Mayor proposes increased funding for outreach to homeless camps as part of midyear budget proposal
Members of the DCR team
Sacramento (Feb. 3, 2022) Mayor Darrell Steinberg Thursday proposed the City of Sacramento use some of its mid-year budget surplus to help fund outreach workers in each Council district who would work with the Department of Community Response to connect people experiencing homelessness with services and housing.
In a letter to the City Council spelling out his priorities, Mayor Steinberg proposed an additional $2.8 million for DCR. He noted that this additional funding would build on City Manager Howard Chan’s already substantial plan to use $12.7-million in American Rescue Plan funding to add capacity to the department. Mayor Steinberg also proposed adding $10 million to the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund to address the city’s two biggest challenges: homelessness and the shortage of affordable housing.
The City’s mid-year budget adjustment occurs half-way through the fiscal year, which ends June 30. Revenues are updated to reflect what the City has actually received rather than what was projected before the budget was adopted for 2021/2022. The mid-year budget is scheduled go before the Budget and Audit Committee on Feb. 8 and to the full Council for a vote on Feb. 15.
Chan’s mid-year proposal, published on the City website Thursday, Feb. 3, proposes putting nearly $50 million in excess revenue into reserves to address projected budget deficits in the coming years.
Mayor Steinberg proposes instead putting $23 million in reserves, enough to assure a balanced budget for 2022/23, and spending $27 million on urgent City priorities, including youth, important community projects and additional resources to support the City’s racial equity initiatives.
“This proposal continues the Mayor and Council’s five-year effort to expand the definition of the City’s core priorities beyond basic services to include building an inclusive modern economy; creating more affordable housing and alleviating homelessness; and investing in our youth and neighborhoods,” Mayor Steinberg said.
Chan already has proposed adding 19 positions at mid-year to DCR, which has assumed responsibility for outreach to the city’s growing population of people experiencing homelessness, but which presently has just 23 employees, including administration staff.
“With regard to the Department of Community Response, it’s crucial that we fund this department commensurate with the level of responsibility that its team, led by Bridgette Dean, is shouldering on behalf of our city,” Mayor Steinberg said. “The people on our streets and the residents of our neighborhoods can’t wait one minute longer for an assertive, consistent level of outreach that reaches more people, and more quickly.”
Other key spending items proposed by Mayor Steinberg include $1 million for the establishment of a coordinated entry system for people experiencing homelessness. Proposed by Sacramento Steps Forward, the system would use 211 as a 24/7 hotline that would coordinate access into city and county respite centers, safe grounds, shelters and other resources. SFF projects the system would cost $3 million annually to operate, and it has asked for a $1 million upfront contribution from Sacramento County as well.
An additional $1 million would go to assist women and children experiencing homelessness.
Mayor Steinberg also proposed $9 million for youth and community investment, including $2.5 million to increase youth services, expand broadband access and make other improvements in the Marina Vista/Alder Grove housing projects, which have experienced multiple recent gun violence tragedies.
The letter also proposes $3.2 million for economic development initiatives and $9 million in spending on youth programs.
These spending items reflect the priorities of Mayor Steinberg’s colleagues on the City Council.
Read the full text of Mayor’s letter here.
You can join the Budget & Audit Committee at 3 p.m. Tuesday here.
