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Council directs staff to draft Joint Powers Authority framework as part of homelessness governance overhaul
Summary
After a multi-hour presentation from consultants and extensive public testimony, Sacramento City Council directed staff to prepare a draft Joint Powers Authority framework and to continue work on reconstituting Continuum of Care governance; the substitute motion to prioritize a JPA passed by majority vote.
The City Council received a lengthy presentation and recommendations about reorganizing the Continuum of Care (COC) and broader regional governance for homelessness and housing. Consultants Mosaic Solutions summarized months of stakeholder interviews noting fragmentation across agencies and a desire among elected officials for more direct, accountable decision-making over strategy and funding.
Consultants Darby Kernan and Matt Kate recommended reconstituting the COC board to include a majority of elected officials from the city, county and participating suburban cities, plus inclusion of law enforcement, health care and lived-experience representatives. The consultant team also proposed a timeline and fall‑backs including creating a separate Sacramento Homeless and Housing Board or ultimately pursuing a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) if collaboration fails.
Public commenters and representatives of Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) and the Continuum of Care expressed mixed views. Lisa Bates, CEO of SSF, said alignment with accountability is important and that the alternative option with adjustments “could offer the greatest flexibility.” Joseph Smith, COC board chair, urged preserving an independent COC to protect HUD‑mandated functions and cautioned that shifting authority wholesale to elected bodies risks destabilizing service coordination.
Council debate focused on two central questions: how to increase elected accountability and whether to pursue an immediate reconstitution of the COC board or instead prioritize a formal JPA that would pool regional authority and funding. Some councilmembers argued a JPA is the clearest path to long-term accountability and pooled funding; others said the recommended option (reconstituted COC) could be implemented more quickly and keep federal compliance in view while still pursuing a JPA.
After extended discussion, Councilmember Maple moved for staff to return with a drafted JPA framework that would include the city, the county, participating surrounding cities, SHRA, and the COC/SSF, for council consideration and a subsequent vote. The substitute motion was seconded and passed by the majority of the council, with Councilmember Dickinson and one other councilmember recorded as opposed. The clerk announced the motion passed.
What’s next: City staff will prepare a JPA framework for council review and continue parallel discussions about reconstituting the COC and negotiating roles with the county and surrounding cities. Any structural change will have to respect HUD/COC federal obligations and require willing participation from other jurisdictions.
