Sacramento Homeless Policy Council: Register Now

The 2024 schedule for the Sacramento Homeless Policy Council (SHPC), a forum for community leaders to share knowledge and coordinate efforts to address homelessness, has been announced. The quarterly meetings are scheduled for March 8, June 14, September 13, and December 6.

Thank You for Being Part of the All In Sacramento Action Plan!

Thank you to the over 120 community partners who joined our final in-person sessions on January 31st, shaping the All In Sacramento Action Plan. If you weren't able to attend, or want to review the content, materials from these sessions are now on our website, linked below. Using the form at the same link, we encourage you to share your feedback on the draft solutions and key highlights.

Together, we're creating a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring

Upcoming Public Meetings for the Continuum of Care (CoC)

The Sacramento Continuum of Care (CoC) leads our community effort to prevent and end homelessness. Learn more about the CoC and its committees using the button below and by joining one (or more) of the upcoming public meetings.

• Coordinated Access System Committee: Thursday, 2/08/24, 2:30 p.m.

• CoC Board meeting: Wednesday, 2/14/24, 8:00 a.m.

• Point-In-Time Count Committee: Thursday, 2/15/24, 9:00 a.m.

• Racial Equity Committee: Wednesday, 2/21/24, 9:00 a.m.

• System Performance Committee: Thursday, 2/22/24, 2:00 p.m.

CoC Program Competition Award Announcement

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced last week that the Sacramento region has been awarded $33,435,948 to fund projects through Sacramento's Continuum of Care (CoC). You can find HUD's official announcement here, and review the full list of the projects funded for the Sacramento City and County CoC at the link below.

We express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in this year's Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.

New CalAIM Webpage Now Available

Want to learn more about CalAIM, which stands for "California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal"? You can now access key information on these topics through our CalAIM webpage. If you're a provider, don't miss the monthly workgroup meetings now hosted by Sacramento Steps Forward.

Data Explained: The Longitudinal Systems Analysis

You may not be familiar with the Longitudinal Systems Analysis (LSA) report. However, it's one of the many important (and required) types of data we gather to help us better understand homelessness in Sacramento and ensure adequate funding and informed policy making for our region. While the Point-In-Time (PIT) Count counts the number of people experiencing homelessness, the annual LSA reviews how people who are experiencing homelessness are using the resources available to them. This includes the number of days that people stay in shelters, where they went after exiting shelters, and much more.

Learning More: Recommended Resources 

At Sacramento Steps Forward, we reference many other organizations for valuable information and insight, as well as inspiration for resolving homelessness in our region. An established “go-to’ resource is the National Alliance to End Homelessness. In their most recent “Best Practices” newsletter, CEO Ann Oliva provides perspective on opportunities and challenges for the year ahead. She acknowledges that we have unprecedented levels of people experiencing homelessness in our country and points to the many local to federal elections taking place this year provide the opportunity for public engagement to have an impact. 

Funding Opportunity: Foster Youth Substance Use

The Center at Sierra Health Foundation and the State of California’s Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) are pleased to announce the Foster Youth Substance Use Disorder Evidence-Based and Promising Practice Program funding opportunity. This is an excellent opportunity to see if your organization qualifies for an annual contract of up to $250k per client.

New Training Opportunities Available!

Plus, our webpage has been updated! Access new and upcoming trainings from our community partners at the familiar link—with a new layout—here. Find archived training materials and recordings here.

Newly added trainings include:

Basics of Fair Housing Online Training | February 12-15

Black Californians’ Experiences of Homelessness: Findings from CASPEH | Feb 21

Housing California 2024 Annual Conference | March 6-8

HHAP Youth Set-Aside Funding Evaluation and Community Spotlights | Every Third Thursday

And more trainings will be coming soon. We highly encourage all CoC providers and interested community members to attend these trainings.

Ending Soon: Request Free COVID-19 Test Kits

The California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) COVID-19 Testing Program is set to end February 29, 2024. If you are an eligible organization working with community members who would benefit from testing kits, we encourage you to request them as soon as possible. Once these resources are exhausted, no additional kits will be available. Submit a request by February 29, 2024 (note these kits have an extended expiration of March 31, 2024) or contact OTCTesting@cdph.ca.gov for questions about eligibility.  

Weather and Disaster Preparedness: Resources for Providers and People Experiencing Homelessness

If you have been following our newsletter, you may be familiar with our Listos work, part of a partnership with the California Office of Emergency Services. While the formal partnership has come to an end, we will continue sharing relevant resources on our website at the link below. With the winter storms currently happening in California, we encourage you to take advantage of the tools provided, including the respite center map from 2-1-1.

Current Job Openings

Sacramento Steps Forward is currently looking for qualified candidates to fill a number of roles. If you or someone you know may be interested, please use the link below to learn more, share information, and/or apply.