Elk Grove aims for permanent homeless shelter after winter site success. What are the options?

Elk Grove is exploring solutions to further address homelessness in the city following the success of its first enhanced winter sanctuary that closed in April, a month beyond its original time frame.

During a Wednesday city council meeting, officials said the city is looking for year-round homeless shelter locations and operators and hope to have a decision by Nov. 1.

The enhanced winter sanctuary was operated by The Gathering Inn, a Placer County-based nonprofit that provides housing and support services to the homeless population. The winter sanctuary was located at 9260 Elk Grove Blvd., a former Rite Aid store, but it was a temporary location because it will be the site of the new Elk Grove Library, as construction is expected to begin later this year.

City officials are working to find viable locations for future shelters including a permanent location and semi-permanent location that would be open for a year, or two. A request for proposal to solicit operators will be released mid to late summer, according to a city report.

Elk Grove housing and public services manager Sarah Bontrager said the sanctuary provided a safe and warm place for unhoused persons in Elk Grove to sleep.

“The EWS was an opportunity to showcase what can happen when the community comes together,” Bontrager said in an email. “(It) was truly a collaborative effort, with many local nonprofits, faith-based organizations, and civic groups serving meals, donating food and furniture, and even helping people move into their new housing.”

Results from the first winter sanctuary

The enhanced winter sanctuary, which cost the city $701,998, proved successful in reducing the number of unhoused persons on the streets, city officials said.

Bontrager said the EWS offered resource programs and service connections and programs that ultimately led to 23 of the guests leaving for either their own apartments or to live with family or friends.

“Overall, about 44% of all known homeless adults in Elk Grove stayed at least one night at the EWS,” the city report said.

The report said the sanctuary served a total of 62 people – 46 men and 16 women – in a six-month span. Their ages ranged from 20 to 72; the median age was 43.

The average stay was 72 days. Access to the facility was by referral only, and people had to be vetted by the City’s City’s Homeless Services Navigators to mitigate loitering and unauthorized drop-offs.

According to a city report, the shelter housed up to 30 adults in Elk Grove per night, allowing shelter for those who experienced homelessness. Those who utilized the facility were able to stay with their partners, pets and could bring a reasonable amount of belongings.

It didn’t allow registered sex offenders, people with serious behavioral health challenges or people who abused drugs or alcohol on-site.

More than two-thirds of guests were considered chronically homeless when they were accepted in the Elk Grove shelter in November, meaning they were homeless for more than a year.

A large majority of individuals in the program, 84%, had been experiencing homelessness for more than 90 days, the city’s report said.

Prior to the shelter, about 60% of guests were staying outdoors, while the rest were living in vehicles.

Only 34% of people in the shelter had a regular source of income. Approximately 65% of those who came in suffered from a disability, whether physical, mental or developmental.

Improvements needed

The winter sanctuary had some success but there are some facets the city would like to improve upon as they prepare the next steps of opening a shelter this winter — and potentially year-round.

The city’s report noted that the city could improve on the shelter’s operating duration, the site’s security, implementing a commercial kitchen for guests and mandating participation in programs such as resume building or anger management.