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March Newsletter Highlights:
Understand the behind-the-scenes of processing homelessness data, join our upcoming CalAIM training for service providers, celebrate funding awards that are expanding access to services in Sacramento, and much more!
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How the Point-in-Time Count Becomes Verified Data
A Message from Aziz Bilotta-Connors
Analytics Manager, SSF
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Sacramento’s 2026 Point-in-Time Count has concluded, and we are grateful to the many community members and partners who participated in this year’s effort. While the field portion of the Count has wrapped up, the work continues behind the scenes as we review and validate the data.
Each January, communities across the country conduct the Point-in-Time Count, a coordinated effort to measure homelessness on a single night. In Sacramento, the Count includes three connected parts.
First is the unsheltered count. Outreach teams and volunteers canvass assigned areas across the county to count and survey people staying in places not meant for human habitation.
Second is the sheltered count. Providers report everyone staying in emergency shelter, transitional housing, and safe haven programs on the designated night.
Third is the Housing Inventory Count. Providers operating housing and shelter programs report the number of beds and units they had available that same night. This allows us to understand the capacity of the system to serve our community.
What We Are Doing Now
Since the Count, our team has moved into the validation phase.
For the unsheltered effort, we are reviewing survey and observation data for completeness and internal consistency, resolving potential duplicates, and ensuring the information meets federal reporting standards.
At the same time, we are working with nearly 500 programs across the region to verify inventory data. We are confirming who stayed in their programs on the count night and the number of beds and units that were available. This step connects the sheltered count with the Housing Inventory Count and ensures the final data accurately reflects both occupancy and capacity.
What Happens Next
The federal deadline to submit the Point-in-Time and Housing Inventory Count data is typically April 30. Between now and then, the work is focused on review, provider follow up, and final quality checks.
After submission, Sacramento Steps Forward will release local findings. We intentionally publish after the federal submission, so the data shared publicly matches the official report. Our goal is to publish local results within the month following the federal submission.
When we release data, the community can expect to learn:
- total sheltered and unsheltered counts,
- comparisons to prior years,
- required demographic information, and
- housing and shelter system capacity.
Beyond the Report
After we release the validated results, we will continue sharing updates that explore what the data means for our region: how it impacts funding, the benefits of moving to an annual count, and specific data trends and outcomes. The goal is not only to report how many people were counted, but to better understand how the system works and where improvements are needed.
The Point-in-Time Count depends on volunteers, providers, outreach teams, and community partners. Our role is to ensure the information collected through that effort is carefully reviewed, clearly reported, and insightful for planning.
While the count night is highly visible, the months that follow are where the data becomes reliable and usable for the community.
With deep gratitude,
Aziz Bilotta-Connors
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Continuum of Care Meetings
Upcoming CoC Meetings
Get involved in our local Continuum of Care (CoC), which leads our regional planning, coordination, and funding to resolve homelessness. This month's meetings include:
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CoC Board: In-person on Wednesday, March 11 at 8:00 a.m.
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Coordinated Access System Committee: via Zoom, Thursday, March 12 at 2:30 p.m.
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February Board Meeting Recap
The February 2026 Sacramento Continuum of Care (CoC) Board meeting included a focused discussion on shared governance related to proposed California Senate Bill 802. Staff from State Senator Ashby’s office presented an overview of the bill and facilitated a Q&A, and Senator Ashby joined the meeting to address several of the more complex questions directly. Additional details are available in the meeting minutes.
What to Expect at the March Board Meeting
This meeting will be held in-person at 2425 Sierra Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95825. Free, on-site parking will be available. If approved by the Continuum of Care Board, this and future public Continuum of Care meetings will be recorded and posted on our website. Find the most up-to-date meeting information or how to listen in online on our Board meetings and materials page ➜
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The Frontline Learning Collaborative: 2026 Schedule Confirmed
The Frontline Learning Collaborative (FLC) is back for 2026, with in-person sessions scheduled every fourth Thursday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Designed for frontline service providers who work directly with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, the FLC creates space to connect with peers across agencies, learn about community resources that can support your clients, and strengthen how we work together across Sacramento’s homelessness response system. View the full schedule, add sessions to your calendar, and sign up for updates below.
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Provider Training Updates & Opportunities
CalAIM: How to Get Your Clients Connected
Do you have clients who are Medi-Cal members experiencing or at risk of homelessness? Then register now for the upcoming CalAIM informational training! We will gather virtually on Tuesday, March 24, 10:00–11:30 a.m. and focus on resolving homelessness by integrating housing and healthcare systems.
CAS Assessor Training Refresh
We've refreshed the Sacramento CAS assessor process to lower barriers in completing training and certification. This year, the 6-part training series is available for self-paced online training with semi-annual live Zoom options slated in Spring and Fall. The series supports frontline staff with standardized, trauma-informed tools and techniques to engage clients and complete timely and accurate data entry. This series is open to HMIS-certified Sacramento providers.
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State Invites Public Input on 2026–2027 Housing Action Plan
The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) is seeking public input on their 2026–2027 Annual Action Plan, which outlines how federal housing funds will be used across California to support affordable housing, rental assistance, homelessness prevention, and emergency shelter. The public comment period runs February 28–March 30, 2026, and HCD will host a public hearing on Thursday, March 19 at 2:00 p.m., available virtually or in person. Providers and community members are encouraged to review the plan and attend the public hearing to share feedback.
If you'd like to attend the public hearing in-person, it will be held at The May Lee State Office Complex (651 Bannon St., Suite SE 279 Sacramento, CA 95811).
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Provider Spotlight: Lutheran Social Services of Northern California
After a freak accident at work turned Christina’s life upside down, she required multiple surgeries to repair fractured vertebrae and had to relearn how to walk. Soon, she lost everything including her job, the support of her family, and her home. Then, she entered a supportive housing program from Lutheran Social Services. With a furnished apartment and guidance from a case manager, she rebuilt structure in her life and addressed the issues that led to her homelessness. “You have no idea what a routine, a safe place to sleep every night, means to me,” she shared. Today, she is employed and reconnected with her family.
Learn more about the impact of Lutheran Social Services in our spotlight below.
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Local Funding Awards to Expand Homelessness Prevention Service Access
Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) is pleased to announce final awards totaling $900,000 under the competitive Problem-Solving Access Point Request for Proposals (PSAP RFP). The funding will be awarded to Community Health Works and United Way, adding a total of 6 staffing positions to expand front door problem solving and prevention services across Sacramento.
The new positions funded by this award will focus on completing timely enrollments from the Coordinated Access System's 2-1-1 referrals, staffing onsite and mobile access points on a publicly available schedule, providing landlord engagement and mediation, and offering resource navigation.
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Every Youth Counts 2026: Connection, Counting, and Community for Sacramento Youth
During this year’s Point-in-Time Count, Sacramento partners hosted Every Youth Counts 2026, a youth-focused magnet event that connected more than 50 transition-aged youth (TAY) to services while supporting more accurate homelessness data collection. Through collaboration between the Youth Action Board, TAY service providers, and Sacramento Steps Forward, the event combined meaningful engagement with coordinated PIT surveying efforts.
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The Coordinated Access System: January Experiences and Data
Sacramento's Coordinated Access System (CAS) is our community's door to homelessness and housing services. In January, it connected 6,012 people to support. The CAS helped prevent homelessness for 1 person, supported 259 to become housed, and enrolled 84 in shelter. The following is just one of these many stories:
"When I met [her] she was very stressed. She appeared to to be depressed. She was sleeping in a tent. Within two days of her being referred to the Coordinated Access program we placed her into a shelter. We have also enrolled her into several programs and linked her to several organizations to continue supporting her on her journey. Knowing that she is better off now than before she encountered the our program makes me feel a great sense of pride, joy, and fulfillment."
To access the CAS, call 2-1-1 and press 8.
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New Toolkit on Older Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Community Solutions has published a research toolkit on older adults experiencing homelessness. Sacramento Steps Forward participated in the landscape analysis research and contributed data that informed the insights and recommendations.
“We helped to develop archetypes based on prominent situations we are seeing to inform understanding of and create approaches for supporting the unique challenges of this demographic. Some common circumstances include navigating memory loss and the complexity of the modern rental market,” shared Tiffani Reimers, SSF Case Conferencing Specialist.
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Webinar: Understanding system needs and assets for older adults experiencing homelessness
Want to better understand the toolkit and how to apply it in your work? Attend Community Solution's complementary webinar, featuring our Continuum of Care's own Moneisha Davis.
When: Friday, March 27 at 10:30 a.m.
REGISTER NOW ➜
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March Wellness Tip
As spring brings longer light and new growth, use the season’s gentle shift as a cue to pause and reset with just a minute to breathe deeply, stretch, or step outside for a hint of fresh air. To support well-being, try adding a tiny gratitude practice: name one thing you appreciate in that moment while taking a pause…a colleague’s support, a warm cup of coffee, a sign of spring you noticed.
These small acts of awareness and gratitude help restore emotional balance and remind you that renewal is possible even on challenging days. You can even share this pause with your colleagues and make it a practice to share one kind sentiment with each other each day.
Do you have wellness tips you use to help yourself survive and thrive in this work? Let us know so we can share them with fellow providers!
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Submit Proposals to Present at the 2026 National Conference on Ending Homelessness
The National Alliance to End Homelessness is accepting proposals to present at the 2026 National Conference on Ending Homelessness, taking place from July 8 – July 10, 2026 in Washington, D.C.
They are seeking session proposals that provide valuable insights, reflect diverse experiences, and demonstrate innovative approaches to ending homelessness.
Proposals are due by 11:59 P.M. PT on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Late submissions or submissions sent via email will not be accepted.
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Share Your Work: Be Featured as a Provider
Help us highlight the great work happening across Sacramento! We’re inviting providers to share their progress, challenges, and opportunities for collaboration to be featured in our upcoming newsletters and other communications. This is a chance to showcase your impact, inspire new partnerships, and help shape the conversation around homelessness response. Fill out the form below to share your story and connect with the broader community.
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