MARCH 2024
SSF NEWSLETTER
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In This Newsletter:
Explore the first annual report from the Coordinated Access System, attend public hearings for the All In Sacramento Action plan, register for the upcoming Sacramento Homeless Policy Council meeting, participate in public Continuum of Care meetings, delve into the process behind the Point-In-Time Count and Housing Inventory Count, review volunteer feedback from the unsheltered PIT Count, get to know our new Board Chair, apply for funding as an affordable housing provider, read a new report from the Terner Center for Housing Innovation, join the upcoming Fair Housing Training, sign up for a free winter and storm safety text message course, find free or low-cost COVID-19 test kits for individuals, discover career opportunities at SSF, and donate to our efforts to resolve homelessness in Sacramento.
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Just over a year ago, Sacramento made a decisive investment in creating an equitable community where everyone has a safe place to call home. The Coordinated Access System (CAS)—a collaborative effort between Sacramento Steps Forward, 2-1-1, the City of Sacramento, and Sacramento County—launched in December 2022 to provide a single point of access and support for people experiencing homelessness. The recent completion of a Year One Annual Report provides opportunity to understand the impact of the CAS and opportunity for improvement in the year ahead.
The CAS has been pivotal in its approach, connecting Sacramento’s service providers and partners to create a more accessible, efficient, and person-centered system for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
In 2023, the CAS served as a front door to services in many ways, including:
- Moving 2,133 households to housing
- Enrolling 2,068 households in shelter
- Maintained a median call wait time under 5 minutes for those calling the Housing Crisis Line (2-1-1, #8)
In addition to the ability to connect households experiencing homelessness to emergency services quickly, we invested significantly in preventing homelessness before it begins. In the first full year of operation, the prevention program supported 805 households with obtaining or maintaining housing with an average investment of $3,114. Of these households, 85% remain housed after one year.
Despite the progress, we still have very real challenges in our community, including the gap in shelter demand, currently at 34%. We are actively working with community partners through efforts such as the All In Sacramento Action Plan to address this and other gaps in our system, providing data and helping to draft solutions.
Ending homelessness requires deep commitment and change, and our entire community to go "all in" together. If you are a provider, you can find ways to get involved here. If you want to learn more about CAS and the report. visit our website here. However you choose to participate, we deeply appreciate your part in this work.
Ultimately, we are proud to see that we have helped thousands of people to have, as one person expressed, a “second shot at a new life"—and look forward to working with you to help thousands more.
For a more comprehensive overview of our progress and planned improvements, review the 2023 annual report, linked below.
Peter Bell
Planning Director, Sacramento Steps Forward
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All In Sacramento Action Plan Public Hearings
Thank you to the hundreds of community members who came together to help create the All In Sacramento Regionally Coordinated Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness! The Plan was informed by public meetings held in December and January and will now go before the City and County on Tuesday, March 12, and the Continuum of Care on Wednesday, March 13. The plan, plan summary, and information on how to participate in the hearings are posted to our website linked below.
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Sacramento Homeless Policy Council: First Meeting of 2024
Do you want to hear our community leaders share knowledge and coordinate efforts around homelessness response in Sacramento County? If so, don't miss out on the first quarterly Sacramento Homeless Policy Council (SHPC) meeting of 2024, happening Friday, March 8.
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Upcoming Public Meetings for the Continuum of Care (CoC)
The Sacramento Continuum of Care (CoC) leads our community effort to prevent and end homelessness. Learn more about the CoC and its committees using the button below and by joining one (or more) of the upcoming public meetings.
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Data Explained: The PIT and HIC
Each year, Sacramento conducts a count of people experiencing homelessness. The Unsheltered Point-In-Time (PIT) Count, however, occurs only biennially, with volunteers tallying unsheltered individuals on a single January night. The Sheltered PIT Count tracks those in shelters or temporary housing annually, falling on the same night as the Unsheltered PIT Count every other year. Additionally, the annual Housing Inventory Count (HIC) counts the inventory of housing and shelter units for people experiencing homelessness. These efforts, facilitated through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), provide vital insights. Sacramento Steps Forward is currently working in collaboration with our research partner to ensure that the data collected in each of these areas is accurate.
Once this phase is complete, the data will be released in a comprehensive report later this spring.
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2024 Unsheltered Point-In-Time Count: Thank You for Your Volunteer Feedback!
Thank you again to the hundreds of Point-In-Time (PIT) Count participants who completed the volunteer feedback survey to help us evaluate our PIT planning and execution. Based on volunteers' responses:
- 90% felt collaboration and teamwork was outstanding;
- 80% had high satisfaction with their PIT experience; and
- 93% reported intentions to volunteer for the PIT again or a similar opportunity.
Sacramento Steps Forward is continuing to evaluate through partner debriefings and will utilize feedback to improve future PIT counts.
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Introducing Our New Board Chair: Dr. Jonathan Porteus
We are excited to welcome Dr. Porteus as Sacramento Steps Forward's new Board Chair. Dr. Porteus has served as a member of the Board since 2018 and significantly contributed to the growth of SSF over the years. As CEO of WellSpace Health, Dr. Porteus brings invaluable expertise in mental-health focused homelessness response. His work is the focus of the current Comstock’s magazine feature story and highlights Dr. Porteus' work and dedication to serving vulnerable populations—especially those experiencing homelessness—in our community. Under his leadership, WellSpace Health has implemented innovative programs such as the Crisis Receiving for Behavioral Health (Crib), providing vital support to people in crisis. We look forward to his leadership and continued collaboration with SSF.
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Funding Opportunity for Affordable Housing Providers
Through its philanthropic work, Bank of America is accepting applications for programs under economic mobility focused on needs of community. This includes affordable housing programs such as housing development, minority homeownership programs, pathways to stable housing, and more.
Applications accepted: 5/27/2024 – 6/21/2024
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Report: The Challenges Facing California’s Homelessness Service Providers
A recent report from UC Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation highlights the significant expansion of services by nonprofit homelessness organizations in California and reveals limitations in serving everyone seeking assistance due to infrastructure and staffing constraints, compounded by inconsistent funding. Recommendations include stabilizing funding, supporting workforce development, and enhancing collaboration to address complex needs. Read the full report using the link below.
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New Training Opportunities Available!
Sacramento Steps Forward aims to support the continued training and development of our community’s homelessness-focused providers and professionals. Visit our Training Opportunities page for more details on upcoming community discussions, learning opportunities, conferences, and other training resources such as the March 28th training on Fair Housing and how to best understand both the Equal Access Final Rule and Gender Identity Final Rule.
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Program Complete: COVID-19 Test Kits
The California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) COVID-19 Testing Program closed February 29, 2024. We want to thank the partners, providers, and volunteers who helped us distribute test kits to people experiencing homelessness—together, we were able to reach one of the most vulnerable populations during our community’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. If you still have testing kits, please make sure to check the expiration date through the FDA website. For information on how to obtain free or low-cost test kits for individuals or Local Education Agencies going forward, use the link below.
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Free Winter and Storm Safety Text-Message Course
We are well into storm season and want to ensure that homeless service providers and the people we all serve are well informed about emergency alerts and upcoming weather events. You can sign up to get emergency alerts over text, call, or email (at no cost) via the CalOES Listos website here. CalOES Listos is also offering a 5-day winter preparedness and storm season safety text course for free! This is open to the public and available in several languages. Sign up by texting “CAWINTER” to 20202 via SMS. For even more information and resources about storm season safety visit the Listos California website.
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Current Job Openings
Sacramento Steps Forward is currently looking for qualified candidates to fill a number of roles. If you or someone you know may be interested, please use the link below to learn more, share information, and/or apply.
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Support SSF on Big Day of Giving—or Any Day of the Year!
Sacramento's "Big Day of Giving" on Thursday, May 2, rallies the community to donate to nonprofits that contribute to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of Sacramento. Here at Sacramento Steps Forward we are deeply committed to helping create an equitable community where everyone has a safe place to call home! Your contributions—on Big Day of Giving and on any day of the year—provide flexible funding for our organization to respond to the needs of our community. Every gift, no matter the size, contributes to our capacity to be agile and responsive in improving the lives of our most vulnerable residents. Thank you!
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