West Sacramento Program Gives Homeless A Bridge To Housing

WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Tuesday could be the last night that dozens of homeless people spend without a roof over their heads thanks to a second chance from a new pilot program.

The buses will arrive on Wednesday to take the homeless from where they've been living for months or years outdoors to a room of their own.

Mark Anthony Green has been homeless for much of his life. He sleeps in a tent on the riverbanks in West Sacramento, but his address will soon be changing.

"I never had my own in 51 years; this is a dream come true," he said.

Green has agreed to take part in a pilot program called Bridge to Housing, giving him and 70 others housing for three months.

The City of West Sacramento is partnering with the Yolo County Housing Authority, and the United Christian Centers in the housing first program.

"Instead of trying to put people in shelters or in transitional housing what may work best is to put them right away in their own apartment," said UCC COO Sergei Shkurkin.

UCC is responsible for the outreach, and it identified dozens who agreed to the move, saying 10 to 15 of those are veterans.

The program's goal is to get the homeless off of the streets, then address mental health and other medical issues.

Kerensa Beers is the transportation coordinator for the program.

"I think it's a Godsend; I believe it's a chance for them to start over," Beers said.

The homeless aren't being forced to move to the Old Town Motel in West Sacramento, and it's only temporary, but it's a lifeline that some say they can't afford to pass up.

The Yolo County Board of Supervisors and the City of West Sacramento approved $100,000 for the project.