Continuum of Care Meetings

August 2025 Board Meeting Recap

In August, the Sacramento Continuum of Care Board signed off on new HHAP-6 funding priorities—ranging from youth sheltering to permanent housing subsidies—while updating its regional homelessness plan. Members also approved changes to Community Standards, advanced committee appointments, and received briefings on the 2026 Point-In-Time Count and the upcoming CoC funding competition. The session closed with a candid exchange on Housing First, mental health crisis response, and Sacramento County’s evolving partnership structure.

Upcoming CoC Meetings

Discover more about our local Continuum of Care (CoC), which leads our regional planning, coordination, and funding to resolve homelessness:

• CoC Board (September): Wednesday, September 10 at 8:00 am. The primary agenda topic for this meeting is the future structure of Sacramento's Continuum of Care and will include time for Board and community discussion, input, and questions and answers.
• Coordinated Access System Committee: Thursday, September 11 at 2:30 pm
• CoC Board (October): Wednesday, October 8 at 8:00 am 
• HMIS & Data Committee: Thursday, October 9 at 10:00 am 
• Community Accountability Committee: Wednesday, October 15 at 9:00 am  
• Point-In-Time (PITC) Count Committee: Thursday, October 16 at 9:00 am  
• System Performance Committee: Thursday, October 23 at 9:00 am  

Your local CoC has a new committee, as you may have noticed in the list above: The CoC Community Accountability Committee (CAC). This new meeting will focus on ensuring a continuous, client-focused accountability framework that strengthens the robustness, functionality, transparency, nondiscrimination safeguards, and responsiveness of the homelessness response system. Interested in attending or want to learn more? Fill out the CoC CAC guest form to receive updates and details.

Upcoming Trainings for Service Providers

CalAIM Informational Session: September 30

Learn how CalAIM is connecting housing and healthcare in Sacramento. This virtual session will walk through Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and housing-related Community Supports (CS), with practical guidance for service providers to understand their clients' eligibility, referrals, and resources. Register now!

Note: We have a new training calendar as part of our newly revamped website. You can explore updated training resources and materials online, with more features and additions coming soon.

Help Shape Future Trainings

We’re exploring new ways to present trainings so they are easier to navigate and meet funding-, contract-, or role-based requirements. Share your ideas, suggestions, and questions with our team at trainings@sacstepsforward.org

The Frontline Learning Collaborative

Mark your calendars for the Frontline Learning Collaborative on Thursday, September 25, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. at the Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center. This meeting will include an overview on the Survivor Coordinated Access System (SCAS) tailored to an audience of both Victim Service Providers (VSPs) & Non-Victim Service Providers. SCAS is a system built to support survivors & their unique needs. We will be going over VSPs in the area & how to connect your clients to a provider who can best serve them. Please come prepared with any questions you may have.

Community Event: Sacramento Stand Down

Sacramento Stand Down will take place Tuesday through Thursday, September 30–October 2, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at 10618 Schirra Ave, Mather, CA. The event offers free on-site services for Veterans, including medical screenings, limited vision care, housing and employment resources, clothing distribution, veterinary services, haircuts, manicures and pedicures, and meals. Learn more at sacramentostanddown.org or call (916) 389-8917.

Updated Regional Plan Anchors Application for State Funding

Sacramento’s framework for addressing homelessness has been updated to reflect shifting community needs, funding realities, and policy priorities. At the Continuum of Care (CoC) Annual Meeting in July, providers, agency staff, community members, and the CoC Board came together to review and provide input on the Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Framework & Action Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness (RCHAP). A follow-up leadership forum then brought together elected officials and key regional partners to further refine the plan.

Participants emphasized the need for stronger collaboration and innovative approaches to sustain services amid shrinking budgets and heightened accountability. In response, the 2025 plan focuses on targeted investments and strategies to prevent and respond to homelessness.

Additionally, the plan is the foundation of Sacramento’s application for nearly $32 million in Homeless Housing, Assistance & Prevention (HHAP) funding, submitted to the state in late August. Learn more by clicking below.

A Better Website is Here

Sacramento Steps Forward is excited to share that our redesigned website launched in August. The updated site features refreshed content, visuals, and functionality, offering a clearer picture of Sacramento’s homelessness response system. Visitors will find new pages (alongside familiar content), easier navigation to data, funding, plans, and programs, and improved access to resources, tools, and training.

We’ll be adding more content and features in the months ahead, and welcome your feedback to help us improve, fix issues, or explore new tools. Share your input using the form below.

Sacramento's State of Homelessness: July 2025

According to data gleaned from our Homeless Information Management System, by the end of July 2025:

• 2,393 people entered homelessness,
• 1,805 people exited homelessness,
• 6,921 people were actively experiencing homelessness, and
• 588 was the net increase of people experiencing homelessness within Sacramento.

To get the most out of the dashboard, check out the how-to video to discover functions you might not notice at first glance.

Our 2024 Annual Report: Impact Made Possible by Partnership

“I’m honored to present Sacramento Steps Forward’s 2024 Annual Report, highlighting key programs and impacts.

Collaboration is central to the mission and vision of Sacramento Steps Forward. On the following pages you will read how we unite partners to align strategies, share resources to increase capacity, and coordinate services, all to build a community that has the capacity to prevent and resolve homelessness.

Despite progress in building a stronger homelessness response system, too many in our community still face housing instability, driven by a shortage of affordable housing, rising rents, stagnant wages, and systemic inequities. With fewer public resources and restrictive policies ahead, our region must continue to act together.

Thank you for your partnership.”

Lisa Bates

CEO, SSF

The Path to Her Very Own Apartment

After years of navigating the streets, Krystal recently spent her first night in her very own apartment. Her journey began at the Stockton Blvd Safe Stay, where she and her dog found stability through the Behavioral Health Bridge Housing program. With support from Turning Point and First Step Communities, Krystal was able to heal, prepare for housing, and finally open the door to a place of her own.

Read the full story from Sacramento County below.

City of Sacramento Expands 311

Sacramento has reworked its 311 system, the main channel for residents to flag concerns about homelessness and help the City's outreach reach the right places. Instead of choosing from a list of categories, people now answer a brief questionnaire that guides the request to the right mix of services—whether that’s engagement services, behavioral health support, or other forms of outreach. The result is quicker responses, fewer missteps, and a clearer line of communication between the City and its residents.