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A new year inevitably encourages reflection and inspires insight. At Sacramento Steps Forward, this time has elevated the importance of partnerships to achieving our mission.
Resolving homelessness is a complex and complicated challenge. Acknowledging these complexities and facilitating the creation of actionable solutions through leadership, partnerships, and data are the core services we provide our community.
Sacramento Steps Forward serves as the lead agency for the region’s “Continuum of Care,” a federal designation that engages all the cities, towns, and unincorporated areas of Sacramento County. In this role, we convene representatives and residents in multiple ways. A key effort that brings many of us together is the semi-annual Point-In-Time Count of unsheltered persons and we look to our community for support. The Count results in data on homelessness that helps to design more effective policies, programs, funding, and systems. This year’s Count takes place in a few weeks, and we welcome your participation. Information is shared below.
A second, critical effort that requires stronger than ever partnership is updating and expanding our regional plan to address homelessness.
Just over a year ago, a Local Homeless Action Plan was finalized, detailing benchmarks, timelines, and responsibilities among SSF, the County, the City, and others. Beginning in November 2023, we collectively launched a process to create a more comprehensive Regionally Coordinated Homelessness Action Plan as required by the state to secure continued funding. A series of workshops and sessions take place through the end of January, allowing our community to understand progress to date, contribute insights, and define how to improve Sacramento’s support systems. Again, see information in this newsletter, below, to participate.
We recognize that collaborating to meet the challenges we face as a community is not always easy. There are differing opinions, interests, responsibilities, and experiences that each of us brings to our conversations. And yet, we need to create these opportunities to talk, to tease out solutions, and to build trust to create the community we all envision: one where homelessness is rare and brief when it does occur.
I invite you to join me and our team at Sacramento Steps Forward in partnering this year to help achieve our vision.
With appreciation and wishes for a healthy year ahead,
Lisa Bates
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