The Sacramento Homeless Union filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The complaint alleges the City of Sacramento unlawfully terminated its Motel Shelter Program, resulting in the mass displacement of vulnerable residents, including families with children, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities, on June 1.
A significant operational failure within the City of Sacramento’s shelter and transitional housing system resulted in widespread displacement and confusion among vulnerable residents, prompting the Sacramento Homeless Union to demand a comprehensive public accounting from city officials.
The Sacramento Homeless Union issued a statement criticizing the use of its federal civil rights litigation in a complaint filed against Sacramento County Board of Supervisors candidate Dr. Flojaune Cofer, asserting the filing lacked evidentiary support and aimed to generate controversy during the final days of the primary election campaign.
A federally mandated Point-in-Time count indicated Sacramento County’s homeless population rose by 13% compared to 2024, reaching 7,458 individuals. The report, released by Sacramento Steps Forward, highlighted these figures amid the City of Sacramento’s expanded shelter capacity and ongoing deliberations regarding potential budget cuts to homelessness services.
Sacramento Street Medicine teams provide free medical and social support to Sacramento’s unhoused community living in encampments, relying on volunteers and a structured approach to care.
The US needs to take a U-turn in its management of homelessness and addiction, as the number one cause of homelessness is poverty, not mental illness or addiction, and the US and the Philippines are the only countries that require cash bail.
The City of Berkeley has ordered the closure of an encampment in West Berkeley due to public health concerns related to leptospirosis, prompting criticism from advocates and residents who argue that the city should provide sanitation support and relocation options instead of displacement.
Supportive housing, which combines affordable housing with on-site services, is the most cost-effective and effective way to reduce unsheltered homelessness, as it addresses the root cause of the issue and reduces public costs associated with emergency and institutional settings.
Sacramento County Supervisor Rodriguez has been criticized for her lack of compassion towards the homeless, as she has supported the destruction of their shelters and has not offered any alternative housing solutions.
Houston has been successful in reducing homelessness through a housing-first strategy, but the latest data shows that even the most celebrated local strategies are fragile without sustained federal funding and affordable housing.
Two housing advocacy groups have filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for allegedly unlawfully diverting $75 million in permanent supportive housing funds to advance the Trump administration’s social agenda.
Homelessness in the US is a result of decades of political choices, such as the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which pulled the federal government out of building and maintaining public housing, and is exacerbated by rising rents, stagnant wages, and gentrification, making it difficult for working families to find affordable housing.
Mayor Kevin McCarty of Sacramento announced the construction of 135 tiny homes at the Roseville Road Shelter‐and‐Service Campus, providing a cost-effective solution to the city’s homelessness crisis and complementing other initiatives such as safe parking and motel conversions.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced that $75.5 million in voter-approved Proposition 1 funding will be used to create 200 new permanent supportive homes in Oakland, Santa Clara, and Ventura for Californians experiencing or at risk of homelessness and living with behavioral health challenges.
A coalition of housing advocates, legal experts, and social service providers has warned that banishment ordinances targeting unhoused people are unconstitutional, ineffective, and harmful, while President Trump has ordered homeless encampments in Washington, D.C. to be cleared and their residents moved out of the city.
The Sacramento Homeless Union has won a federal lawsuit against the City of Sacramento, resulting in a legal settlement that provides protections for unhoused residents during extreme heat events.
The Trump administration’s executive order on homelessness and mental illness is a misguided strategy that prioritizes public visibility over public health, and instead of providing long-term support, it cycles people in and out of expensive institutions without addressing the underlying causes of homelessness.
The Supreme Court’s decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson has allowed cities across the country to double down on anti-homeless ordinances, exacerbating homelessness and making it harder for unhoused people to access resources and housing.
Senator Angelique Ashby has introduced Senate Bill 802, which would establish a new regional agency to coordinate housing and homelessness programs across Sacramento County, in an effort to address the region’s persistent housing and homelessness crisis.
Joshua’s House, the first hospice in the US designed specifically for terminally ill unhoused individuals, will open in Sacramento in July, offering shelter, dignity, and compassionate support to those in their final days.