What's Being Done To Handle Homeless In Midtown Sacramento?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Several Sacramento business owners say they are seeing more homeless people in Midtown.

The problem, they say, are those homeless who harass them, and are suspected of doing drugs and drinking alcohol in front of their shops.

One business owner has had enough, and she's leaving.

"I hold it together pretty well, but some of my customers have seen me break down. I feel unsafe," says Eyliana Gibson, a hair salon owner on J Street.

Gibson moved into her salon in September, and says she has been dealing with homeless people harassing her, and her clients, since she first moved in.

"There's garbage everywhere, and urine out in front. They are just putting all their belongings in front of my shop," said Gibson.

But it's not the homeless people Gibson has a problem with -- some homeless keep to themselves, while others are much more aggressive.

"It has affected my ability to provide that safety for my clients. Now you're unsure if you're gonna be mugged on your way out."

Gibson says she's lost a considerable number of clients over the past six months.

She says she often sees people who appear to be homeless doing drugs and drinking alcohol in front of her salon.

"That's the fear I live with every day."

Gibson says she calls Sacramento police at least once a week to report homeless people harassing her, but by the time officers arrive, the people causing trouble have already gone.

Now Gibson is looking for a way out.

"I'm gonna find a location to serve my clients in the way they are used to being served."

Gibson says she's hopeful most of her clients will come back once she finds a new place to open her salon.

The group, Sacramento Steps Forward, has an outreach team that does foot patrols around the city, including Midtown, to help the homeless.

Allison Ramsey's primary goal is to get homeless people off the streets of Sacramento.

"This week alone I helped house two people, and I put about 15 to 20 into shelters over the past five months," Ramsey said.

Every day, Ramsey is out connecting with homeless people, where she tries to get them the resources they need.

"I usually see people who are really down on luck and then, there are people who need mental health care and basic health."

Since the outreach program launched a year-and-a-half ago, "Sacramento Steps Forward" has contacted 3,000 homeless people.

More than 2,000 have accepted help, and are using the organization's resources to get back on their feet.

"Twenty-five percent of the homeless we see identify they need mental health care, and the same percentage say they need drug addiction assistance."

Ryan Loofbourrow is the CEO for Sacramento Steps Forward.

He says his organization partners with Sutter and Dignity Health to help homeless people who need mental health care and drug recovery assistance.

But not everyone wants the help, says Ramsey.

She says there's not much outreach workers can do when homeless people refuse assistance.

"The majority of the homeless people we talk to don't want to be on the streets, but sometimes things happen, and we are here to help people get on the right track."

Loofbourrow says his organization has seen an increase in overall homelessness all around Sacramento, and he believes it's not the new arena that's pushing homeless people into different areas.

Sacramento Steps Forward housed more than four-thousand homeless people in 2015.