Mayor Steinberg announces plan to bring people experiencing homelessness out of the cold this winter
The Library Galleria was used as a cooling center in the summer of 2020
Sacramento (Tuesday, Dec. 15) Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced Tuesday that the City of Sacramento will launch a range of options on cold nights this winter to bring people indoors.
Temperatures this winter have not yet fallen to the thresholds specified by Sacramento City/County for opening warming centers, which include extreme cold/freeze warnings for three days accompanied by night temperatures of 32 degrees or less. But with recent nighttime temperatures regularly dipping into the 30s, Mayor Steinberg earlier this month called on the City to work with the County on a solution.
Opening warming centers is a particularly complex task this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the dangers of having a large number of people gathered together indoors.
“Every life matters,” Mayor Steinberg said. “We will do all we can even with all of the Covid restrictions to provide our homeless neighbors with a warm, safe place to come inside. I urge the rest of the region to do the same.”
City staff worked with Sacramento County Public Health to develop a more flexible strategy for warming centers that importantly also conform to Covid-19 protocols. This strategy does not change the Sacramento Operational Area Severe Weather Emergency Guidance temperature thresholds, but it allows the City to be more agile with its response.
As a first step, the City will expand its hotel voucher program. This is the best option because it avoids grouping people together indoors. Initially, the City will spend $35,000 of remaining CARES Act stimulus funds to reserve up to 50 rooms a night. These vouchers will be managed and distributed by the Office of Community Response. The budgeted amount is within the City Manager’s spending authority and does not need to go to the City Council for a vote.
Priority will be given to families and those most vulnerable to the elements. People experiencing homelessness can call 211 for more information.
The City also plans to open the Main Library Galleria downtown, 828 I St., as a congregate warming center under strict Covid-19 protocols when the forecasted temperature falls below 33 degrees during a 24-hour period – the threshold recommended by the Sacramento County Department of Public Health. The maximum occupancy would be 60 people per night. This plan could be modified based on changing circumstances related to the pandemic.
Finally, the City has 62 camper trailers currently serving as Covid-19 medical isolation units. The Cal Expo board has approved continuing the City’s lease and allowing the trailers to be repurposed as a cold weather option for women and children once they are no longer needed for medical isolation. It is unclear when that will be, however, as the rising Covid infection rates have prompted Sacramento County to extend their use for medical isolation. Once the need subsides, the City will be able to transition the trailers to warming shelters thanks to the partnership of Cal Expo and Goodwill.
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