Some families left sleeping in cars and parking lots after change to housing program
By Erin Heft
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SACRAMENTO, California (KCRA) — A transition in Sacramento’s Step Up on Second shelter and transitional housing program has left about 20 to 25 families displaced in the last 24 hours, forcing some to sleep on the street, in parking lots, or inside their cars.
Among those displaced is 11-year-old Keith Smith, who is now living in a car with his sister, their disabled mother, and all of their belongings. Keith described the conditions they faced overnight and the toll the situation has taken on his mother.
“I mean you don’t have to worry about heating, close that door, close the door, it heats up like an oven,” Keith said. He also said his mother has a leg injury and uses a walker.
Isaac Wright, whose family of four has lived at a Motel 6 for the last two years, said the sudden displacement has been devastating.
“It’s like y’all kicked us out and it’s now just like I don’t like, you know, we keep dropping like we’re going below rock bottom,” Wright said.
He said families believed they would be guaranteed vouchers and replacement rooms, but that did not happen.
“Well, at first we didn’t know we were supposed to, you know, leave because they guarantee everybody vouchers, and everybody rooms, so they just kicked us out like… We were waiting in the parking lot for four hours just to say leave,” Wright said.
The city of Sacramento said about 150 families were part of the housing program that is being replaced by a new voucher-based system.
According to the city, most families made the transition successfully, but around 25 families were displaced.
The Sacramento Homeless Union said it has been working to support those affected and warned that the disruption has hit some of the community’s most vulnerable residents.
The city said families unable to secure a room at participating motels would be offered space at the city’s Outreach and Engagement Center.
Officials also noted that some motel owners refused to honor vouchers for a small number of families because of previous issues.
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