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New Plan Would Create 134 Units Of Permanent Housing For The Homeless Downtown

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A new housing plan for the homeless could create 180 units of permanent housing in Downtown Sacramento and Citrus Heights.

Providing housing for homeless people in Sacramento was part of a plan county supervisors approved Tuesday. It would mean housing for those who qualify in one of the hottest spots in downtown Sacramento.

Some people in Sacramento welcome housing the homeless at the Capitol Park Hotel building downtown.

"Having someplace close that's effective for them to go will be very helpful," said resident Robert Delaney.

Others disagree. Opponents say homeless services are already too concentrated in the downtown area.

Under the plan, the hotel on 9th Street would be rehabilitated to create 134 units for the homeless.

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"That's primarily who's living here now, and also the city of Sacramento has an ordinance that sort of requires that we keep buildings like this affordable," said Christine Weichert, Assistant Director of Development Finance at the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency. "It's not just the housing. The housing is very important but also those wraparound services."

Sacramento County officials sent applications to the state Wednesday requesting $12.7 million from No Place Like Home, a program created in 2016 to help with housing the homeless throughout the state.

The county committed to providing services for 20 years to the NPLH tenants.

"These folks are chronically homeless are at risk of becoming chronically homeless and have serious mental health issues or substance abuse issues," said Kim Nava, Sacramento county spokesperson.

That means job training, as well as education and behavioral services, will be offered to residents within the units.

"This is getting people off the streets and into something that is useful and constructive for them," Nava said.

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It's not a done deal yet. With the applications submitted Wednesday, the county will have to wait and see if the state approves the plan.

"If there are successful we'll know this summer and they'll apply for tax credits," Weichert said.

CBS13 reached out to the mayor's office about the plan. We received this statement from Mayor Darrell Steinberg saying, "I'm thrilled to see this historic building refurbished as critically needed housing for the homeless. I'm also gratified to see that $2 billion from Proposition 63, which I authored in the Assembly, is now going to flow to meet our vast affordable housing needs in Sacramento and the state as a whole."

This is just one of two projects. Another housing for the homeless will be built in Citrus Heights called Sunrise Pointe. That building at 7424 Sunrise Boulevard, will have 47 units and with one-two-and three-bedroom units. It will be designed to serve families as well as individuals.

Sacramento County said the Citrus Heights location will have 40 percent of the units allocated to the chronically homeless, and 30 percent each to categories of homeless and at risk of chronic homelessness.

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