The Sacramento City Council is voting this week to apply for funding to convert a motel at 11th and H street into a 92-unit homeless housing, even as some members express concerns and hoped to delay the vote.
Tuesday night, city council members voted to apply for about $30 million in Project Homekey funding to transform the Best Western motel at 11th and H streets into Central Sacramento Studios. Councilmember Katie Valenzuela says, if the state approves the funding, people could move in within the next six months, according to CBS Sacramento. “When it comes to economic development and economic recovery, we will forever be hampered by the fact that we have citizens sleeping in front of the Convention Center, sleeping in front of the restaurants,” Valenzuela said. “If we are going to attract all the amazing events and things we want in our region, we have to figure out a way to get people off the streets.”
The council earlier this month voted to apply for Homekey funding to convert the Staybridge Suites in the Promenade shopping center in North Natomas into housing for homeless families. If state officials select both the downtown and North Natomas hotels for Homekey funding, it would take essentially all of the funding allocated for the region, Dozier said. Harris and Guerra said they were worried that would mean there would not be any funding left for their motels.