Officials acknowledged the project is a short-term solution, but called it an interim step as the county adds more homeless services.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors voted to approve a $1.3 million, federally funded safe parking lot for unhoused residents, reports Ariane Lange for The Sacramento Bee. “The one-acre ‘safe stay’ lot will be administered by City Net, a nonprofit that works with homeless people. City Net could receive more than $1 million of state grant money each year for operating the site.”
According to Lange, “The director of the county’s Department of Homeless Services and Housing, Emily Halcon, told the board that this is an interim project as the county stands up the rest of the property for various homeless services.” The lot will include portable bathrooms and sinks, an office space for administrators, and enhanced lighting.
The lot will accommodate up to 30 people and could open early next year. Halcon called it a short-term solution, adding that people who stay there “will be expected to engage in the services that we offer.” Kyle Stefano, vice president of clinical programs at Community HealthWorks, told the board the concept of people refusing services is “misleading” when, in many cases, the “services” offered don’t fit an individual’s needs or situation.
FULL STORY: Sacramento County will spend $1.3 million on a ‘safe stay’ parking lot for 30 homeless people

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

HSR Reaches Key Settlement in Northern California City
The state’s high-speed rail authority reached an agreement with Millbrae, a key city on the train’s proposed route to San Francisco.

Washington State Legislature Passes Parking Reform Bill
A bill that would limit parking requirements for new developments is headed to the governor’s desk.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users
A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.
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