Apr 20

Apr 20 Supervisor Serna, Mayor Steinberg, applaud decision to keep Roomkey motels open

Getting people off the street, Breaking News, Keeping people housed, Supporting Sacramento's health

Sacramento, Calif. (April 20, 2021) - Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna received unanimous support Monday from his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors to continue Project Roomkey through at least August 2021. The resources will continue funding for 391 rooms at three motels and providing food, health services, and case management with the goal of securing permanent housing for each individual.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg worked closely with Supervisor Serna to keep the motels open.

“I want to thank my colleagues on the Board, our Interim County CEO Ann Edwards, Mayor Steinberg and our community of thoughtful advocates for their support to maintain Project Roomkey operations through at least August 2021,” Supervisor Serna said. “Project Roomkey not only provides much needed shelter and services, but it also gives us the time necessary to find sustainable, longer-term opportunities to help those in need, pandemic or not.”

Project Roomkey has shown that California is capable of getting large numbers of people off the street quickly. Some 35,000 people were brought indoors during the covid-19 pandemic with federal funding and regulatory relief.

“I commend Supervisor Serna for providing the direction and am grateful to the Board of Supervisors for their pledge keep the nearly 400 motel rooms available to house our unsheltered neighbors,” said Mayor Steinberg. “We’ve got a community crisis that requires us to add, not subtract, beds, roofs and spaces.”

Sacramento County’s version of Project Roomkey originally included four motels, one of which already closed. A total of 1,361 individuals have been sheltered since the program began in August 2020. A total of 174 residents have been rehoused, and another 80 are in the process of being moved to permanent housing.

A separate City motel voucher started in December has separately made 522 rooms available with 620 individuals served and 3,579 room nights provided. Funding sources include federal, state, and county resources.