Sacramento to declare homeless shelter crisis. It could make opening these shelters easier
The city of Sacramento is set to again declare a homeless shelter crisis, but for a different reason than last winter.
Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency officials are working on a plan to place cabin-style shelters on a site in Councilman Allen Warren’s north Sacramento district.
But the site, which officials are not yet disclosing, is privately owned.
As a way to speed up the project, the City Council will Tuesday consider voting to declare a “shelter crisis” under state law.
The crisis declaration would allow officials to waive certain environmental review requirements and allow for alternate building standards for opening shelters on private land, according to a city staff report.
The declaration could also allow the city to speed up zoning approvals and conditional use permits for shelters, both those on city land or private land.
The council in November 2018 approved a shelter crisis declaration, but it only lasted three months and its purpose was to unlock millions in state funding.
“Once that is renewed, it begins to relieve a lot of the guidelines from building codes ... and regulations that allow real flexibility,” said Tyrone Roderick Williams, SHRA’s director of development.
The cabins typically do not include restrooms or electricity, which means they do not comply with the city’s code for habitation, Williams said.
SHRA officials are considering several brands of cabins, including those sold by Seattle-based Pallet, and Denver-based Tuff Shed, SHRA Executive Director LaShelle Dozier said.
Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he wants the 100 cabins to be open by mid-March in order to meet Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “100-day challenge.”
If all goes to plan, the cabins could open before April, when the city’s next shelter is set to open in Meadowview, Dozier said.
The meeting will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Sacramento City Hall’s council chambers.
