fun and rewarding event!

Signing up to volunteer is easy! Please visit the Hands on Sacramento website, where you will find our event located on the homepage.

In order to sign - up for our event, you will need to create an account on the HOS website. Once you have created your account, you can sign up to volunteer with our 2012 event!

Sign - up here!

Questions about volunteering should be sent to jlobedan@sacstepsforward.org

If you have questions about Sacramento Homeless Connect, you can call Jessica Lobedan at 916-577-9771 x 1201.

Jessica Lobedan is an AmeriCorps VISTA serving with Sacramento Steps Forward.

Local homeless programs get $995K HUD grant

2012-03-20T01:26:43Z

Local homeless programs received a federal boost Friday with a $995,000 grant from the Housing and Urban Development Department – opening the door to shelter and services for more than 100 additional people this year.

"This funding will help us meet our goal of ending chronic and family homelessness in Sacramento,” Ben Burton, executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward, said in a press release Friday.

The award is part of $201 million in competitive grants that HUD awarded across the nation for 2012.

In Sacramento, homeless programs offered through the city, county and a variety of nonprofit and volunteer organizations are coordinated by the county in what is called a “continuum of care,” Burton said Monday.

Through the continuum of care, more than 3,200 homeless individuals and families are housed every night in shelters, transitional housing and permanent housing programs, Burton said.

“The new money (from the HUD grant) will allow us to serve more than 100 additional people this year,” Burton said.

The grant money will fund four new programs for one year.

The new programs include two programs that provide rental assistance for homeless adults with psychiatric problems, one program for disabled veterans and one program for chronically homeless households that include a veteran.

Mayor Kevin Johnson thanked HUD and Sacramento Steps Forward in an email Monday, saying the nearly $1 million grant is “great news” for the city and county.

"With this generous grant, 100 more homeless individuals, including many veterans, will have a pathway to permanent housing and a better life,” Johnson said.

Burton said a key part of the grant is that it is renewable – once the award is granted, Sacramento won’t have to compete for it again.

“We can continue to get it under our renewal application every year,” Burton said. “Our goal is to make sure our programs are functioning at the highest level so we can continue to get that funding.”

Local advocate for the homeless Tracy Rice-Bailey said Monday that the HUD award will benefit Sacramento – but more is needed.

“Sacramento Steps Forward has been doing a bang-up job,” Rice-Bailey said, “but we need more. We need to have a shelter crisis declared.”

Rice-Bailey referred to a 25-year-old California law called the Shelter Crisis Statute, which allows a county to declare a shelter crisis and then use public facilities – including parks, schools and empty buildings – as shelter if the county has a “significant number” of homeless people.

“We need emergency shelters – a space, a plot of land or an empty warehouse, even,” Rice-Bailey said.

The 1987 statute has never been invoked in Sacramento county, Rice-Bailey said.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter@MelissaCorker.

Homelessness in Sacramento: A look back at 2011

2011-12-30T04:59:18Z

From head counts and courtroom drama to Winter Sanctuary and SafeGround – homelessness remained at the top of the list of issues in Sacramento in 2011.

Despite data showing the number of homeless in the county had declined over the past year, there were still many people sleeping on the streets each night in 2011.

Local charity groups and community service programs struggled through the year to provide for the homeless – including an increasing percentage of families – many of whom were homeless for the first time due to fallout from the housing and mortgage crisis.

The alleged mishandling of homeless individuals’ personal property as police enforced city anti-camping laws resulted in a lawsuit filed by local civil rights attorney Mark Merin on behalf of the homeless.

As the lawsuit made its way through the halls of justice, another fight was brewing over creating “safe ground," a place for homeless people to call their own – if only temporarily – while they worked toward securing permanent housing.

Community events held in 2011 designed to raise awareness of homeless issues included a SafeGround Jubilee, and a workshop for City Council members to discuss ways to provide such a safe ground area for homeless.

Jennifer Lystrup, a teacher of social justice at Christian Brothers High School, created a documentary series on homeless youth, and artist and filmmaker Costa Mantis created the film series “Searching for Safe Ground,” revealing the daily struggles of being homeless in Sacramento.

In September, the court in the homeless class action suit decided in favor of the homeless plaintiffs, but the city appealed the decision, and the case is still pending.

Without a tent city to return to each night, and without a safe ground option, many homeless people set up tents on the edges of the American River Parkway – which was at odds with the city’s anti-camping ordinance, and rangers soon moved in to oust the homeless “campers.”

As winter approached, faith-based organizations came together with the nonprofit agency Sacramento Steps Forward to provide the Winter Sanctuary program for the second year, offering shelter for the homeless during the coldest part of the year.

The program – which provides shelter from Thanksgiving to March 1 at an estimated cost of $150,000 – lacked adequate funding, and the program was in jeopardy of not being able to open.

With the help of numerous donations from local businesses and individuals – and a last-minute $75,000 donation from Wells Fargo – the program opened on Dec. 1.

At the end of December, the winter shelter program was expanded, thanks in part to efforts by City Council members Steve Cohn, Jay Schenirer and Angelique Ashby, and requests for increased local donations to open more doors to the homeless.

Homelessness has been a hot topic for local government for many years, and despite minor upturns in the economy of late, it is an issue that does not appear to be going away anytime soon.

In November, the City Council started developing a plan to address homelessness from a regional standpoint – to include city, county and regional resources and leadership in solving the issue.

Perhaps 2012 will bring greater security – whether it’s “safe ground” or more transitional housing or enhanced services – for those struggling in the city without a permanent place to live.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Wells Fargo ponies up for Winter Sanctuary

2011-12-13T22:40:38Z

On the eve of another cold night in Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank stepped up to give $75,000 to help the city’s Winter Sanctuary program provide shelter for the homeless.

“People talk about ‘occupy this’ and ‘occupy that,’ but this is what people want,” Mayor Kevin Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. “They want the corporate community to have values that are in line with the least among us in our communities.”

Wells Fargo representative David Galasso presented the $75,000 check at the press conference.

Winter Sanctuary provides shelter to the homeless during the winter months and is run by Volunteers of America, Sacramento Steps Forward – a regional initiative launched in 2010 to combat homelessness – and the faith community.

As of last week, the program only raised about half of its $150,000 budget for this year, threatening the availability of shelter for hundreds of homeless people in Sacramento this winter.

The donation from Wells Fargo Bank provided the final amount needed to support the sanctuary program through March.

“One of the unique things (in Winter Sanctuary) this year is we are seeing a lot of younger people who are experiencing homelessness for the first time,” Volunteers of America President Leo McFarland, said Tuesday.

“It’s not just the very generous donations like this one from Wells Fargo that mean so much (to the program),” McFarland said, “it’s also every $50 check that comes in, and every $500 donation that keeps hope alive. We are very grateful for this effort.”

Although the city provides hotel vouchers and winter shelter beds for a majority of the estimated 2,400 homeless in Sacramento, City Councilman Jay Schenirer said that many who are camping on the banks of the American River can still take advantage of the Winter Sanctuary program.

“We have to think about what the city can do next to make sure people have what they need to survive in this city,” Schenirer said, “and that the city has what it needs to thrive.”

A update on homeless issues in the city is scheduled to be heard by the City Council at Tuesday’s meeting.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Faith-based community joins forces with nonprofits to offer 'Winter Sanctuary' to homeless

2011-12-07T00:55:24Z

In spite of a $75,000 funding shortfall, Volunteers of America, Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento’s interfaith community are going forward with plans to offer nightly shelter and meals to Sacramento-area homeless men and women.

The second season of the collaborative “Winter Sanctuary” program began Dec. 1, and is once again offering people in need safe and comfortable shelter in the dining halls, community rooms and gyms of faith-based centers throughout Greater Sacramento.

While funding has only been secured to guarantee operation through January 2012, Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada and Sacramento Steps Forward have decided to open the doors now to provide at least two months of shelter for as many as 100 people each night – 100 people who might otherwise be forced to sleep outside in the cold.

“The other shelters in town are at capacity with long waiting lists,” said Leo McFarland, president and CEO of Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada. “With the temperature dropping, we couldn’t wait until all of the funding is secured. We are prayerful that the rest of the money will come in and we won’t have to close after only 60 days, but that’s a possibility.”

Over the course of the inaugural Winter Sanctuary season, which ran from Dec. 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011, dedicated volunteers from 24 host congregations provided shelter nightly.

During this period, some 2,000 of these interfaith volunteers not only purchased, prepared and served dinner and breakfast to more than 545 of their neighbors in need, but gave haircuts, offered assistance with résumés, showed movies and engaged their often-isolated guests in conversation.

“Winter Sanctuary was one of the very best outreach events that we have been involved with in years,” said Arcade Church Pastor Dann Bryant. “We didn’t know what to expect, and we were pleasantly surprised. It truly far exceeded my expectations. It was just a great blessing for the volunteers who participated, and for the people it was administered to.”

Through the generosity of the participating congregations, the Winter Sanctuary program was able to operate at just 25 percent of the cost of a dedicated winter “overflow” shelter.

Further, more than 80 individuals, and 25 business and civic associations made financial contributions and gave in-kind donations in support of the program’s inaugural year.

Those houses of worship scheduled to provide shelter and meals during the 2011-12 Winter Sanctuary program are:

Arcade Church
Capital Christian Center
First Baptist Church of Elk Grove
First Covenant Church of Sacramento
Mars Hill Church
New Life Community Church
Restoration Life
The Rock of Roseville
Sacramento Central Seventh-day Adventist Church
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
St. Paul Baptist Church
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church
Sun River Church
This Is Pentecost Fellowship Ministries
Trinity Life Center
Westminster Presbyterian Church

Those interested in making a contribution toward the 2011-12 Winter Sanctuary program may do so online at sacramentostepsforward.org, volunteersofamerica-sac.org, or by calling (916) 557-9772.

Established locally in 1911, the Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada affiliate of Volunteers of America is one of the largest providers of social services in the region, operating more than 40 programs dedicated to ending homelessness, supporting the most vulnerable populations and transforming communities for the better.

Its ministry of service supports and empowers America’s most vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, seniors, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions.

Sacramento Steps Forward is an initiative to rally the community towards a shared and collective effort to end homelessness.

Members include business and faith community leaders, foundations, service providers, homeless and community representatives, law enforcement and elected officials from local cities and Sacramento County.

Watch an animated slideshow from the inaugural Winter Sanctuary season.

Disclosure: Barry Wisdom is the public relations and marketing officer for Volunteers of America Greater Sacramento & Northern Nevada.

Severe Weather Alert: Freezing Temperatures Open Warming Centers for Homeless People

2011-12-06T00:35:51Z

The Sacramento area is expected to see temperatures as low as 30 degrees for the next 3 nights. This weather is extremely dangerous for the 1,000 homeless men, women and children in Sacramento County who are currently without shelter.

Due to the projected freezing temperatures, a warming center at the Salvation Army has been activated for Monday, December 5, Tuesday, December 6 and Wednesday December 7.

Men and women (18 years and older) needing shelter can go to the Salvation Army, located at 12th and North B Street. The warming center will be opened from 8:00 pm until 6:00 am.

The warming center will close on the morning of Thursday, December 8th. More information will be made available if the dates are extended.

This is not a sleeping arrangement. Unfortunately, animals will not be allowed inside.

Call 2-1-1 (916-498-1000) if you are in need of up-to-date information on warming centers in the future.

Access a street sheet of emergency shelter options and open beds for winter here.

Please pass along this information to any person in need of a warm place the next three days.

Disclosure: Kate Towson is an Americorps VISTA serving with Sacramento Steps Forward. Learn more about ending homelessness at SacramentoStepsForward.org

Winter Sanctuary, Sacramento’s Interfaith Homeless Shelter, Experiencing Critical Funding Gap

2011-11-21T18:59:39Z

Winter Sanctuary, Sacramento’s interfaith, rotating homeless shelter, is currently facing a substantial gap in its budget. The program, which nightly shelters 100 homeless adults, is set to open on December 1st and run through March 31st. However, the program will not be opening on December 1st if the funding gap is not significantly narrowed.

Christie Holderegger, Vice President of Volunteers of America, spoke of the urgent need for this program, “Our neighbors are experiencing homelessness for a variety of reasons and many for the first time. They are looking to us, all of us to help them out of this desperate situation. As a community we can reach and uplift them. We saw hundreds of lives changed last year through Winter Sanctuary, both homeless guests and volunteers.”

Winter Sanctuary began in winter 2010 as a collaborative effort between Sacramento Steps Forward, Volunteers of America and local interfaith congregations. The program brought together local faith congregations, 24 to be exact, who stepped up to host their homeless neighbors and provide shelter, meals, and a welcoming community.

From December through March, a total of 550 unduplicated guests were served through the program, 24 congregations participated and over 2,000 community volunteers lent a hand.

“Winter Sanctuary is truly a successful model of community collaboration at its best. This program demonstrates how constituents from many different areas of our community can come together to help our neighbors,” said Ben Burton, Executive Director of Sacramento Steps Forward.

A volunteer from St. Mark’s United Methodist Church remarked on their experience as a host congregation, “The media constantly bombards us with statistics of the millions of persons in pain and hurting and we have a tendency to throw up our hands and say we can do nothing to make things better. But we had an opportunity in the two periods hosting Winter Sanctuary to affect the lives of a few people in a profound way.”

Yet the funding gap remains, and if not off-set will have an immediate, negative impact on the program’s start date, as well as the 100 homeless folks who could have come inside to escape Sacramento’s cold, wet and rainy winters.

HOW TO GIVE:

Sacramento Steps Forward is encouraging the community to donate. To make a tax-deductible donation, visit their website at SacramentoStepsForward.org and click the red ‘DONATE’ button to be taken to their secure Pay-Pal site.

*We would like to thank the following foundations and donors for supporting Winter Sanctuary: Sacramento Region Community Foundation, the Sierra Health Foundation, the Winn Foundation (with help from Supervisor Phil Serna), the River District, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership and the Teichert Foundation. Individual donors have graciously contributed almost $4,000, and Fremont Presbyterian Church contributed $1,500. The Wal-Mart Foundation donated 300 sleeping bags.

Disclosure: Kate Towson is an Americorps VISTA serving with Sacramento Steps Forward.

Social Media Best Practices for Charities draws crowd

2011-11-15T15:26:09Z

The Urban Hive was filled with nearly 100 representatives from local charities and non-profits at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” last Tuesday.

The event, hosted by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, inspired attendees to use social media outlets, such as Twitter, Facebook and Youtube to spread their message, raise funds and increase public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change.

Panelist Julie Bornhoeft, director of development and community relations for WEAVE, Inc., advised the audience that beginning to use social media is quite simple – you must have a presence, be genuine and have a goal. Panelist Misty Avila, eAdvocacy coordinator for Aspiration Tech agreed.

“When you’re a person online, you get why you’re online. When you’re an organization online, you have to have a goal,” Avila said. “If you don’t have a goal, it’s not a problem, but how do you know if what you’re doing is working?”

When organizations develop social media goals, often their focus is on their number of followers. Panelist Chris Brune, director of creative services at Macer Media (Sacramento Press), for the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services, said focusing on that is a mistake.

“The quantifiable measure is often how many followers you have. I hate that. Dislike,” Brune said. “We’re saying it’s quality not quantity that matters.”

For panelist Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacramento Steps Forward, said her main priority in social media use is sharing.
After recently learning the beauty of retweeting and sharing the material of others, Towson said she now shares what other people are talking about and they share what she’s discussing.

“When you congratulate your partners on the work they do, it really reflects well on your agency,” Towson said. “It would come back to me, because folks would share what I’m talking about. It’s definitely karma right there.”

Although it may seem intimidating to begin social media, Brune said you just have to jump in.

“You can’t break Twitter – just start your conversation with whoever it is that will listen,” Brune said. “If you have an inkling of faith in social media, I think you should just go for it. It’s really that simple. You just have to start.”

In an effort to help charities begin or improve their social media presence, the Sacramento Social Media club is hosting a social media tune-up workshop tonight at the Urban Hive from 6-to-8 p.m. At the tune up, 20 local charities will be matched with marketing practitioners and agencies for one-on-one reviews.

For more information about tonight’s tune up, email smcsacto@gmail.com. To see more from the Social Media Best Practices for Charities panel, check out the Sacramento Social Media Club’s Ustream page to view the video.

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About the Social Media Club: The Sacramento Social Media Club was founded in March 2009 by local social media activists. Its monthly events bring together journalists, publishers, students, communicators and other interested collaborators to facilitate discussions about the key issues facing our society as technologies transform the way we connect, communicate, collaborate and relate. The Social Media Club’s primary mission is to promote media literacy and standard technologies, encourage ethical behavior and share best practices. To find out more, join their groups on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

About the author: Brittany Wesely is the Associate Community Benefit Health Specialist for Kaiser Permanente, and a member of the all-volunteer leadership team for the Sacramento Social Media Club. Follow her on Twitter @brittanywesely.

Sacramento Social Media Club to host 'Best Practices for Charities'

2011-11-04T15:29:28Z

Through their use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media tools, many local charities have spread their message, raised funds and increased public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change. In the hopes of spreading their stories and inspiring other philanthropic organizations to do the same, four local charities will be conducting a panel discussion at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Urban Hive.

Moderated by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, the event will include panelists: Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacramento Steps Foward; Julie Bornhoeft, director of development and community relations for WEAVE, Inc.; Misty Avila, eAdvocacy coordinator for Aspiration Tech; and Chris Brune, director of creative services at Macer Media (Sacramento Press), for the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.

The event will stream live on Ustream starting at 7 p.m., and can be followed on Twitter by using the hashtag #SMCSAC. The event is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Sacramento Food Bank and the River City Food Bank. Donations up to $500 will be matched by CGI as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

In addition to panel, the Sacramento Social Media Club will be hosting a social media tune-up workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 6-to-8 p.m. at the Urban Hive. At the tune up, charities will be matched up with marketing practitioners and agencies for one-on-one reviews of their social media platforms, with specific recommendations on improvements after the consultation. In order to participate, charities must RSVP in advance.

The Urban Hive is located at 1931 H St., Sacramento, 95811. Space is limited for both events. Click here to RSVP for the Social Media Best Practices for Charities panel. To RSVP for the social media tune up, email smcsacto@gmail.com.

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Council discusses regional approach to addressing homelessness

2011-11-03T01:25:07Z

The City Council is considering whether the city of Sacramento will join in the creation of a public-private collaborative agency to address the problems of homelessness in the region – an issue that does not recognize political boundaries.

Representatives from the city Neighborhood Services Department and the county Department of Human Assistance presented a report to the City Council Tuesday outlining a plan for creating a joint powers authority to align city and county governments with a nonprofit entity.

“The JPA would be the overarching policymaking body,” Sacramento county spokeswoman Kerri Aiello said Tuesday. “Sacramento Steps Forward (a nonprofit corporation) will ultimately be the umbrella over program implementation.”

In any given month in Sacramento, there are more than 3,000 people without homes, according to Ben Burton, executive director for Sacramento Steps Forward. That number includes people in emergency or transitional housing.

Of that number, Burton said more than 1,000 are actually on the street each night.

At one time, the county administered all government-funded homeless programs for the city and county, Burton said, and recent budget cuts have left homeless programs for Sacramento severely lacking in funding.

“When the funding ended, we had to ask ‘what do we do now?’ “ Burton said. “We start looking for additional dollars now.”

SafeGround representative John Kraintz said Tuesday that the goal of the JPA/nonprofit collaboration would be to maximize the ability to secure funding grants from the greatest variety of sources.

“Some programs have to be administered through the government to get public grant funds,” Kraintz said. “And nonprofits have a better ability to get private dollars.”

A nonprofit can access private funding more quickly than government, and some government funding can only be accessed by a government entity like a JPA.

Aiello said that certain homeless dollars – primarily Housing and Urban Development funds – can only be applied for by a government agency, and that would be one role of the JPA part of the partnership.

Another benefit of a combined JPA/nonprofit effort is the ability for many jurisdictions to share data and work together to plan regionally, Derrick Lim, Neighborhood Services manager, said Tuesday.

“It’s still in the conceptual phase right now,” Lim said. “The whole point is to have everyone in every jurisdiction sharing the same information.”

Representatives from regional City Councils and the Board of Supervisors would comprise a JPA Board whose role would be to accept grants that are only available to public agencies.

The JPA Board would award those funds to the nonprofit agency to administer. The JPA Board would also advise on major policy goals and serve as the community’s voice on the issue of homelessness, according to the report.

According to the report to the City Council, the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance was the primary administrator of homeless programs in Sacramento since 1993. The city of Sacramento relied on the county to coordinate and administer programs on behalf of the city.

By the end of 2010, the DHA no longer had funding available to administer homeless programs as it had been doing, Aiello said.

“Everyone went broke, and the county pulled out of all their homeless projects,” local homeless advocate Tracie Rice-Bailey said Tuesday. “Now they are trying to put together this umbrella nonprofit to find how many ways they can keep roofs over people’s heads.”

In September 2010, the Sacramento City Council and county Board of Supervisors started discussing a conceptual plan to create a new public-private structure to end homelessness.

In March, the City Council approved transitioning the administration of homeless programs in the city away from the county DHA to Sacramento Steps Forward.

Sacramento county DHA staff have been presenting the JPA proposal to other city councils in the county and the Board of Supervisors to get feedback and ideas for the structure of the potential JPA.

“(County Department of Human Assistance director) Paul Lake has been out to Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights, Folsom and other areas of the county,” Aiello said.

The response to the idea has been positive, according to Lake.

“Other cities are very enthusiastic and want to move forward,” Lake told council members Tuesday.

Councilman Kevin McCarty said he is in favor of the proposed JPA structure for dealing with homeless issues in Sacramento.

“Bottom line: Regional solutions are needed here,” McCarty said Wednesday. “The more local governments teaming up and partnering to tackle homelessness, the better.”

The initial target date for having a JPA in place was July, but Lake said the date had to be adjusted because they needed more time to allow Sacramento Steps Forward to assume responsibility for managing grants.

“Neither the county nor Sacramento Steps Forward want to transfer responsibility until it can be a wholly successful transfer,” Lake said Wednesday. “We are hopeful that Sacramento Steps Forward will begin assuming (grant responsibility) early in 2012.”

Ben Burton, the new executive director for Sacramento Steps Forward, said Wednesday that this as an opportunity for creating a more innovative approach to homelessness.

“Once the (JPA) program is implemented,” Burton said, “we will put an agenda together to begin regional planning. It will start with an assessment of where we are today.”

Burton said it is essential that the multitude of jurisdictions in the region – cities, counties and private community agencies – start sharing data and local plans to address homelessness issues.

“This type of planning will strengthen our competition for federal dollars to provide services,” Burton said. “It’s cheaper to prevent homelessness than to take someone through the whole system.”

The City Council didn’t take any action on the proposal report Tuesday.

DHA and city staff will take the proposal to the county Board of Supervisors for discussion and feedback in December, Aiello said. A draft JPA agreement is expected to follow soon after.

Melissa Corker is a Staff Reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Gaining Wheels to Work

2011-10-13T02:57:42Z

In a survey given to 375 homeless people in 2009 and 2010, the Sacramento Housing Alliance found that 30 percent of the homeless population reported that transportation was the largest barrier to employment and a new program is planned to help.

Paratransit’s Mobility Training and Job Search Shuttle for the Homeless, commonly known as Wheels to Work, launched Wednesday morning at the Volunteers of America Family Center, 470 Bannon St.

Wheels to Work is a program dedicated to providing homeless and low-income earners with transportation and mobile job training by means of two large vans. The vans are designed to give homeless men and women access to job training and transportation that is essential in their quest for employment.

“We didn’t assume what homeless people wanted. We went out and asked them and then we acted. We were lucky enough to get the vans and then our partners helped make it happen,” said Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Housing Alliance.

Thunder Valley Casino Resort donated the two vans in 2009 to a sub-committee of Sacramento Steps Forward, an organization that works with homeless people in Sacramento. Paratransit, in collaboration with the Department of Human Assistance, repaired, redesigned, registered and insured both of the vans.

One of the vans seats 21 people and will function as transportation for homeless individuals to get to job interviews, training programs, homeless relief programs and various government buildings such as the Social Security office, Department of Motor Vehicles and the Department of Human Assistance.

The other Wheels to Work van is equipped with computers and staff who will teach men and women how to make resumes, which they can print on the printers inside the van. They will also offer interview preparation, peer mentoring, job opportunity information and job counseling.

The Wheels to Work vans are operated by seven formerly homeless graduates of Women’s Empowerment who have various disabilities. The California Department of Rehabilitation is funding and providing the necessary services for the women’s vocational training. The Department of Human Assistance has provided enough federal funding to ensure the buses will run for the next year.

Women’s Empowerment is an organization that educates and empowers homeless women. It provides skill development training that helps women regain a home and a stable lifestyle. The seven graduates that will be driving the vans have been trained and equipped to help mentor homeless people in their search for a job.

“A dream without a plan or action is just a wish. This project is a testament to people who make change and can make dreams come true,” said Lisa Culp, executive director of Women’s Empowerment. “Our hats are off to to the graduates who will drive these vans and carry this dream forward.”

“I have a story and can relate to these people,” said Linda Strohmyer, a driver for Wheels to Work. Strohmyer said she spent six years being homeless and addicted to everything from hoarding to cocaine, but through Women’s Empowerment she regained control of her life and got off the streets. She is still living in transitional housing but said she hopes, by means of working as a Wheels to Work driver, she can be in her own home by the start of 2012.

“I have come from nowhere and have gotten back on my feet because of these resources,” said Donna Blacksmith, another driver for Wheels to Work. “People just have to want it, and my job with Wheels to Work is to help them regain hope.”

She will be driving people who she used to live with on the streets. She said that she aims for these men and women to gain a sense of hope by seeing her with a job.

“I was offered a second chance, and now I want to extend the offer to them,” she said.

The vans started operating at the start of October and run from 8:20 a.m. - 4:57 p.m. Monday through Friday.

According to Linda Deavens, Paratransit’s CEO, Wheels to Work will start with one main route, but two more are in development. The current route runs the same each day and has scheduled stops at designated times.

The organizations behind Wheels to Work include: Paratransit inc., Women’s Empowerment, Sacramento Steps Forward, Sacramento Housing Alliance, Department of Human Assistance, California Department of Rehabilitation, and community volunteers.

To learn more about Wheels to Work visit the website here.

Lack of funding for emergency homeless shelters this winter

2011-09-23T06:21:06Z

Taking into consideration the results of the 2011 Homeless Count conducted in January, Sacramento County would need to provide about 1,000 beds in emergency homeless shelters to ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads this winter.

Thursday morning, members of the local media, Loaves and Fishes community, Sacramento Housing Alliance and the homeless community gathered for a brief press conference at Friendship Park – the heart of the program and community center for the homeless community, providing multiple services for its guests – and discussed the lack of public allocated funding for emergency homeless shelters this winter.

In what is expected to be a cold and wet winter season, many in the homeless community will be turned away from overcrowded shelters due to a lack of space, and funding to provide any more.

Every year until now, the county has provided funding for Winter Shelter, an operation that provides shelter and motel vouchers for homeless families and individuals with disabilities.

In the last few years, funding for this program has been cut significantly, going from $700,000 2008-9 to $451,000 2009-10 and $250,000 2010-11 to $0 in allocated funding for this year, an act which Sacramento Housing Alliance executive director Bob Erlenbusch said he finds “unconscionable.”

The lack of funding is due to a great series of budget cuts, according to Bruce Wagstaff, agency administrator for Sacramento County Countywide Services Agency.

“It’s a similar situation we were in last year,” he said, “funding for lots of programs have been cut.”

According to Wagstaff, no funding was budgeted for the program last year, however, about the same time last year, the Department of Human Assistance staff were able to identify $150,000 for the program, and an additional $100,000 was provided by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.

Erin Blount, Communications and Media Officer for First 5 Sacramento, wrote in an email:

The $150,000 funded winter shelter for families, and managed Emergency Shelter Grants that housed another 50 people. More than $3 million for emergency and family shelters serving 367 people. The funding from SHRA provided families and disabled individuals with motel vouchers, and Winter Sanctuary operated through March after Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna raised $45,000 for the program.

“When you have a budget crisis, you do have to make decisions but you don’t close down the emergency room,”said Joan Burke Wednesday, director of advocacy for Loaves and Fishes, “For me, the shelters are the emergency room - a real lifeline for people who are homeless.”

In response to the lack of funding for winter shelter programs last year, Sacramento Steps Forward, a new nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the homeless community, coordinated Winter Sanctuary, a winter shelter program for homeless singles.

The program, which provides shelter for 100 individuals on a nightly basis through a network of community churches, will be administered again this year.

“In other words, there is only a plan for 100 single homeless adults,” Erlenbusch wrote in a letter to Mayor Kevin Johnson, Sacramento City Council members and the Sacramento Board of Supervisors last week.

Winter Sanctuary provides sleeping bags, a roof and a hit meal for 100 individuals a night to sleep in a participating church, and only one church is open for shelter each night. Those who are admitted into Winter Sanctuary go through a screening process for behavioral issues, since the staff is limited, and children are not admitted.

The largest concern that many expressed at the press conference is that if no funding is allocated in 41 days – a week before Thanksgiving when Winter Shelter would normally open – is that women and families with children, or those with disabilities or mental disorders, will not be able to find shelter during the cold of the season, turned away from overcrowded shelters or those that only serve individuals. Staff members at Loaves and Fishes say the number of homeless families is on the rise.

Angela Hassel, director of Mustard Seed School for Homeless Children, a free private school at Loaves and Fishes for children of ages 3 to 15, described the anxiety around the winter months for homeless families at the confrence.

"As the winter months come, we see a little bit of light go out in their eyes," she said. "The kids really just need a roof over their heads whether it be a church or a shelter; they do not need to be sleeping on the streets."

Two women spoke at the press conference of their experiences being homeless with children, and the anxiety that many women in similar situations, may not find shelter this winter.

“Frankly, especially in certain situations, children are the main ones that need the stability,” said Demecia Ferrell. “It’s easier for singles to fend for themselves because they only have to worry about themselves, but families- we have children that we have to worry about and make sure they’re safe because the street’s just not a place for kids at all.”

Ferrell, 31, just recently became homeless in May when she lost her job. Staying in a shelter for four months with her children and fiancé, she said she found refuge through Volunteers of America. Ferrell recently moved into the new E. Claire Raley Transitional Living Complex on Watt Ave..

“We were lucky (and) very fortunate to be able to stay together,” she said. “Being able to have our kids in a shelter was just a great relief for us and there’s a lot less stress that we have to endure and a lot less stress that the kids have to endure. Families should be top priority, at all times.”

Wagstaff said that there is a number of different providers and agencies concerned with providing housing for the homeless, and that the county is currently working to identify any funding for shelters within the DHA budget.

“We’ve been active participants in this every year and we’re well aware of the situation,” he said.

Burton and the women at Loaves and Fishes say that though it’s the County’s responsibility to get shelters prepared for the winter say they will also need help from the community.

“The churches stepped up a lot last year, and all the nonprofits and a lot of community support has been there and we need to get all of those resources again. We need to do it again this year because there is no plan. Fall starts tomorrow and we’ve got 40 days before we usually have a plan in place,” said Sister Libby Fernandez, executive director at Loaves and Fishes.

Ben Burton, new director of Sacramento Steps Forward, said he agrees that funding shouldn’t only come from the government but from the community as well.

“The government is suffering on is its own setbacks. (They) need to do their own part, but so does the community,” he said. “Homelessness is really a community issue and they are all members of our community.”

Burton said the nonprofit organization is currently accepting donations, and will allocate the money raised on a greatest need basis.

Sacramento Steps Forward received a grant from the Sacramento Region Community Foundation recently for the Winter Shelter program and is now reaching out to all members of the community for any help. Donations can be made throughout the winter, he said, though any donations given now will be directed toward the programs that need the most help.

“We want to really ring the bell before it gets cold,” he said.

In a recent survey taken by Loaves and Fishes’ Maryhouse, a daytime hospitality shelter for homeless women and children, 59 percent of the 109 women and 10 children who came in that morning said they slept outside or in a vehicle that night.

This winter, with all other shelters full and the absence of Winter Shelter, only about ten percent of the homeless population will be cared for by the Winter Sanctuary program each night. According to the 2011 Homeless Street Count, with over 2,300 of our citizens homeless, about 995 were unsheltered.

“We just need to tap into everything to at least provide what we know is out there. Any given night, there’s 1,000 homeless men, women and children so we need to think that way and go for it that way. It’s not a matter of funding, it’s a matter of options and providing those options,” Fernandez said.

In a prepared statement from Executive Director La Shelle Dozier at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, "The County is responsible for the winter shelter program and it is working with a number of partners including SHRA who are all looking for any possible funding that could supplement the program. What would really be helpful is for more people to come forward and provide the assistance that is needed to help ensure that residents in need of shelter will be taken care of this winter."

Blount wrote in an email addressing the current fiscal year:

An active partner in homeless programs, the county will continue to seek funding within its budget and to work with its public and private partners and the community to enhance last year’s efforts.

One message was repeated several times throughout the press conference – there is currently no plan for administering Winter Shelter this year, only plans for a second year of Winter Sanctuary, recently funded by the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, and the first day of Fall is already on us.

“We’ve got 41 days and counting,” Erlenbusch said.

Many Homeless in Sacramento, Out in the Cold This Winter

2011-09-21T19:24:48Z

On any given night in Sacramento 2,400 people are homeless in our County. According to the 2011 Sacramento Homeless Count, 955 of our neighbors are sleeping on the streets. As winter rapidly approaches, Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) is seeking creative solutions to house those families and individuals who are forced to sleep outside due to overburdened resources. This harsh reality poses a dual risk to both the safety and health of those sleeping outside. Notably, Sacramento has been successful in reducing chronic homelessness by 50% in the last 3 years. However, family homelessness is on the rise; this year’s Homeless Count data shows an 11% increase.

Loaves and Fishes, which serves meals to over 800 homeless people each day recently surveyed 109 women (and 10 children) to find that 59% (66 women and 4 children) are sleeping outside or in a vehicle at night.

The recent release of the 2010 Census Bureau data paints a sobering picture of struggling Americans. According to the figures, nearly 1-in-6 adults and 1-in-5 children are currently living in poverty, the highest rate seen in 52 years. The national unemployment rate remains at 9%; in Sacramento County it has soared to almost 13%. As poverty rates increase, homelessness becomes the tragic reality for more children, families and single adults.

As the Executive Director of Sacramento Steps Forward, I urge readers to focus on the upcoming challenge of providing winter shelter for the most vulnerable in our community.

Historically public funding has funded the Cal-Expo Winter Overflow Shelter for homeless people during the severe winter months. In 2008-2009, this funding totaled just under $700,000 and last year these funds decreased to $250,000 for winter family shelters. Last winter when there was no public funding for winter shelter for single people, SSF and the Volunteers of America partnered with the Faith Community (22 churches and 2 Mosques) to open the Winter Sanctuary Program for 100 single homeless people. Winter Sanctuary is again planned for this winter.

Currently, there is no Public-allocated funding for additional shelter for the 2011-2012 Winter, which is sure to be wet and cold.

We are concerned that families will be out in the cold and lives may be in jeopardy, as those who are forced to sleep outside are at increased risk of illness, injury and even death.

Launched in 2009, Sacramento Steps Forward’s (SSF) public-private partnership is bringing together the ideas, insights, and skills of a broad range of passionate organizations, businesses and individuals from across Sacramento to transform the current system serving our homeless population. SSF focuses on addressing challenges in the existing system of care, and with the active support of political leaders such as Mayor Kevin Johnson and County Supervisor Phil Serna, we strive to ensure continued public participation in developing solutions.

Sacramento’s housing providers are ready and willing to provide their shelter and services to those in need however, funding must be made available in order for this to happen. SSF is dedicated to identifying each provider’s need and assisting in coordinating a system of care to house those who would otherwise have to sleep outside in the cold. This system will allow integration into mainstream services that will hopefully lead to a permanent solution to homelessness for many families and individuals. And amidst this bad news, a bit of good: the Sacramento Region Community Foundation has awarded $30,000 in grants to the community for winter shelter.

But your neighbors need more help. With only 61 days before winter shelter should begin (November 20, 2011) you can help provide these critically needed resources today by simply going to our website at SacramentoStepsForward.org. Click the ‘Donate’ button at the top right of the screen to make a secure, tax deductible donation.

It only costs $10 a day to house someone and provide them with a meal. Your donation could save the life of a vulnerable homeless person. In return, we will provide monthly updates as to how your contribution has been used to provide shelter during these critical winter months. We will also provide a report detailing the results of the program to the community at the end of winter.

Disclosure: Ben Burton is the Executive Director of Sacramento Steps Forward. Sacramento Steps Forward is committed to ending homelessness throughout the region.

Sacramento Steps Forward hires first executive director

2011-08-17T04:38:47Z

Mayor Kevin Johnson introduced Ben Burton, the first executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward, Tuesday at the weekly press conference held at City Hall. Burton and Johnson spoke about future plans for Sacramento Steps Forward, which is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to ending homelessness and building a supportive community.

According to Johnson, Sacramento Steps Forward was launched in 2009 as a response to the Oprah Winfrey show that highlighted issues in Sacramento.

“We wanted to lay out 2,400 permanent housing units in a three-year period, and we are well on our way to achieve that goal,” Johnson said.

According to Johnson, Sacramento Steps Forward was officially created in February with a vision that it would be a national model for ending homelessness by providing resources to people in need.

With Johnson and Burton at the meeting were local business, political and religious leaders.

“After a lot of debate and time and effort, we think that we have selected the person who is right for this particular job at this time and who is going to do tremendous work in moving Sacramento forward,” Sacramento Steps Forward Board Chairman Chet Hewitt said.

According to Hewitt, Burton officially started Aug. 1, and he has had nine years of experience as an executive director working for the Miami Coalition for the Homeless, Inc. In the last five years, there has been a 25 percent decrease in homelessness in Miami. He also has 25 years’ experience working in nonprofits and received his bachelor’s degree in biology at Emery University and his master’s of science degree in clinical psychology from Eastern Kentucky University.

“It’s really exciting to be here and to be in a city that is trying to come together and to do something important about a serious issue,” Burton said

According to Hewitt, the selection process in choosing Burton was a national search for about four months including 40 candidates, in which eight were brought to the Sacramento area to be interviewed.

“One of the things that I think Sacramento Steps Forward stands for is really about getting people what they need in the community, and that is world-class services, access to permanent affordable housing (and) making sure there is an advocacy voice in the community.”

According to Johnson, in the last two years, homelessness has been reduced in Sacramento by 15 percent, and chronic homelessness (someone who has been homeless for a year or more or been homeless at least four times in a three year period) has been reduced by 50 percent in the last four years.

Some of the future goals for the organization include trying to be more efficient when it comes to delivering items to people and utilizing funding, whether it is through grants, public or private funding.

“Our success to date is not enough,” Hewitt said. “We believe that the folks here in Sacramento – the citizens as well as those who are facing homelessness – deserve better, and we are positioning ourselves to deliver on that particular promise.”

Johnson also spoke about efforts to continue to move forward on getting a new sports complex by March, 2012. He also spoke briefly about the new partial packages coming out that will allow fans to customize the way they can get their season tickets. For more information go to the Kings website.

Nearly 1,000 Attending 4th Annual Homeless Connect

2011-05-24T00:40:10Z

“This suit is not bad.”

Theoplus Dubose-Harvey was searching for some new work clothes on Saturday. He hoped to find the right business suit for the next job interview.

“See, I got some shoes to go along with that,” he said.

Dubose-Harvey believes the new attire will help change his life. Because right now, he is unemployed and homeless.

“Times are tough, “said Dubose-Harvey, a 55-year-old former state worker. “That’s why I appreciate the help I got here.”

The assistance he is speaking of was the fourth annual Homeless Connect on May 21 at Sacramento City College. Dubose-Harvey was one of nearly 1,000 homeless individuals and families who attended this direct service fair.

“I’m thankful for the suit and shoes I got from here,” he said. “This event shows that even under tough circumstances, I’m not alone.”

More than 60 different service agencies and organizations, along with over 400 community volunteers, provided the homeless with access to housing referrals and services; health screenings, including dental and vision screenings; mental health services; Social Security benefits; HIV and STI testing; California identification cards; foot washing and haircuts; bike repairs; veterans services; legal assistance; job readiness and clothing closets.

Homeless Connect was organized by Sacramento Steps Forward.

“We’re delighted that we can make difference in our community,” said Tim Brown, Sacramento Steps Forward executive director. “I appreciate all of our agencies and volunteers coming together and making a difference with our homeless neighbors.”

According to Sacramento Steps Forward, since January 2007, chronic homelessness in Sacramento County has decreased by 50.8%. Since January 2009, overall homelessness has decreased by 15.8%.

“It’s our goal, through efforts like Homeless Connect, that we, as a community, can once and for all end homelessness,” Brown said.

The Salvation Army was the presenting sponsor of the event, providing lunch, food bags and new socks to all of the event attendees.

“It’s an honor to be part of the Homeless Connect event again,” said David Bentley, Salvation Army Sacramento County Coordinator. “We know ending homelessness is not easy, but this collaboration of all the agencies and volunteers shows that the Sacramento community is stepping up to find that solution.”

Syd Fong is the public relations director for The Salvation Army of Sacramento County. For more information about The Salvation Army, log onto www.salarmysacto.org or join the facebook page www.facebook.com/salvationarmysacramento

4th Annual Sacramento Homeless Connect this Saturday, May 21 at Sacramento City College

2011-05-16T21:19:36Z

The 4th Annual Sacramento Homeless Connect event will take place this Saturday, May 21 at Sacramento City College from 10:00 am-3:00 pm. It is hosted by Sacramento Steps Forward, with support from presenting sponsor The Salvation Army. Speakers at the event include Assemblymember Roger Dickinson, Mayor Kevin Johnson and Supervisor Phil Serna. Over 1,000 homeless guests are expected; additionally the event hosts 500 community volunteers and over 60 different service providers.

Project Homeless Connect is a national Best Practice model for bringing services directly to homeless folks. Started in San Francisco, it now occurs in over 150 communities across the country. Homeless Connect events are one-day, one-stop, 100% free resource fairs that bring a myriad of services all to one location, thus eliminating many of the barriers homeless folks face in accessing the services they need. Transportation is provided for guests that day (a major barrier for many homeless people), as well as pet care and childcare. Homeless folks get to meet with providers face-to-face, in a warm, hospitable environment. Additionally, the Salvation Army provides BBQ chicken meals for the guests, and bands Guitar Mac and BluSoul Band will be providing all-day entertainment.

500 community volunteers will be donating their time that day, helping with a number of different projects.

This year, over 60 different agencies and service providers will be in attendance, including:

Community housing and shelter providers, including: Sacramento Self-Help Housing; Volunteers of America; Transitional Living & Community Support; Lutheran Social Services, Resources for Independent Living; St. John’s Shelter and Sacramento Area Emergency Housing
Health Services including: the UC Davis Willow Clinic rapid HIV-testing by CARES, Hep-C, STI testing and harm reduction services by Harm Reduction Services and Oak Park Outreach Services; dental screenings by Dr. Charles Newens, and ocular exams by the Lion’s Club Vision Van and UC Davis eye doctors
Free California State IDs provided by the DMV, with help from Francis House
An Employment Triage Station, run by Women’s Empowerment, with an interview-ready clothing closet and help with resume-writing and interview skills
A new Wellness Area, including: free yoga all day, by the Yoga Seed Collective, 20-minute mini-chair massages by the Healing Arts Institute, foot washing & clean socks by Christ Church, Davis, an art therapy station (staffed by AmeriCorps NCCC members) and a Story Table (with professional portraits by Lynette Falls of Three One Photography)
A Mental Health services station, staffed by Guest House Homeless Clinic, Genesis, Social Security Administration, SMART (a brand-new pilot program that helps folks receive SSI), and Clean & Sober
Veterans Services, staffed by the California Department of Veterans Affairs, the Sacramento Veterans Resource Center, the Sacramento Veterans Support Network, the Sacramento County Veterans
Sacramento County General Assistance and CalFresh (Food Stamps)
Bike repair provided by Cycles4Hope, who is also raffling off 10 adult bikes
Free haircuts by Federico’s Beauty Institute Salon
And amazing giveaways, including: The Sacramento Public Library is giving away 200 free books; the Bra Recyclers donated 1,300 bras; Restoring Vision provided us with 300 pairs of reading glasses; a Sac State student is giving away 150 pairs of shoes; 2 clothing closets and exit gift bags for each guest.
Other elements: free transportation all day provided by Regional Transit, Paratransit, Volunteers of America and Sacramento County. Free all day pet-care provided by WOOFF and free childcare provided by the Mustard Seed School!

The Salvation Army is our presenting sponsor, for the 2nd year in a row, and they’re providing at least $20,000 of in-kind support.

Additional sponsors: The City of Rancho Cordova, Wells Fargo Bank, Golden 1 Credit Union, Sutter Health Sacramento Sierra Region, Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency, Loaves & Fishes, Sacramento Mutual Housing Association, Councilmember Steve Cohn, The Merchants National Bank, CARES, UC Davis Health System, Sacramento Housing Alliance and Councilmember Jay Schenirer.

Last year's Sacramento Homeless Connect had over 800 homeless adults and 170 homeless children in attendance.

For questions about the event, please contact Kate Towson, ktowson@communitycouncil.org

Kate Towson is an Americorps VISTA serving with Sacramento Steps Forward.

Data: Homelessness declines in Sacramento County

2011-04-23T01:11:44Z

The number of homeless people in Sacramento County has sharply declined, according to 2011 figures on homelessness released Friday by Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento County. Long-term homelessness saw the biggest decrease, with a 50 percent drop since 2007.

Despite the lasting effects of the recession locally, the numbers for both long-term homelessness and overall homelessness have fallen compared to recent years.

On any given night in Sacramento County in 2011, there are 2,358 homeless people, said Paul Lake, director of the county’s Department of Human Assistance. That’s down from 2,800 people at any night in 2009.

“I think we were all pleasantly surprised,” Lake said.

The data released Friday is based on the Jan. 27 Homeless Street Count held by Sacramento Steps Forward.

“In addition to the substantial decrease of 50.8 percent in chronic homelessness between 2007 and 2011, this year’s homeless count also found a 15.8 percent decrease in overall homelessness since 2009,” according to a fact sheet on the data released by Sacramento Steps Forward and Sacramento County.

While the overall numbers are down, the county did see an 11.2 percent rise in families that are homeless since 2009, according to the figures.

Lake credited the drop in homelessness partly to the work of the Ten-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, a partnership between local government agencies and private firms in the Sacramento County. LINK

“I was hopeful that we’d see the success of the efforts that we’ve been making in the 10-year plan,” Lake said. “I think this points out that we have achieved some success.”

Lake also said that a federal stimulus program that started in 2009, the Homeless Prevention and Rapid-Rehousing program, helped lower the number of homeless in Sacramento County.

He said about 1,600 people in Sacramento County gained housing help through that program.

The numbers, which were crunched by the MKS Consulting firm, will be used by the county’s Department of Human Assistance to maintain federal Housing and Urban Development Department funding, said Lake.

The fact sheet on the results of the homeless count says the data is based on a “statistically reliable research-based method of counting that is approved by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development.”

Sacramento County must provide statistics on homelessness to the federal housing department every other year, according to Michele Watts, program manager for Sacramento Steps Forward.

Lake explained that the data cannot be broken down by city to show how many homeless people are in each city in the county. The data was assessed by splitting up the county into areas that have a high number of homeless people and areas that have low numbers of homeless.

Volunteers counted homeless people in 100 percent of the high-density areas, said Megan Schatz, principal consultant for MKS Consulting, the firm that analyzed the data. About two-thirds of the low-density areas were counted, she said.

Because not every portion of the low-density areas were covered in the count, there is “no way to extrapolate how many people are in a given sub-section of the county,” Lake said.

Read the fact sheet on the new results here.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Editorial Note: This is an updated version of an earlier story.

500 Community Volunteers Needed for 4th Annual Sacramento Homeless Connect

2011-04-08T22:42:15Z

On May 21st at Sacramento City College, Sacramento Steps Forward will be hosting its 4th annual Sacramento Homeless Connect event. In addition to the over 800 homeless guests and 60 service providers in attendance, 500 community volunteers participate as well. Volunteers provide help at important stations like housing or health services, serving lunch to guests, guiding guests to services, checking guests in at the intake station or participating in the job readiness fair. There are many positions available, and folks can sign up to volunteer at Hands-On Sacramento.

This is a very popular event, so sign up as soon as you can! Volunteer positions tend to go quickly.

Community volunteers assist service providers and staff in providing an amzaing, welcome and heartwarming experience for our homeless neighbors. After the event, volunteers genuinely agree that the experience is a great one; some volunteers have felt their opinions around homelessness forever changed for the better.

Homeless Connect serves the community by enhancing the quality of life for homeless individuals, engaging civic leaders and community volunteers, and debunking myths and stereotypes about homeless people. The layout of the event is helpful and empowering for guests; as homeless folks have noted, it is often stressful, frustrating or impossible to navigate separate services housed throughout the city and county. At Homeless Connect, all of the services are in one location, making it easier for folks to access what they need.

One of the most unique components of Homeless Connect is an emphasis on hospitality. Homeless folks and families in attendance are treated as guests. Guests are welcomed to the event by an intake booth and then are directed to a catered meal and entertainment. From there they are directed by volunteers to services in which they are most interested. Guests are not expected to wait in long lines or be placed on waiting lists. They are to be connected to services that render same-day results

Services that have been present at the last three events include: housing, mental health services, help with applying for Social Security, legal advice, dental and medical screenings, foot washing and haircuts, childcare and pet care assistance, veterans’ resources and free California IDs. Three previous Homeless Connect events have occurred since 2008.

Sign up to volunteer for Sacramento Homeless Connect at Hands-On Sacramento. The volunteer postings are located under the 'Special Events' page. Click the 'More' button, then scroll down and click the 'Select a Project' button. This will take you to the 24 different volunteer categories. All volunteers must attend a mandatory 1-hour orientation.

Questions about volunteering should be sent to sacramentohomelessconnect@gmail.com.

If you have questions about Sacramento Homeless Connect, you can call Kate Towson at 916-447-7063 ext. 310.

Kate Towson is an AmeriCorps VISTA serving with Sacramento Steps Forward.

Mayor, city celebrate Winter Sanctuary's accomplishments

2011-04-06T01:00:14Z

A group of Sacramento-area faith community leaders came out to be recognized on Tuesday for their participation in the Winter Sanctuary program to house the homeless in the winter.

“From December to March, (the) Winter Sanctuary program sheltered 550 homeless men and women,” County Supervisor Roberta MacGlashan said.

It also served to aid the homeless with resources, employment and treatment of health issues, MacGlashan noted.

“(In addition), they were provided with sleeping bags and transportation each evening by bus to a safe congregation, and there the volunteers from each congregation (served) them with dinner, breakfast, social and spiritual fellowship,” MacGlashan said.

Under the Winter Sanctuary program – which was announced at a press conference ~~launched~~ Oct. 24 by Sacramento Steps Forward, l ocal houses of worship opened their doors to the homeless, giving them a place to sleep.

Mayor Kevin Johnson said it was a day to appreciate and honor the people who made the inaugural Winter Sanctuary program a success.

“We have over 3,000 homeless people in our community – far too many,” Johnson said. “Our vision, in Sacramento, is to be a city that works for everyone, and what I mean by everyone (is) it means the least among us.”

Supervisor Phil Serna said he was very moved when he went out and saw the homeless’ living conditions before the Winter Sanctuary program went into effect.

“From (this) experience, I wanted to do something immediately – I want to make sure our homeless population is taken care of,” he said.

Johnson elaborated on the long-term details of his plan to curb homelessness in Sacramento.

“We want to create permanent housing units,” he said. “We have 1,600 that we have done in a little over a year. Our goal is to have 2,400 within a three-year period.”

Johnson said the faith groups, volunteers,service providers and public officials all worked together to make the Winter Sanctuary program work – a program he previously said is necessary to help the homeless until the long-term goal can be realized.

He said the churches and two mosques contributed places to sleep, volunteers helped in serving meals and putting things in order, while service providers served with things such as transportation and the public officials aided in drafting the program.

About 24 houses of worship ~~churches~~ participated, and thousands of volunteers came out.

“We, as a community, want to step forward and take care of our community,” Johnson said. “We want to be a community that empowers the homeless to contribute to our city.”

For the list of the churches, visit the website Sacramento Steps Forward.

Among the speakers was Tony Aiken, a homeless man who said he is grateful for the program.

“Sometimes when (you) give (to the homeless), (you) give away what’s left over, but if you’re not using it, what makes you think we are going to use it?” Aiken said. “They served us first-class everything.

“Because of the blessing I have received, I am now able to help someone else,” Aiken added.

The program was led by Volunteers of America and Sacramento Steps Forward.

Among other service providers, Sacramento’s Loaves & Fishes offered space at Friendship Park to pre-screen guests ~~served meals for the homeless~~ .

Various businesses, individuals and associations made financial contributions to fund the program.

Editorial Note: Corrections have been made to this story after it was published. The incorrect information has been struck out and the correct information has been added.

Mayor's Initiatives Pep Rally Squad

2011-02-07T19:35:10Z

A Perspective:

2011 City Management Academy's Class #2:

Mayor Johnson Presents with his Initiatives’ Pep Rally Squad

The second session of the 2011 City Management Academy (CMA) 12-week classroom for neighborhood association and other community & business leaders began with a 4-minute, professionally-produced video presentation complete w/ pulsing background music and splashy visual edits which highlighted some of Mayor Johnson’s accomplishments while in office.

As the video ended, Wednesday evening’s first speaker, the mayor (waiting in the wings -- poised in the doorway shadows of a 5th floor New City Hall conference room, standing very still & quiet, head bowed, anticipating the room’s re- lighting and, perhaps, applause) was introduced to the class of 30 by an alumna of a previous CMA, and applause.

This observer experienced the next 3 hours as a press conference -- albeit a somewhat well-spun one. But instead of the typical professional spokesperson offering calm, carefully-scripted soundbites for the consumption of an equally professional audience of media, the eight speakers who presented on the Mayor’s “Vision & Initiatives” seemed at times to be on the verge of a pep rally cheerleading squad in their zeal and almost relentlessly positive enthusiasm. At moments during the evening, a more apt comparison might have been that of a pharmaceutical sales rep to a physician's medical office staff, meal included. The sell was on -- and even a hard sell, at times.

Johnson opened his remarks to the class by describing the just-watched video as much briefer than the 24 minutes of his annual State of the City speech given earlier in the week.

He reiterated the three most significant highlights of his “Think Big” vision concept:

Green Energy (the Emerald Valley) branding for the region’s economic growth
re-development of the J, K, L Streets downtown core district (including some version of an entertainment & sports complex known as the SacramentoFirst initiative)
a focus on improving educational resources and outcomes (perhaps initiating 3rd grade proficiency exams) and a "School Report Card" program for city schools

Several informed, specific questions from the room related to recent news including

the “Crash Tax” just passed by the Council
looming Housing & Redevelopment Agency (SHRA) funding cuts proposed by Governor Brown
county budget reductions affecting area social service agencies

got upbeat, non-specific, unsurprising responses from Johnson. For those wanting even more details of Johnson's currrent version of public speechifying, check out this great Sac Press article covering an appearance from the Mayor at the Oak Park Neighborhood Association the very next evening. Folks who saw both appearance noticed a strong similarity in content.

Following Johnson, we at the CMA were treated to a barrage of well-enough rehearsed spin-meisters hawking a variety pack of the Mayor's initiatives, some with the now-ubiquitous PowerPoint presentations so common to this style of efficient information and idea exchange:

- Anne Moore from Sacramento Steps Forward on the city’s homeless population challenges and solutions.
- Lauren Altdoerffer, Greenwise Sacramento, on the Mayor's branding push to create the "Emerald Valley" green initiatives.
- Andie Corso with STAND UP for Education, an education initiative to promote better city schools.
- Deborah Edwards of For Arts’ Sake on the "Any Given Child" & other programs to develop & promote Sacramento's arts and entertainment communities, venues and organizations.
- Keith Hart & MaryLynn Perry from Volunteer Sacramento on the push to make Sacramento's civic volunteerism "no longer nice but necessary" through various programs and agendas.

Others in the class may have gotten something in the way of new information, interesting ideas and, perhaps, encouragement from the presentations. The time constraints caused by a perhaps overly ambitious evening's agenda seemed to leave little opportunity for question-and-answer, or much more than rapidly moving through the speaker list.

What little time was available for questions drew mostly very specific, recent events-based attempts to get deeper explanations from presumptive key players, or at least those on the inside. But with few and brief noteworthy responses, and candor rarely in evidence, a gloss of urgent, near-keening optimism was the apparent substitute for a conversational exchange of ideas with the class.

Some might fairly call this writer a cynic, and only skeptical on my better days, but public relations -style mechanisms for outreach specific to a room of decidedly engaged civic leadership seems verging on contemptible to me. The evening’s lingering aura of non-inclusion of outsiders by the Mayor's "pep rally team" of initiative insiders, the result of so many superficial & slick presentations, left this participant feeling dissed and disengaged instead of welcomed and encouraged. And definitely not sold in any way. Grrrr...

Next week's class #3: a field trip to the city's 24th Street Corporation Yard & 311 Call Center Tour... so do stay tuned with this "storyline" as the 12 week odyssey continues. Next Sac Press update will be posted here online Friday night, fer shure!

Volunteers count homeless on cold night

2011-01-29T00:40:56Z

Mike Morris wore a headlamp late Thursday night as he searched for homeless people in McKinley Park and areas around the freeway at 29th Street.

Morris, with two other volunteers and a law enforcement officer, interviewed two homeless individuals Thursday night as part of the Homeless Street Count event organized by the Sacramento Steps Forward group. A third homeless person declined to be interviewed. The Sacramento Press shadowed the group.

About 400 volunteers turned out on a cold and foggy Thursday night to count the homeless living in Sacramento County. The count is done every other year to comply with the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency.

“I’ve never done anything like this before,” Morris said. “I didn’t even know this (count) existed, and I work for the Department of Human Assistance.”

The federal Housing and Urban Development Agency (HUD) awards about $14 million annually to Sacramento County for services and housing for formerly homeless people, according to Lucinda Serynek, spokeswoman for the Department of Human Assistance (DHA). HUD mandates that Sacramento County carry out the homeless counts, Serynek said.

While Sacramento Steps Forward managed the count, the data will be used by DHA, said Tim Brown, director of Sacramento Steps Forward, a group that address regional homelessness.

The 400 volunteers who participated in Thursday’s count were split up into small groups and sent to areas within Sacramento County, as well as parts of the county’s unincorporated area.

Morris was part of a volunteer interview team with two of his colleagues from the information technology unit at DHA. An armed law enforcement officer from the fraud investigation unit at DHA accompanied the volunteers as they searched areas near freeways and other remote spots.

“I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was,” Morris said, referring to the count. “It’s a pretty big effort.”

Teams did their searches as temperatures dropped into the 30s. Lt. Lori Babbage, the law enforcement member of the team, said it’s better to count homeless people at night because they won’t be moving around as much.

Homeless people move from spot to spot during the day, responding to various groups who don’t want them around, Babbage said. “We know they’re going to hunker down for the night.”

The teams asked homeless people a variety of personal questions. Kelly Newell, who was part of Morris’ team, said interviews included questions about mental health issues, substance abuse, disabilities, domestic violence and HIV.

Newell interviewed a cooperative homeless man who was sleeping near a tree in Midtown. “We won’t ask you your name,” she told the man, who answered her questions.

Another homeless man approached the volunteers. He listened as Newell explained the interview questions, but then walked away. Later that evening, the volunteers spotted him at 29th and E streets. This time around, he readily talked with Morris and Todd Dunbar, another volunteer in the group.

The man appeared to be more willing to talk when Babbage, who was wearing a vest printed with the word “Police,” was not near him.

The team fanned out at McKinley Park and searched the grounds and bathrooms thoroughly. A few joggers were doing laps around the park, but the only other people inside the park at 9:30 p.m. were a young couple sharing a blanket.

Brown said he thinks homeless people might not be sleeping at McKinley Park because law enforcement officers drive around the park and tell people to leave.

Isleton was the only part of the county that wasn’t included in the count, said John Culbert, GIS lead for the project. Areas were selected with input from many groups, including law enforcement agencies, park rangers, homeless people, citizen groups and homeless outreach workers, according to Culbert and Brown.

The count began around 8 p.m. and ended at midnight. Some groups finished their walks before midnight.

Numerous area law enforcement agencies participated in the event. Brown said there were no public safety issues with Thursday’s count.

In an interview Friday morning, Brown said he hopes to have a report on the new data from Thursday night’s walk in March. The report will be handled by the MKS Consulting firm.

County Supervisor Phil Serna joined the volunteers Thursday night.

“I think it’s important for local, elected leaders to see for themselves the extent of this challenge,” he said.

The public will be able to read the results of the count online in March, according to Serynek.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Homelessness a key issue in 2010

2010-12-31T01:18:31Z

With the city and county of Sacramento still in the depths of recession, 2010 saw a focus on homelessness as services were cut and unemployment was at 13 percent.

An ongoing issue with Sacramento’s homeless that was still not seeing notable progress even as the year ended was the Safe Ground movement, which seeks to find designated spots in the city for homeless to camp.

In April, about 50 people spoke at City Hall advocating for Safe Ground Sacramento.

They were still at it in July, and they remained a presence at Tuesday night City Council meetings.

In a controversial move, the City Council changed its public comment portion from the beginning of the meetings to the end, which many saw as a move to silence the persistent Safe Ground crowd. They claimed that the later public comment portion would prevent those who take public transit from voicing their opinions.

Their protests were successful, and the policy was overturned shortly thereafter.

One of the most vocal advocates for Safe Ground in 2010 was Tracie Rice-Bailey, who was profiled by Sacramento Press Staff Reporter Kathleen Haley.

A forum was held in October for the community to discuss homeless issues.

With little to no headway made in securing legal campsites, faith groups pledged to open their houses of worship to the homeless during the cold winter months.

The issue was discussed by City Council in October as well, but with little tangible result. Councilman Steve Cohn expressed his frustration with the Safe Ground group, asking members to come back with a concrete proposal.

The council agreed that the issue is an important one, and Councilman Rob Fong called it complex, adding that a lot more work needs to be done.

By late December, houses of worship were still opening their doors to the homeless, but organizers said they need another $50,000 to keep the program going.

Local government kept the issue of homelessness on its agendas despite budget cuts. In September, city and county officials hatched a plan to form a new nonprofit organization to fight homelessness on a regional level.

In December, The Sacramento Press reported on the progression of that idea.

Local nonprofits continued their work to help the homeless and those in poverty.

The River City Food Bank suffered a setback in October when its facility was destroyed in a four-alarm fire.

Undaunted, a new facility was ready to go by December.

The Salvation Army celebrated 125 years in Sacramento in 2010, and it took part in Sacramento Steps Forward’s third annual “Homeless Connect” event, which is designed to help the homeless get access to housing, medical and dental services, among others. To read about the event, click here and here.

Francis House also celebrated a milestone – its 40th anniversary.

The nonprofit is currently raising funds for an expansion plan, which can be read about here.

The year ended on a sad note for the homeless community, however, as Francis House’s executive director of 21 years, Greg Bunker, died of a heart attack.

Throughout the year, The Sacramento Press was home to a unique perspective on homelessness, as Tom Armstrong, a homeless community contributor on The Sacramento Press, shared his thoughts, opinions and insight. To read his more than 20 articles on homelessness, click here.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Homeless shelter program seeks $50K

2010-12-21T02:31:19Z

A local group that combats homelessness is asking the public for $50,000 to shelter the poor during the winter season. Sacramento Steps Forward needs the funding to continue its new Winter Sanctuary program, which allows homeless people to sleep overnight at certain churches, according to the group’s director, Tim Brown.

Volunteers of America is partnering with Sacramento Steps Forward on the program, which started Dec. 1, Brown said. The two groups have raised about $40,000, which will allow the program to run until the end of January, he said. Another $50,000 is needed to continue the program through the end of March, which is the goal.

“The churches have really stepped up to open their doors,” he said.

Eight churches are currently participating in the program, and another nine have pledged to participate later this winter, according to Sacramento Steps Forward. Not all of the religious centers are churches – one of the nine religious centers that has pledged to help is SALAM, a Sacramento mosque.

About 90 homeless people have used the overnight program since Dec. 1, according to Sacramento Steps Forward.

The bulk of the $50,000 would pay for bus expenses and staff, Brown said. The program buses the homeless from Loaves and Fishes to the churches at night, and back to Loaves and Fishes in the morning, he said. Volunteers of America staffers assist the churches with the overnight guests, he said, explaining the staffing costs.

Sacramento County runs a homeless program, but it did not have adequate funding this year to provide winter shelter for homeless individuals, he said. The county and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency received funding to house 100 homeless families, Brown said.

Tracie Rice-Bailey, an advocate who was formerly homeless, said the cold winter weather makes the Winter Sanctuary program necessary. “The river’s rising, the ground’s getting wet,” she said.

Sacramento Steps Forward is accepting donations for Winter Sanctuary through its website.

Religious centers that have participated in Winter Sanctuary:
St. John’s Lutheran Church
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in partnership with Atonement Lutheran
St. Paul’s Baptist Church
Capital Christian Center
Trinity Cathedral
Lutheran Church of the Master
First Covenant Church

Religious centers that have pledged to participate:
St. Mark’s United Methodist
Trinity Life Center
SALAM
Seventh Day Adventist
Arcade Church
Sun River Church
Living Stones Christian Reformed Church in partnership with City Life Church
Mars Hill Church

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance Funds Winter Shelter for Homeless

2010-12-06T17:28:57Z

The Department of Human Assistance (DHA), in conjunction with its partners, Volunteers of America and Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center (SAEHC) will provide winter housing and shelter to homeless families from December 1, 2010, through March 31, 2011. DHA will provide $150,000 in funding. With half of this funding Volunteers of America will be able to provide up to 25 beds for families at 3547 Myrtle Avenue, and with the other half SAEHC will be able to provide up to 25 beds for families at 3671 5th Avenue.

“Sacramento County is committed to helping the homeless in our community,” said Paul Lake, DHA Interim Director. “While the funding amount is less than in previous years, it will provide shelter for many homeless families who otherwise would be spending very cold and rainy nights on the streets. We are thankful to our partners who provide these much needed services.”

Other partners, Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF), Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), and homeless service providers, will support winter shelter for single adults.

Sacramento Steps Forward is coordinating a faith-based nomadic shelter program to house up to 100 single adults per night. SHRA also plans to contract with Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center (SAEHC) to provide motel vouchers for the most vulnerable homeless families and individuals. Funding for these efforts will come from private faith contributions, anticipated foundations grants, and up to $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds received by SHRA and approved by the Board in 2009 for homeless activities.

The Department of Human Assistance provides homeless programs from emergency shelters and transitional housing. Both provide different levels and kinds of services. DHA is also a partner with the City of Sacramento in the 10 Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness approved by the Board of Supervisors in 2006.

Disclosure: Lucinda Serynek is employed by the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance Communications and Media Officer

Effort to count the homeless underway

2010-11-26T18:34:06Z

A local group that addresses homelessness is already preparing to count the county’s homeless population in January.

Sacramento Steps Forward, a group formed by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson to combat homelessness locally, is organizing the 2011 Homeless Street Count. While Johnson’s group is running the event, the information from the Jan. 27 count will be used by Sacramento County.

The county is required by the federal Housing and Urban Development agency to provide information from a count every other year, said Michele Watts, program manager for Sacramento Steps Forward. The federal housing agency provides millions of dollars to Sacramento County’s homeless programs, Watts said.

At this point, Sacramento Steps Forward is gathering information to map out where the county’s homeless are living. The group and hundreds of volunteers will use that information to find homeless people during the Homeless Count.

“What we have on our maps now is a lot of high-density areas,” Watts said. These areas include downtown and Midtown Sacramento, which are locations with many homeless people, she said.

About 20 people turned out for a series of drop-in sessions held last week to help pinpoint where the homeless are living in the county, she said. In addition, a group of about 50 participated in a session at Loaves & Fishes earlier this week.

Watts said she will continue to work on the mapping process in appointments with people who may have information about where the homeless are staying. For example, she said she had set up meetings with a Sacramento police officer and a Sacramento County park ranger.

Tracie Rice-Bailey, an advocate who was once homeless, participated in a recent mapping session. She echoed Watts’ comment, saying that the downtown area was mapped out well.

However, she said Sacramento Steps Forward needs more information about where homeless people are living in outlying areas, such as spots near Citrus Heights. She suggested that the group ask law enforcement officials in outlying areas for information on locations. “If they don’t know, nobody does,” Bailey said.

Watts also said that law enforcement representatives have good information on locations.

However, the role of law enforcement in the count and mapping sessions is a complicated matter, according to Watts.

Sacramento Steps Forward will not publish maps with the exact locations where homeless people live, she said. The group is making efforts to protect the homeless population from rousting, she said, pointing out that the city of Sacramento has a camping ban on its books.

“It is technically illegal to sleep outside,” Watts said. “That’s the concern.”

However, the group will rely on hundreds of volunteers to help count the homeless in January. The count will be conducted at night, which means there could be some safety concerns, Watts said. To address any safety issues, teams of volunteers will have a law enforcement official accompany them, she said.

The law enforcement presence during the count “is sort of a trade-off,” she said, between the group’s concerns about rousting and protecting the safety of the volunteers.

But Sgt. Norm Leong, spokesman for the Sacramento Police Department, said the location of homeless people is not a significant concern for the department.

“Identifying where the camps are is not a major issue for us,” he said. “The reality is, we only enforce the camping ordinance when we get complaints.”

Sacramento Steps Forward will recruit volunteers for the count starting Dec. 10, Watts said. About 350-400 volunteers are needed to count the county’s homeless on Jan. 27, she said. Volunteers may sign up to volunteer on the Hands on Sacramento website. More information about the sign-up process is here.

Photo by Brandon Darnell.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Severe Weather Alert: Warming Centers Open for Homeless People in Sacramento

2010-11-23T20:42:11Z

An early bout of severe weather will hit Sacramento tonight through Wednesday night, endangering the lives of the approximately 1,200 homeless men, women and children sleeping outside in Sacramento County. The next three days will see lows of 28 degrees to 30 degrees, with rain forecasted for this evening.

Due to the projected low temperatures, warming centers are being activated for Tuesday, November 23, Wednesday, November 24, and Thursday, November 25, 2010.

Open warming centers are:

-Volunteers of America A Street Shelter (1400 North A Street, next door to TLCS Guest House: Men only

-Salvation Army Shelter (12th & North B Street): Women and Men, 18 years +

-Union Gospel Mission (400 Bannon Street): Men only

The warming centers are open from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am. The warming centers will close on Friday, November 26. An additional bulletin will follow if the dates of availability are extended.

Please note: this is not a sleeping arrangement. This is a place to get out of the weather. Unfortunately, animals will not be allowed inside.

Folks can always call 2-1-1 (or 916-498-1000) from their phones to receive up-to-date information on warming centers or shelter in the future.

Additionally, those in need of shelter or housing resources, can visit Sacramento Steps Forward's Find Help: Shelter page for important phone numbers and information. The section on the page titled "Open Beds for Sacramento's Winter Shelter" will be updated with pertinent winter shelter phone numbers and information by the end of the week.

Please pass along this information on warming centers to any persons who might be interested or are in need of shelter from the cold during the next three days.

Local Homeless Initiative Launches Fundraising Campaign for Winter Shelter

2010-11-03T17:00:28Z

Sacramento Steps Forward, an initiative that works to end homelessness in Sacramento County, launched a campaign last week to raise $25,000 to help fund winter shelter efforts this year.

In Sacramento, cold and wet weather conditions threaten the lives of the approximately 1,200 homeless men, women and children sleeping outside in the county.

Without winter shelter, people experiencing homelessness are at an even greater risk of injuries, illnesses and fatalities. Winter shelter begins in three weeks, on Nov. 22, and will last until March 31, 2011.

Historically, winter shelter in Sacramento has been publicly funded. However, budget cuts have significantly decreased funding throughout the last two winters, forcing the creation of new programs.

This winter many partners – including Sacramento Steps Forward, Sacramento County, the city of Sacramento, homeless service providers, community partners and the faith community – are working together on three components for winter shelter.

The first component is a motel voucher program for the winter targeted at homeless families, people with disabilities and the elderly. The second component is 50 county-funded shelter beds for families. Sacramento Area Emergency Housing and Volunteers of America will provide 25 beds each for families.

The third component is "Winter Sanctuary," a nomadic, interfaith program that will provide nightly shelter and meals for 100 homeless people.

Last week, Mayor Kevin Johnson held a press conference for winter shelter, showcasing the faith-based Winter Sanctuary program and reiterating the crisis facing Sacramento’s homeless in winter.

Winter Sanctuary relies on the participation of Sacramento houses of worship to host about 100 homeless individuals on select nights they sign up for. If your congregation is interested to learn how it can contribute to this effort, please contact Shannon Stevens at sstevens@communitycouncil.org

The limited public funding available will serve homeless families this year. However, most single men and women will be served by the Winter Sanctuary program. Sacramento Steps Forward hopes to raise $25,000 for Winter Sanctuary to fill funding gaps left by the steep budget cuts. If not fully funded, homeless individuals will have very few options for shelter this year.

Sacramento Steps Forward is already accepting donations for winter shelter, and you can visit the website’s donation page to give: http://sacramentostepsforward.com/donate.php.

Your donation will provide much-needed resources for winter shelter, including providing meals and sleeping bags for homeless guests.

Sacramento Steps Forward is an initiative to rally the community toward a shared and collective effort to end homelessness. Members include business and faith community leaders, foundations, service providers, homeless and community representatives, law enforcement and elected officials from many of our cities and the County of Sacramento.

Kate Towson is a staff member at Sacramento Steps Forward.

Council: Homeless need shelter for winter

2010-10-27T01:00:33Z

Finding a way to shelter the homeless during the winter months is job one for city staff tasked with addressing the homeless following a City Council workshop Tuesday.

“Winter waits for no one,” said Councilman Rob Fong. “We need to collectively figure out what we can do to make sure no one is exposed to the elements.”

The council uniformly applauded the faith community in its work to shelter the homeless over the winter, but all agreed more has to be done both in terms of a more permanent solution to emergency winter shelters and eventual year-round permanent housing options.

But not everyone agrees that opening the churches to the homeless is a solution.

“It is not shelter. There are no beds,” said Tamie Dramer, executive director of Safe Ground Sacramento. She added that people in the churches will sleep on concrete and hardwood floors, and suggested the term “sanctuary” is a more accurate description.

“It doesn’t look as though there’s a complete solution around the corner,” she said.

Safe Ground’s goal is to get the city to designate a spot for the homeless to camp and has been working toward that for more than a year.

“I’m really tired of just talking about this thing in concept,” said Councilman Steve Cohn. “If people are serious about this, come back with a concrete proposal.”

Cohn said he has heard a lot over the past few months about Safe Ground, but that that can’t be the focus right now.

“Our top priority at the moment has to be what we’re doing with winter shelters,” he said, reiterating Fong’s point.

“Sanctioning camping out there is just not a policy that’s right for the city,” said Councilman Kevin McCarty.

Councilwomen Sandy Sheedy and Bonnie Pannell agreed, arguing against revoking the no-camping ordinance.

“I just don’t see a safe ground opportunity here,” Sheedy said. “We need to start thinking outside the box on where to put people.”

Mayor Kevin Johnson said that any form of a proposal by Safe Ground would only be one piece of a larger solution of transitional housing as the region’s governments work toward the ultimate goal of finding permanent housing for the area’s 2,800 homeless.

“There’s a long-term strategy,” Johnson said. “And that long-term strategy is what we’ve been working toward, which is permanent housing.”

Johnson said the city is able, with the help of the county and nonprofit, private and faith-based groups, to shelter the same amount of homeless this year as last year despite reduced funding.

According to Johnson, progress has been made with helping the homeless over the past year, and one person who exemplifies that progress spoke during public comment.

“I am one of the statistics you are talking about,” said Robert Harris, a plumber. “This time last year, I was homeless.”

Harris said he had received a hotel voucher from the city in addition to clothing, food and medical attention from Loaves & Fishes.

“I am now employed,” Harris said, adding that it is just part-time, but he is hoping to be employed full-time soon.

“I want you to know your tax dollars did go to work for me.”

For others who remain homeless, however, the approach of winter highlights the council’s urgency to find a quick solution.

“Winter is on us, and we don’t have any money,” said John Krantz, a homeless man. “We need to find a solution and we need to find a solution quick.”

Krantz said the churches opening their doors helps, but he advocated for decriminalizing homelessness and allowing camping.

“This is not our last discussion,” Fong said. “It’s a big issue, and it really deserves a lot of attention.”

Johnson characterized the two-hour workshop as having covered a lot of complex issues. He said Sacramento Steps Forward – established about a year ago – is key to helping the city develop a system of using transitional housing options – possibly including something like Safe Ground – into permanent housing.

“Sacramento Steps Forward will strengthen our ability to go forward,” he said. “That’s the future. We have an opportunity here to really be cutting-edge.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Faith groups open doors to homeless

2010-10-26T03:18:33Z

Sacramento’s faith community will be providing shelter for the homeless this winter season, as government funding falls short of providing enough resources.

Funding has steadily been falling as the poor economy has necessitated cutbacks, with more than $700,000 coming from Sacramento County in 2008 dwindling to less than $200,000 this year.

Mayor Kevin Johnson said shelters and motel vouchers can provide overnight housing for about 300 homeless, and he is looking for the faith community to supply shelter for another 100 people for the winter season.

“During the warm months, it’s less of an urgency, but when the temperature drops and the rain falls, it’s even that much more of a challenge to make sure we provide shelter for our homeless population,” Johnson said Monday at a press conference.

He applauded the area’s religious communities and said all have joined the Sacramento Steps Forward group, including Christians, Muslims and the Jewish community. Sacramento Steps Forward’s goal is to ensure that there is a system in place to support the area’s homeless and provide them with the resources they need.

Imam Mohammad Abdel Azeez of the Sacramento Area League of Associated Muslims said he remembers reading news reports of people “literally passing away” because of the cold a couple of years ago.

At the time, his congregation collected warm clothes and blankets and distributed them to the homeless.

“We are coming here today to make sure that such tragedy never happens again,” Azeez said. “We can not let our fellow Sacramentans suffer on those cold nights in the winter season.”

According to Pastor Rick Cole of Capital Christian Church, it’s not just Midtown churches that can help.

“There are churches in suburban areas that may not be as tied in and aware,” Cole said. “We need to step up and help and not just rely upon the Midtown churches to make a difference in this way in our community.”

Cole added that the problem is critical.

“We can’t fail at this,” he said. “We need to make sure that every night all through this winter season without fail that there’s a place for those who don’t have shelter over their heads.”

Though at least 10 churches have signed on to help out, Johnson and other church officials said Sacramento Steps Forward is looking to partner with at least another 10 to fill the need.

“I want to encourage other congregations to step up and offer to open their doors for one or two nights a month and be a part of this program and invite their congregation to this time of transformation,” said Brian Baker, dean of Trinity Episcopal Church.

“Even if you’re not part of a congregation, you can volunteer in congregations that are doing this,” he added, saying it is a problem all Sacramentans can help with.

The solution to the problem of homelessness can’t be solved by churches opening their doors in the winter, according to Johnson, but it is a crucial transitional step.

The ultimate goal is permanent housing, and Johnson said he wants to continue to see collaboration with all aspects of the community.

“It’s still a long road, we’d like to have this up in place by next winter,” he said, referring to finding a site for the Safe Ground that homeless advocates have been striving for since the tent city near Cal Expo was dismantled.

Johnson’s goal to find permanent housing is one shared by Sacramento County Supervisor Roger Dickinson.

“(We need) to make sure that we just don’t maintain people in a condition of homelessness, getting by, but that we give them the means and the opportunity to once again be full, participating members of our community,” Dickinson said.

Johnson further urged churches to volunteer by calling his office, where they will be connected with Sacramento Steps Forward. In addition to facilities, Johnson said $70,000 still needs to be collected to fund government-run services for the homeless this winter.

“You see a community coming together,” Johnson said. “City, county working together, the private sector, different regions, different worship houses, different denominations. This is the best of Sacramento.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Mayor's group, other agencies house 1,168 families

2010-08-25T02:23:26Z

A group he formed to address homelessness surpassed its target to work with agencies and provide housing for 800 families this year, Mayor Kevin Johnson told the media Tuesday morning.

The group, Sacramento Steps Forward, formed last November and worked with other agencies to set up housing for 1,168 families this year.

“We’re making a difference in people’s lives,” Johnson said.

By 2012, Sacramento Steps Forward hopes to work with its partnering agencies to house 2,400 families.

Sacramento Steps Forward works with Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing of Sacramento County (HPRP). The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency administers HPRP, which is a federal stimulus program.

Additional groups affiliated with Sacramento Steps Forward include the Sacramento County Department of Human Assistance, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation and the Sierra Health Foundation.

Kyomi Jones told the media that the HPRP helped her when she nearly became homeless.

“They helped me find a job,” Jones said. “I was able to keep my home, able to keep my kids. And I just thank God for them and everyone that helped me.”

Private citizens and religious groups gave $400,000 during a “One Day to End Homelessness” effort held in March. The effort successfully brought $1.6 million in federal funding to Sacramento County’s HPRP.

A press release from the mayor’s office noted that $4 from the federal government were matched to each local dollar, totaling $1.6 million.

Johnson praised religious groups for their involvement in the fundraising effort. “You have to give the faith community a round of applause,” he said.

In response to a question after the press conference, Tim Brown, director of Sacramento Steps Forward, said there are still waiting lists at local shelters, but the lists “have gone down somewhat” because of the HPRP program.

Sacramento County has 2,800 homeless people, according to the most recent statistics, which were calculated in January 2009, Brown said.

Of the 2,800 homeless people, 1,200 people are living on the streets, he said. The remaining people are living in shelters or transitional housing, he said.

The next count of the county’s homeless will be in January 2011, he said.

Kathleen Haley is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

3rd Annual Homeless Connect

2010-05-24T19:47:51Z

Montrail Carr is a 29-year-old father of seven children. He and his family have been homeless for the last 13 months.

"I'm looking for housing or any kind of help," said Carr. "I have never been homeless before, so I need assistance for my family."

Carr's hope for help came one step closer recently. He was one of more than 700 homeless individuals who attended the third annual Homeless Connect on May 22 at Sacramento City College. The one day event provided direct services to the homeless in an “one stop shop” format.

With the partnership of more than 50 organizations and the aid of 500 community volunteers, Sacramento Steps Forward’s Sacramento Homeless Connect provided homeless individuals and families with access to residential assistance, health screenings, vision appointments, dental screenings, mental health services, Social Security Administration assistance, HIV tests, skin cancer screenings, California identification cards, and access to benefits, shelter, haircuts, bike and wheelchair repair and much more.

"I'm so thankful that there are so many who care about us," Carr said. "They really want us to change and get help."

The Salvation Army was the presenting sponsor of Homeless Connect, providing food and gift bags to all of the event guests.

"It's a honor and a blessing for The Salvation Army to be involved with the Homeless Connect again," said David Bentley, Salvation Army Sacramento County Coordinator. "We hope that the attendees can take advantage of all of the resources here, and hopefully, we can bring hope to them, too."

Since January 2007, chronic homelessness in Sacramento County has decreased by 35% but overall homelessness continues to rise.

"The goal of ending homelessness is an important and profound mission that requires the ideas, insights and efforts of all individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies," said Tim Brown, Director of Sacramento Steps Forward. "Sacramento Steps Forward,through its Homeless Connect project is an initiative to rally the community towards a shared and collective effort to end homelessness.”

Last year, over 700 homeless guests, 300 staff and 400 volunteers, participated in making Sacramento Homeless Connect a great success.

2010 Homeless Connect provides jobs, health and housing resources for homeless

2010-05-19T02:21:50Z

The homeless will find easy access to all the services they need in one location Saturday, as the third annual Sacramento Homeless Connect returns. The event, held at Sacramento City College, will run from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., offering a variety of resources including free haircuts, bicycle and wheelchair repair, California identification cards, job preparedness and even a barbecue lunch.

"Last year we saw 700 people and had 400 volunteers," said Tim Brown, executive director of Sacramento Steps Forward. This year, Brown said he expects to see 800 homeless and about 500 volunteers, due mostly to the increased percentage of homeless.

Sacramento Steps Forward is an initiative started to combat Sacramento homelessness by empowering the homeless and assist them in finding permanent housing. The Homeless Connect event is modeled after San Francisco's project of the same name.

"We're trying to bring community volunteers face to face with the homeless," Brown said. "We want to break through myths of the homeless, raise awareness and show they're not so different from us."

New for 2010, Homeless Connect will be offering more employment resources in response to requests from prior years' events. Programs such as Women's Empowerment and Crossroads Employment Services will be on hand to assist the homeless with workshops such as interview skills, resume critiques, interpersonal communication and dressing for success.

Brown said approximately 60 organizations will contribute efforts toward services Saturday, from local businesses and nonprofits to public-funded programs.

Shuttle services, funded by Sacramento Steps Forward, will be provided every 15 minutes throughout the day, stopping at locations such as Loaves and Fishes between B and C streets, the Salvation Army between Dos Rios and Ahern streets and the Capitol Health Clinic at 1500 C St.

The main goal of the event is to increase access to a wider variety of resources in one spot. "We're trying to make it easier to access many different services all in one day," Brown said. Typically, he said, it can take one full day to access just one of these resources.

Sacramento Steps Forward still needs 20 volunteers for the 2010 Homeless Connect. To sign up, or for further information, visit sacramentostepsforward.com. To view the entire schedule of the event's workshop, click here.

Photos from 2009 Homeless Connect courtesy of Tim Brown, Sacramento Steps Forward

Affordable housing defined

2010-05-04T04:05:34Z

Everyone wants "affordable" housing. But few people know what that is.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has defined affordable housing as no more than 30 percent of a household's income.

That means you shouldn't be paying more than 30 percent of your income for housing — whether mortgage payments or rent — plus utilities each month.

"People think affordable housing means just one thing. But it doesn't," said Sandra Hamameh, program director for the Sacramento Housing Alliance. "It means being able to afford a place to live, at whatever stage you're in in your life."

Levels of affordability are also based on an area's median incomes. The median incomes for Sacramento County, based on 2009 figures, are $50,950 for a single person, $58,250 for a two-person household and $72,800 for a family of four.

For housing to be affordable, that single person should pay no more than $1,274 per month; the couple, or parent and child, household shouldn't pay more than $1,456; and the family of four should pay $1,820 or less, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development.

Income levels that fall below the median include low income, very low income and extremely low income.

Low incomes are those at 80 percent of the median:
• $40,800 for a single person, making affordable housing no more than $1,020 a month;
• $46,600 for two people, and $1,165 a month for affordable housing;
• $58,250 for four people, and $1,456 a month for housing.

Very low incomes are those at 50 percent of the median:
• $25,500 for a single person, and $637 a month for affordable housing;
• $29,100 for two, and $727 a month for housing;
• $36,400 for four, and $910 a month for housing.

Extremely low incomes are those at 30 percent of the median:
• $15,300 for a single person, and $382 a month for housing;
• $17,500 for two, and $437 a month for housing;
• $21,850 for four, and $546 a month for housing.

Affordable housing may include subsidized housing projects such as multi-family apartments or single-family homes built or leased through public-private programs.

Single-resident occupancy units, or SROs, boarding houses and other arrangements offer housing for extremely low-income residents, but little of such housing exists, said Hamameh.

HUD has a housing choice voucher program known as Section 8 for elderly and disabled people, very low-income families, and homeless or otherwise-eligible veterans. Recipients use the vouchers to rent or buy housing.

Extremely low-income housing may also be occupied by people whose only income comes from monthly supplemental security income (SSI), Social Security or disability checks. A person getting $474 monthly SSI checks can afford rent of no more $142. A widow who now gets $718 a month in Social Security and $240 from her husband's retirement fund can afford rent of $287, Hamameh said.

In 2010, fair market rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Sacramento County is $852, according to HUD. Some people who can't find safe, quality affordable housing end up renting from private owners who still charge "fair market rate" for substandard housing, said Hamameh, whose organization has been advocating for affordable housing since 1989.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Read the story about the proposal for the biggest SRO in Sacramento here .

A life-changing home for homeless, working poor

2010-05-04T04:05:00Z

A proposal is in the works to create one of the largest permanent supportive housing projects in the city.

The $41 million building at Seventh and H streets also is poised to become the city's newest single-resident occupancy, or SRO, structure. The infill project would feature sustainable design and materials, so the developers and architects will ask the U.S. Green Building Council to certify it as a sustainable building.

But perhaps most unique about the public-private project being developed by Mercy Housing and the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency is that it would offer support services to formerly homeless people in innovative and mixed-population permanent housing. Its architects are Mogavero Notestine Associates of Sacramento and SERA Architects of Portland.

Half of the mid-rise's 150 units will be set aside as for homeless people. The other half will become home to the working poor: low-income workers who earn 40 percent to 50 percent of the median income, or $20,000 to $25,000 a year.

The 7th and H Mixed-Use Affordable Housing project differs from transitional housing, such as Mercy Housing's Quinn Cottages, which provide up to two years of transitional housing close to downtown.

"We (represent) that next step, to what is now permanent supportive housing. You don't have to leave," said Rich Ciraulo, project manager for Mercy Housing in West Sacramento. "Instead, you are put in an environment where there are a lot of supportive services and community building, and an attempt to really support your reconnection to the rest of society."

Supportive programs will focus on health, education, community integration and finances.

An on-site 3,800-square-foot, federally qualified health clinic will serve residents and the public. The Effort, a Sacramento nonprofit health services provider, will operate primary health and behavioral health services.

Doctors, nurses and physician assistants will provide health screenings, immunizations, lab work and other medical care. At least one licensed clinical social worker will provide therapeutic counseling and recovery support groups will have a space to meet.

Mercy Services Corporation will handle property management. Three on-site resident service coordinators, working as case managers, will connect tenants with community resources and on-site services.

By working with other service organizations, the service coordinators will identify people who qualify as homeless. They would come directly from transitional housing, including emergency shelters, or off the street. Tenants for other units would have to qualify based on income, Ciraulo said.

Two property managers will also work on site. The building's entrance will be secure, with tenants and guests checking in with 24-hour front desk clerks.

Residents will have access to tutoring, computer classes and leadership training, as well as career counseling and financial literacy and planning. They also will have opportunities to work within the broader community via volunteering, community watch groups and other programs. An on-site job-training program is being explored, Ciraulo said.

Public spaces are vital for building a sense of community and encouraging people to get out of their units and interact with neighbors, he said.

Inside, the project's public-space centerpiece will be a community room with an adjacent communal kitchen — a large gathering place where residents can hang out and bond at events like Thanksgiving dinner. Three smaller lounges will be on alternating floors of the eight-story building.

"You really want to feel like you're invested in where you live and who your neighbors are, and like this is a very special place to live," Ciraulo said.

Outside public spaces also will improve residents' quality of life and give them access to fresh air in private settings, he said. Two second-floor roof gardens will be for residents' exclusive use. Each lounge will have a balcony facing Seventh Street.

The building also will have a computer room. While some money has been budgeted for equipment, Mercy Housing is trying to get computers donated.

Mercy is proposing ground-floor retail such as a cafe or bakery, that would be an amenity to the neighborhood, Ciraulo said.

The project is being designed to fill a gap in care for homeless people who were getting help with health, mental health and substance abuse issues while on the street. Tenants will be able to receive those services onsite instead or be connected with new services.

"It's really critical that services are matched if you're trying to house homeless or formerly homeless people," said Tim Brown, director of Sacramento Steps Forward, a nonprofit formerly known as the Ending Chronic Homelessness Initiative.

The project also is designed to help people working at low-wage jobs downtown by providing housing close to their jobs, Ciraulo said.

Sacramento has some mixed-population, supportive-housing developments, such as one near Arden Fair Mall. This one is being modeled after Portland's Richard L. Harris Building at 8 NW 8th St., which has won awards for affordable housing innovations and integrating housing and social services. SERA Architects designed that project.

The building is intended to create 122 of the 200 SRO units the city must replace by 2011, under its own ordinance, said Christine Weichert, assistant director of housing and community development for SHRA.

Sitting behind the Sacramento County Jail, the project at Seventh and H streets would include 122 studios measuring 325 square feet that rent for $206 to $581, and 28 one-bedroom units for $207 to $619. Both would have full kitchens and bathrooms, unlike standard SROs, which usually have kitchenettes and communal bathrooms, Ciraulo said.

Rent will be income-based. Mercy Housing will target people on Social Security or disability for most units. Whether tenants are formerly homeless or low-wage workers, they will pay 30 percent of their income, he said.

In the 1970s, Sacramento had about 3,000 SRO units. A 2006 city ordinance called for no net loss of the remaining 712 SRO units.

"Preservation of the SROs is vital to including a much-needed piece in the housing continuum," said Sandra Hamameh, program director for the Sacramento Housing Alliance.

Proposals call for the project to be largely publicly funded. Mercy, which is quite possibly the largest provider of service-enriched housing in the area, and SHRA are going after local, state and federal funding, including highly competitive federal tax credits, Weichert said.

Several sources will pay for services, including public funding and fund raising. Community services will be used as much as possible, and some services — such as those for resident service coordinators — will be integrated into the building's operating budget. About 15 percent of the operating costs would be set aside for services, Ciraulo said.

The city's Planning Commission is set to give final approval to the project May 6. The Sacramento City Council is expected to be asked to provide some funding at a June meeting, said Weichert, adding that the amount will be determined within two weeks.

Developers hope to have financing in place by September. If so, construction could begin by February. The building would be expected to open by October 2013.

With its mix of housing and support services, the project would keep a wider range of people with different income levels downtown, said Robert Tobin, president and chief executive officer of Cottage Housing, which operates the Quinn Cottages at 16th and North A streets.

"This is a population that is vulnerable," he said. "It really helps if you can have some support on site."

Graphic provided by Mercy Housing. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

Read more about what defines affordable housing here

Local students participate in Mayoral Fellows Program

2010-04-07T04:08:45Z

The spring 2010 Mayoral Fellows Program will feature local students for the first time. In its inaugural session, Mayor Kevin Johnson worked closely with students from Harvard Business School for a five-week period. This time, however, the mayor hopes to foster local talent by teaming with California State University, Sacramento, and the University of California, Davis.

Johnson talked about the importance of being creative in tough times and cultivating young talent. "To create opportunity and give practical field experience," Johnson said, "Get them involved with the public sector and retain them."

Dean Steven Currall of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management spoke of his university's desire to become a global business school while Charles Gossett, the dean of social sciences and interdisciplinary studies at CSUS, said the program was "open to all students" as a means to "provide opportunity."

The Sacramento State students include Hafiza Arikat, working closely with Johnson on the education initiative STAND UP, and Brittany Purdy, whose focus will be Volunteer Sacramento.

Courtney Sweetin from UC Davis will also focus on STAND UP while Fellow Tre Borden will work on the mayor's green initiative. UC Davis School of Management student Rani Chu will focus on the art initiative, For Art's Sake, and Jacqueline Jaszka will center her attention on Sacramento Steps Forward, the homelessness initiative.

While the program does not have corporate sponsors, the mayor hopes to "learn from the L.A. program, use the tactics that work."

When asked about the appeal of working for Sacramento as opposed to a bigger city such as Los Angeles the Fellows' responses varied.

"I think Sacramento has a competitive advantage (in green technology)," Borden said. He noted the collaboration between the public and private sectors. For others it was about "the experience to learn about Sacramento" or simply, "hometown public service."

The Mayoral Fellows Program will run 12 weeks. The program is currently accepting applications for the Summer 2010 cohort. Both undergraduate and graduate applications can be found on the City of Sacramento website.

Sacramento Steps Forward initiative announced

2009-11-06T04:36:58Z

Thursday morning, journalist Lisa Ling, members of the City Council and the homeless and formerly-homeless community joined Mayor Kevin Johnson in launching the "Sacramento Steps Forward" initiative. A crowd of several hundred waved blue initiative flags and cheered as Johnson announced his goal "to end homelessness and focus on permanent housing."

He applauded permanent housing shelters such as Mercy Housing, Turning Point and Martin Luther King Jr. Village, 3900 47th Avenue, where the launch was held.

Johnson said the goal of Sacramento Steps Forward is to provide 2,400 "decent and affordable" permanent housing units over the next three years. That would nearly quadruple the amount of permanent housing units created in the city over the last two years.

The mayor asked the Sacramento residents to advocate for the homeless, educate others about services needed to end homelessness, and to help find public, corporate and nonprofit funding.

"The homeless do not need a handout, they need a hand up," Johnson said. "They want to be empowered."

Johnson is chairman of a multiagency task force, part of the Policy Board to End Homelessness, that found funding for 269 winter shelter beds last month. This came despite an 84 percent cut in county funding for homelessness and the elimination of funding for winter shelters in September.

Tim Brown, director of the Sacramento Ending Chronic Homelessness Initiative, said last week that federal stimulus money will house 150 people who are now in shelters, freeing up 150 shelter beds over the next few months.

With an expected 419 beds, the city and county intend to provide 151 more beds this year than last year's 268 beds. According to the 2009 Homeless Count Summary Report, there are about 2,800 homeless people in Sacramento, including 711 in emergency shelters, 895 in transitional housing and 1,194 who have no shelter.

After Johnson thanked Brown, Sister Libby Fernandez and Joan Burke, both of of Loaves and Fishes, he introduced Sacramento-native Ling, the host of National Geographic Explorer. Earlier this year, as a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show, she reported on Sacramento's "tent city," which brought other media outlets to the site.

"Your mayor, so many members of the homeless advocacy community, members of the city and county rose to the occasion and decided to tackle (homelessness) head on," Ling said. "I'm so proud of the way so many members of this community have come together (and) if Sacramento is successful (housing the homeless), it could be a model for the rest of the country."

County Supervisor Roger Dickinson, St. John's Shelter director, Michelle Steeb, and City Council member Rob Fong also spoke. Fong explained the Faith and Families initiative that he helped create.

"We're asking the faith communities to see if they would be willing through their congregation to make a commitment for one year to help house a homeless family," he said. "In the last year we've housed 10 homeless families (and) we're hoping to get a dozen more housed before the holidays."

Three formerly homeless people spoke about their experiences. They credited programs such as Serna Village, St. John's Shelter and Lutheran Social Services with changing their lives and giving them hope.

"It was absolutely marvelous," Fernandez of Loaves and Fishes said about the city's effort. "In one year, this mayor has talked more about the issue of homelessness than any mayor ever has. He spends time with the homeless, policymakers and advocates."

Although she applauded the push for transitional and permanent housing, she noted the nine-month waiting period to get into Quinn Cottages, a transitional housing shelter. This means that homeless need somewhere to go in the meantime, Fernandez said.

"It takes too long for the next step. (Creating a) 'safe ground' is just an added piece to get to the final goal, which is permanent housing."