Sacramento proposes new homeless sites that would charge fees. Where are they?

Mathew Miranda, The Sacramento Bee on Sep 12, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento leaders will consider four new locations for homeless people, including three tiny home communities designated for seniors at a monthly fee.

The sites — proposed at four vacant lots in different neighborhoods — would provide a place to sleep for about 220 people. Three of the locations would be interim housing “micro-communities” with about 40 tiny home units, 24-hour security, bathrooms and communal gathering spaces.

People living in these units would be older than 55 and required to pay a fee of “no more than 30% of their monthly gross income,” according to a staff report published Thursday afternoon. City officials began discussing shelter fees earlier this year.

The fourth location would be designated a “safe camping” site for roughly 100 people living in River District encampments. The goal is to transition people off the street and into an “environment where they can camp while engaging in services,” said the staff report.

The City Council will discuss the four sites and the potential of charging people during its 5 p.m. meeting Tuesday. The meeting, which is focused on addressing homelessness, continues the city’s recent efforts on offering more tiny homes and shifting away from congregate housing.

The staff report did not include the addresses of the city-owned lots — only stating the “safe camping” site would be located in District 4 and three micro-communities sites in Districts 1, 5 and 8.

But a recent building permit application on the city’s website showed the Community Development Department has likely identified the four vacant lots. The description on the permit states it is an internal city request to assign addresses for city-owned microhousing project parcels.

The four locations listed include the corner of El Centro Road and Arena Boulevard in Sundance Lake; where Bannon Street meets Sequoia Pacific Boulevard in the River District; behind a fire station at 7363 24th St. in Meadowview; and at the corner of 47th Avenue and 24th Street in Brentwood, near the Sacramento Executive Airport.

The potential locations were first reported by the Sacramento Business Journal. City spokesperson Julie Hall would not confirm the locations of the four sites when asked on Thursday afternoon.

“The details will be discussed at next week’s council meeting,” Hall said in a statement.

A fourth micro-community site in District 7 is currently being evaluated, the staff report said, but not ready to be discussed.

The fees for the four micro-communities sites would generate about $576,000 in annual revenue, according to the staff report. This revenue would partially offset operating expenses, which are estimated at $2 million for 160 units.

Interim housing sites were first raised at an April City Council discussion. At the meeting, city leaders expressed support for scaling back its congregate homeless facilities and instead focusing on micro-communities.

Brian Pedro, director for the Department of Community Response, said the strategy would be more cost-efficient. Over five years, the city estimated it would save $4 million using interim housing micro-communities instead of congregate shelters.

Sacramento funds 18 shelter sites with 1,375 beds at an annual operating cost of $28 million, as of Thursday’s staff report. Seniors are the target population for the micro-communities because they are the fastest-growing homeless population and typically receive Social Security to pay for rent, Pedro added in April.

“I don’t think that we can wait for things to be perfect,” Pedro said at the meeting. “We’re waiting for the perfect model to appear. This is pretty close to as perfect as we can get with what we have available to us.”

Charging fees for non-permanent housing remains uncommon across the nation and has received backlash from some residents and council members. Others, including Mayor Kevin McCarty, have previously stated they are supportive of the idea.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the City Council will also discuss modifying its motel shelter program and developing a voucher-based model. Under the proposed changes, homeless families would be issued a voucher for a four-week motel stay. Vouchers would be renewable for up to six months, but would be contingent on participants engaging with case managers.

Such changes could create $2 million in savings and are recommended following a recent audit, according to the staff report. The audit found the motel shelter program had become costly, mismanaged and led to extended stays.

____