How can I help homeless people in Sacramento during my daily life? Here’s what is needed

The homeless population has nearly doubled in Sacramento County in three years, according to the latest report, and it’s likely you will encounter an individual in need of help during your daily life.

What is the best thing to do when passing a person experiencing homelessness and what can you do if you don’t have something tangible to give? The Bee spoke with multiple people with intimate knowledge of homelessness and poverty in the area. Here’s their advice:

What should you give?

Right now, the biggest needs are tents, blankets and water, said Faye Wilson-Kennedy, co-chair of California Poor People’s Campaign. Tents are designed for each season, and homeless people need them for different times of the year.

The Poor People’s Campaign regularly visits homeless encampments and makes an assessment of needs after visiting and speaking to these communities.

Blankets and tents can also be donated to local nonprofits such as the Homeless Assistance Resource Team, which has locations across Sacramento, as well as Loaves & Fishes, a local shelter.

One woman living outside on North 16th Street told The Bee her tent was recently lost in a sweep when she left to get food. The Sacramento native, 30-year-old Ashley R., who asked to be identified only by her first name and last initial, has two suitcases, a sleeping bag and cardboard to lay down on the pavement where she is shaded by a single tree.

In addition to tents, blankets and cushioned mats are of dire need, said 58-year-old John “Taz” Parks, who lives at an encampment near Discovery Park. He said that he and others at the camp don’t receive the same amount of help as others because of the secluded the path to the area.

“Unfortunately, the people that need the most help right now, aren’t getting help at all,” Parks told The Bee.

Other recommended items include bottled water and gift cards to convenient, fast food establishments like Subway and McDonald’s. Wilson-Kennedy suggests people keep water in their cars if they are able to do so.

Wilson-Kennedy also said that handing out a few spare dollars to someone on the street is another way to support.

“If you give them a small amount of cash and they decide what their most pressing need is with that, that’s fine, ” said Ryan Finnigan, a sociologist at UC Davis who studies homelessness and poverty.

It is important to have no strings attached or expectations of how it will be used if you give money, said Bob Erlenbusch, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness.

“If it reinforces your stereotypes of [homeless] people, don’t do it,” Erlenbusch said. “If you can give money to somebody and walk away and say ‘you know what, it’s their life, they just need the money for whatever’ and not have a judgment.”

Rather than handing out dollar bills, another option, he said, is asking the individual if they want a sandwich or drink at a nearby convenience store and purchasing those items.

What should I do if I don’t have anything to give?

You may not always have a tangible object to hand out — and even if you have something to spare, you may not feel comfortable parting with it.

Housing advocates and those who study homelessness say there are still a few ways to help.

Homeless people living in camps and on the streets often feel lonely and isolated, and can go days without being acknowledged or having a conversation with another person, Erlenbusch said.

He recommends initiating a conversation by asking how they are doing and pointing them in the direction of a shelter or organizations that provide housing services.

“Just treat us with the same respect you’d have for anyone else,” Parks, who lives near Discovery Park, said. “Help us instead of just complaining about the problem.”

Becoming acquainted with resources plays a critical role in this response, he said.

The People’s Guide, for example, is compiled by several of the region’s homelessness organizations.

This informational directory lists emergency shelters for families, young adults and single people as well as contacts for transitional housing programs.

However, many individuals who have been homeless for a while likely have been connected to services at some point, said Finnigan at UC Davis. These service providers were either too busy at the time or weren’t able to meet their needs.

“One of the biggest hardships of homelessness is just feeling very dehumanized, so I think recognizing the humanity in every person and smiling and engaging .. is the kind of thing that could really help somebody’s dignity,” he said.

Ashley R. said that it’s also important to look past stereotypes.

“What I find is that there are a lot of good people who have just slipped through the cracks,” she said. “Maybe their house was foreclosed, they landed on a bad drug habit or are just getting out of prison with nowhere else to go. It can even be as simple as some people experiencing a stroke of bad luck.”

Through his studies, Finnigan found that the number of people in Sacramento who have been homeless for more than a year increased over the last few years.

In short, more people have been homeless for longer.

“The longer that you are experiencing homelessness, the more hardships you encounter,” he said. “The more you’re out in the elements, the more you’re exposed to stressful and traumatic situations, and it’s really hard on the mind, hard on the body.”

He said that “strong social support” in the form of community and humanity could go a long way in helping people exit homelessness.

For Ashley R., she said that homelessness has become a “barrier” in itself.

“A lot of employers just don’t want to hire homeless people,” she said. “It’s sort of a vicious cycle since we need a job to afford housing, but we also need housing to have a job. ... We flat out need people who want to hire us.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2022 at 5:00 AM.