Sacramento’s homeless population has doubled in the last two years. About 2,000 people are believed to be living on city streets, and the City of Sacramento plans to invest in the homeless. Mayor Darrell Steinberg is now pushing a “right to housing” ordinance in Sacramento that he hopes will spark similar measures throughout California. Steinberg told FOX 40 more city resources will be used to open new shelters, with $23 million already being spent converting the old Capitol park Hotel into housing the homeless.
The new housing proposal would not just be a shelter for homeless to stay in, but would also incorporate living amenities like beds, sanctioned areas for privacy and other facility access. There would also be a policy enforcing homeless to make a decision on their living situations - with these new facilities being built, homeless would be then asked to remove themselves from their current encampments within a certain time period. Mayor Steinberg insists this measure would not involve police force. A new plan would allocate another $100 million to address homelessness in Sacramento.