Sacramento leaders pledge continued countywide coordination as funding risks threaten homelessness gains

A coalition of Sacramento elected officials and senior staff convened a daylong summit on homelessness and behavioral health on Oct. 30, 2025, pledging continued countywide coordination even as presenters warned that looming state and federal funding and policy shifts could undo recent progress.

The meeting brought together the full Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, Sacramento City Council and mayors or council representatives from Elk Grove, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights and Galt to compare local models, review system capacity and consider next steps for shared governance. County Supervisor Phil Serna, who co‑chaired the meeting, said the convening was meant to “provide a shared space for elected leaders … to communicate and collaborate in public” and to build a “structured partnership” to address homelessness.

Speakers described measurable gains and persistent gaps. County and city staff reported roughly 10,000 shelter and housing options created in recent years — including about 5,910 permanent supportive and rapid‑rehousing units and roughly 3,556 shelter or interim beds — and noted additional temporary and micro‑community sites planned for 2026. Emily Halkin, director of the Sacramento County Department of Homeless Services and Housing, told the group that the region invested about $418 million last fiscal year across county, city and Continuum of Care funding streams but cautioned many of those dollars are one‑time or restricted grants.

“We are investing more in a variety of programs,” Halkin said, “but it is…