Folsom Winter Shelter for homeless saw fewer guests, longer stays this past winter
This past winter, dozens of unhoused people found shelter in Folsom, according to a presentation Tuesday evening by the Homeless Assistance Resource Team, or HART, of Folsom.
HART of Folsom’s winter shelter, which ran from Jan. 2 to March 1, accommodated 47 guests this year, according to the organization’s presentation Tuesday night to the Folsom City Council. The homeless shelter saw an average of 12 guests per night, with the total number of stays at 693 nights.
“Forty-seven guests is a low number for us as far as the number of different people we saw,” HART of Folsom representative Bev Seiss said. “But they stayed the same number of nights as last year, so we have fewer people, but they’re staying with us longer.”
This year also had the highest number of people who had visited Folsom before going to the shelter, Seiss said.
Last year, the shelter saw 64 guests who stayed for a total of 695 nights, according to the 2024 presentation. The shelter saw about 10 people per night.
Regionally, demand for shelter remains high, with thousands of unhoused people on waitlists for beds on any given night in Sacramento County, officials have said. In Sacramento County, nearly 9,000 individuals were experiencing homelessness in September, according to Sacramento Steps Forward.
The next countywide Point in Time count., which was conducted in January, is expected to be released next month.
The Folsom Winter Shelter serves homeless individuals who are at least 18 years old, according to its website. The shelter provides a place to stay overnight, three meals, laundry, showers, access to resources and sleeping supplies, such as a sleeping bag, cot and pillow.
Those who stay at the shelter check in at Upper Rodeo Park before being transported to a shelter location, which is typically a local church. Van drivers bring shelter guests back to the park at 7:20 a.m. the next morning.
At least one-third of this year’s guests worked toward finding housing, according to Seiss, including those seeking work, gaining access to transitional housing or getting a spot at a full-time shelter.
The Folsom Winter Shelter had about 110 volunteers this year, according to Seiss. Volunteers served in roles including intake, welcoming guests, coordinating sleeping supplies, restaurant delivery and more.
Restaurants and organizations that partner with the Folsom Winter Shelter include Bacchus House, Mas Taco Bar, Lazy Dog, Chicago Fire and Annapoorna, according to the presentation.
