Sacramento Launches "Micro-Communities" To Address Senior Homelessness Crisis

Sacramento seniors are among the rising percentage of California's homeless population, causing the city to introduce an alternative housing plan encompassing “smaller communities of tiny homes,” reports Emma Kidger for FOX 40. 

During a recent city council meeting, Brian Pedro, Sacramento's Department of Community Response Director, outlined the necessity for micro-communities in the city: “The City has made major progress toward providing safe shelter and connections to supportive services, but there are still many people in our community who need a safe place to stay.” 

According to FOX 40, the new housing initiative aims to support “specialized populations,” specifically individuals aged 55 and above. Each micro-community will contain 40 tiny homes, fully equipped with electricity, air conditioning, and heating. Additional amenities will also include bathrooms, showers, a kitchen, laundry, internet, 24/7 onsite security, and access to personal support services.

Diverging from typical housing initiatives, this micro-community project requests residents to provide 30 percent of their monthly earnings towards community expenses following 90 days of residency. 

In support of providing alternative housing options for Sacramento’s elderly population, Pedro asserts that “offering seniors the option to move into a micro-community creates a dual benefit: it provides them with stable interim housing and frees up space in our emergency shelters.”  

The city recently proposed four city-owned vacant locations as housing sites for the new micro-communities. As FOX 40 reports, “while the City of Sacramento already funds 18 shelter sites with 1,375 beds, the new Micro-Communities will utilize prefabricated units to reduce further expenses.”