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January Highlights:
In this month's newsletter, read about our call to action for the year ahead, learn how the Continuum of Care served Sacramento in 2024, check out our latest CAS assessor training and reports, and discover local to national grant opportunities. Happy New Year to you from our SSF community!
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The start of a new year brings the opportunity to reflect, renew, and recommit to meaningful change. At Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF), we are proud of the progress made in 2024 toward strengthening the infrastructure and regional collaboration needed to address homelessness. As we look ahead to 2025, sustaining these investments and partnerships remains essential. Also, expanding community awareness and engagement, ensuring accountability, and adapting to shifting political realities are all critical to the continued implementation of solutions tailored to our community’s needs.
The recent release of data on homelessness in our country underscores the urgency of our work and the challenges we are facing. Nationwide, homelessness reached a record high in 2024, increasing 18% compared to the previous year. While California experienced a modest 3% rise, and Sacramento saw a 29% decrease in unsheltered homelessness, far too many people are becoming homeless or remaining unhoused.
The root causes of homelessness are multifaceted yet strikingly consistent across the country—insufficient affordable housing, skyrocketing rents, stagnant wages, and systemic inequities. At SSF, our mission is to confront these realities through leadership, partnerships, and data-driven, actionable solutions.
During the past year, we fulfilled our mission, by:
For 2025, our efforts will continue to focus on solving homelessness through evidenced-based approaches and expanding affordable housing. Additionally, we are prioritizing prevention to keep families and individuals from falling into homelessness and building stability and resilience for our community. Implementing this work in the coming months includes:
- A report on the impact of the Regional Action Plan.
- Planning for the next round of state funding to support housing and homelessness programs.
- A comprehensive assessment of gaps in system services and funding.
- Inclusive and compassionate equity-focused initiatives guided by the Sacramento Continuum of Care.
- Strengthened collaborations with leaders at local, state, and national levels to develop scalable homelessness solutions.
The challenges ahead demand unwavering dedication and collective action. Your partnership and support will make it possible to realize a Sacramento where everyone has a safe place to call home. Together, we can amplify proven strategies, address systemic challenges, and make transformative progress in the year ahead.
With deep appreciation,
Lisa Bates
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Continuum of Care Board Recruitment
The 2024/2025 annual CoC Board recruitment period is coming to a close. If you are interested in serving in this capacity, submit an application by Friday, January 17. The applications will be reviewed and ranked, and the CoC Board will vote to approve the new 2025 members at the March 2025 CoC Board meeting.
Apply to Join the CoC Board
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Continuum of Care January Meetings
Discover more about the CoC and its committees by joining one or more of the upcoming public meetings. Information on the meeting date, time, format, and agenda is under each committee's "Meeting Details" tab.
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CAS Assessor Training Series
A new training series for Coordinated Access System (CAS) Assessors begins this month. The series will help grow your capacity to serve clients with top-level social work skills, and best practice resources and tools. This training is required for new CAS Assessors, but all assessors are welcome to attend.
Register for the January sessions below.
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Frontline Learning Collaborative Meeting
Mark your calendars for the next Frontline Learning Collaborative session on Thursday, January 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center. The featured speaker is from Sacramento County In-Home Supportive Services. This is a great opportunity for frontline staff to connect, learn, and grow together.
Join the FLC Email List
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Provider Listening Session Invitation
Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF), in partnership with the Sacramento Housing Families First Collaborative, will soon seek proposals from agencies that serve families experiencing homelessness, such as housing problem-solving, system navigation, and financial assistance providers. SSF will award a one-year contract for this opportunity beginning in July 2025.
To inform the development of the request for proposals (RFP), a provider listening session will take place on Wednesday, January 22, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Registration is required to participate in this virtual session.
Register for Listening Session
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Updates & Progress Points | | |
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Annual Meeting Overview Available
A summary of the 2024 CoC Annual Meeting held in December was presented at this month's CoC Board meeting. Reflections and key takeaways, along with highlights from the working group sessions, is now available. To review these documents, click below.
If you participated in the Annual Meeting and have not yet responded to the participant survey, we welcome your feedback by clicking here.
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2024 CAS Reports Released
In December, 107 households found housing through the Coordinated Access System (CAS). This data and other top line information is shared in newly posted CAS reports for November and December, available from the link below. The CAS partnership among the CoC, City of Sacramento, Sacramento County, and SSF helps to connect thousands of residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness with crucial community resources.
View CAS Reports
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Opportunity Starts at Home Podcasts
A five-part podcast series starts this month focused on the need to adopt a multi-sector approach to housing advocacy to promote justice and equity. Hosted by the Opportunity Starts at Home campaign and the American Institute of Architects, the series features conversations with architects. Topics focus on the role of human-centered housing design in creating enduring, supportive communities, the impact of federal policies and more.
Listen to the Podcasts
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Homelessness Solutions in 2025
This recent webinar focused on homelessness and affordable housing policies in 2025, and beyond. Experts shared insights on the causes of homelessness, effective solutions, and the impact of recent political changes.
Explore the Webinar Recap and Resources
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Sacramento County Accepting TOT Grant Applications
The FY 2025/26 Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Grant Program supports non-profit organizations in Sacramento County with grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. Funding support is designed for, but not limited to:
- Training, development, and education;
- Projects that address a community issue or problem; and/or
- Projects that extend the reach of services to underserved populations.
Applications are accepted from January 13 to February 14, 2025. An informational workshop will be held on January 28.
Learn More and Apply
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Grants to Combat Veteran Homelessness
A new federal initiative is dedicating significant grant funding for local programs that aid homeless veterans. Grants will support rapid rehousing, case management staff, and landlord engagement, among other efforts.The initiative underscores a nationwide effort to provide essential services and support, helping veterans reintegrate into the community and improve their quality of life.
Learn More and Apply to Support Veterans
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Housing Families First Collaborative Membership
The Housing Families First Collaborative (HFFC) supports the shared vision of the Sacramento CoC to reduce and end homelessness in Sacramento through systems-level change, enhanced access to services and housing, prioritization of racial equity, and by improving and using data analytics to inform strategies, per the Built for Zero model.
If you are a service provider that represents a sector related to or interfacing with families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, we encourage you to apply to become a member of the Collaborative.
Completed applications must be submitted no later than Friday, January 31, 2025 to Marjorie Delgadillo, Family Collaborative Director at SSF: mdelgadillo@sacstepsforward.org.
Fill out and Submit your Application Today
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