How can Sacramento County address homelessness better? Here's its proposal

Emma Hall, The Sacramento Bee on Oct 8, 2025

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sacramento County is looking to replace its current model for addressing homelessness by putting elected officials involved with funding and regional targets.

This new model — the Sacramento Homeless and Housing Board — would include elected officials in setting funding and regional approaches. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors and elected officials from cities around the region would create policies and budgets that coincide with the Homeless and Housing Board. This board, proposed by Sacramento County, would oversee housing development and rental assistance programs in Sacramento County. Its cities and nonprofit groups must agree to this new model.

This responsibility currently falls under the nonprofit Continuum of Care and Sacramento Steps Forward, a federally designated agency run by community organizations. Kim Winters, a spokesperson for Sacramento Steps Forward, said the organization is “supporting the discussions and reviews that are taking place” regarding Continuum of Care and the Sacramento Homeless and Housing Board.

However, because the Sacramento Homeless and Housing Board is still a proposal, it is “unclear as to how the CoC and the work performed by the Continuum of Care would be impacted,” Winters said in an email

Winters said the Continuum of Care board will address the Homeless and Housing Board proposal on Wednesday, during its monthly meeting.

Responsibility for elected officials

Continuum of Care oversees several homeless prevention efforts, including the Point in Time Count, which surveys Sacramento County’s homeless population. In 2024, the Point in Time Count estimated that more than 6,000 homeless people live in Sacramento County.

For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development gave Sacramento’s Continuum of Care more than $40 million, which went to shelter beds and housing programs, according to Sacramento Steps Forward.

Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez said this proposal seeks to give elected officials a seat at the table for “decision making.” She added that the new model seeks to ensure that organizations that receive federal funding are “more accountable to the bottom line” in homeless prevention.

Right now, she said, there is no structure to reducing homelessness.

“Nobody’s in charge. Nobody has lost their job for the incompetency and the failures that have happened in the past 10 years,” Rodriguez said. “In this new format, it puts the problem of homelessness into the hands of elected officials.”

If approved, the Sacramento Homeless and Housing Board will act in tandem with the Continuum of Care Board, as outlined in a presentation from the Sacramento County Department of Homeless Services and Housing.

County control

Sacramento County is now responsible for providing services through the Department of Homeless Services and Housing. The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors also funds housing programs and projects. Rodriguez said she believes the county should be the “lead agency” in reducing homelessness, while actively working with its incorporated cities.

“I am prepared to go to war to get that Continuum of Care back in the hands of the county,” Rodriguez said.

When it comes to providing shelters, supportive and affordable housing, Rodriguez said the responsibility should fall on the region’s cities.

Throughout September, multiple cities were given presentations about the Sacramento Homeless and Housing Board. For example, on Sept. 9, Emily Halcon, the director of Homeless Services and Housing, reviewed the proposal for the Folsom City Council.

While reviewing the proposed model, council member Mike Kozlowski expressed concern about the cost of additional committees for city staff. When he asked who would be paying, Halcon said “that is to be determined,” but some roles would be “consolidated administration,” which is covered by homeless prevention funds.

“...Everybody already has job responsibilities, and these can’t just be added on,” Kozlowski said. “So that, to me, infers consultants, very expensive. New staff, very, very expensive.”

Sacramento County will hold its first regional meeting to discuss the Homeless and Housing board, as well as prevention efforts, on Oct. 28.

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