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Sacramento council approves HAP6 application, prioritizing shelters amid steep state funding cuts
Summary
The council approved the updated regionally coordinated homelessness action plan and Sacramento's HAP6 application, directing most of reduced state funds to keeping interim shelter capacity operational while planning prevention work with county and regional partners.
The Sacramento City Council on Tuesday approved the city—s updated regional homelessness action plan and the joint application for the State—s sixth-round Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HAP6) funds, directing the bulk of the reduced allocation toward keeping existing interim shelter programs open.
City Housing Manager Yay Yan Iel presented the two-year update to the All In regionally coordinated homelessness action plan (ARCHAP) and the proposed HAP6 budget. The Sacramento region faces a roughly 40% reduction in HAP funding compared with the prior round; staff said the region—s allocation fell as a result of changes in the state formula and a 2024 point-in-time count that showed a 29% reduction in the region—s total count.
"This 2 year action plan and proposed HAP6 funding recommendation comes at a time of reduced state funding for homelessness," Iel said, noting staff proposals emphasize prevention, reducing street homelessness and maintaining shelter operations.
Under the proposed plan, about 70% of the HAP6 funding would support interim housing, including congregate shelter beds, motel programs and youth-specific emergency beds. Iel and other staff outlined the city-funded shelter capacity that HAP6 would sustain: 363 congregate beds, roughly 200 motel rooms and about 53 youth beds.
Lisa Bates of Sacramento Steps Forward joined staff for questions about prevention and coordinated access. Bates and Ayanna McGee, director of system implementation at Sacramento Steps Forward, said community engagement sessions emphasized prevention and better coordination with behavioral-health and service providers to connect people to appropriate supports.
Councilmembers praised the plan but repeatedly asked for better system-level prevention strategies and clearer accounting of how city, county and Continuum of Care resources fit together. Councilmember Steve Hansen Dickinson emphasized the need for a broader map of responsibilities across jurisdictions and requested more comprehensive reporting on prevention and system outcomes in coming months.
Staff said they would return with additional items in September on strategies to reduce street homelessness and on proposals for shared governance. The county and Continuum of Care will consider the same HAP6 materials in the coming weeks; staff said the county and Continuum of Care hearings are scheduled for Aug. 19 and the Continuum of Care hearing tomorrow.
Councilmember Mai Vang moved to approve the ARCHAP update and the city's HAP6 budget; the motion passed by voice vote with one absence noted.
Councilmembers and staff said the funding reductions force prioritization of keeping shelter operations open while pursuing longer-term prevention and permanent housing strategies, and they asked staff to return with further details about prevention programming and coordination with county partners.
