Cost Will End Sacramento Homeless Restroom Program, For Now

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The Pit Stop pilot program, which provides clean restrooms for Sacramento's homeless, will have its final flush on Dec. 31.

The city council did not extend the six-month contract to extend the management and use of the mobile bathroom facility.

"It's here when we need it," said Evelyn Tucker.

For thousands living on the street, doing daily business can be a challenge.

"We use a bucket," said Tucker, talking about her bathroom options as a homeless woman.

Since June, the taxpayer funded Pit Stop bathroom has provided a needed service. The bathroom is three units, kept clean by attendants and is open daily from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.

"It's a lot of privacy than going out here in public, it's embarrassing," said Mane Sae Chou, who lives in the streets nearby.

Instead of using the streets, or sneaking into nearby stores, people can use the restroom comfortably.

"We're having a lot of problems with public defecation in Sacramento," said City Councilmen Jeff Harris.

He pitched the Pit Stop solution.

According to a status report, use has steadily gone up, more than 100 people a day in September. A total of nearly 9,500 since June.

"The homeless community is saying, 'Hey don't mess that place up; that's our place,' they start to feel ownership and pride," said Harris.

The restroom serves as more than a place to relieve ones self, it's also a needle collection site. 650 needles have been disposed of in the last four months.

"Rather than have people discard such dangerous materials on the street, we're collecting them," said Harris.

But here's the catch, costs have also outpaced expectations. The pit stop is $75,000 over budget - totaling roughly $175,000.

"Justifying it economically is a little harder at the price point we are now," said Harris.

Harris says the excess cost comes from salaries, and the inability to find an outside contractor to operate the pit stop at a cheaper rate.

Transporting and disposing of waste on the mobile unit totaled $50,000 for the six-month period.

At Tuesday's council meeting, city staff was directed to research the public bathroom plan and design. They must report back to council before Dec. 31 with more cost effective options. Options like bathrooms already in place instead of the mobile units.