How much Sacramento budgets for homelessness
$123.0MPlanned for homelessness programs by the City of Sacramento and Sacramento County, each dollar counted once.
- Largest City program budgets by provider, FY25/26
- Volunteers of America (VOA) · 2 lines$9.5M
- City motel program (multiple motels + Step Up)$7.9Mp2
- The Gathering Inn · 3 lines$7.8M
- FS Global · 2 lines$4.8M
- TLCS, Inc. dba Hope Cooperative · 2 lines$4.5M
- SHRA$3.6Mp2
- See every provider and line item →
Drag or tap a year. Striped bar: County only. Federal grants arc around the onion: they go straight to providers and are never added.
More money, fewer people moving into homes
- Budgets up, housing exits down+39.7%
City + County budgets went from $88.1M (FY22/23) to $123.0M (FY25/26). The share moving to a permanent home fell from 41.8%HUD (2019) to 32.8%HUD (2024).
One-night count: 6,615p2 (2024) → 7,458p1 (2026). Countywide, all programs.
See why → - Longer stays163 daysHUD
Average time homeless for people in shelter in 2024, up from 99 daysHUD in 2019.
Countywide, all shelter programs, all ages.
See why → - City-funded shelters26.5%p251
of exits from City-funded shelters went to permanent housing in 2025. In 2024 it was 741 of 3,288p253.
All ages, including children. The City does not report results shelter by shelter.
See why → - Cost per person housedNot published
No public source we found pairs spending with the number of people housed, for any program.
Without it, no one can compare what a housing result costs.
See why →
These compare different years and groups, so they show patterns, not causes. Homelessness rises and falls for many reasons, and countywide HUD data covers every program, whoever pays for it.
Funding follows activity, not results
This is about how the system's incentives are designed, not about any one provider. Programs serve different people, and some take much longer to help than others.
The City's program budget report describes each program by its beds and the number of people it servesp2. It does not list how many people each program moved into housing. We have not found the payment terms of the contracts themselves in public documents. Not published
Outcome-based contracts pay part of the money when people move into permanent housing and stay housed. They need clear definitions, fair targets for harder-to-serve groups, and public reporting of the cost per person housed.
Suggested ask: tie new contracts to exits to permanent housing, and publish the cost per person housed.
From your taxes to a shelter bed, in four steps
- 01 · TaxpayersYouLocal taxes, State taxes and federal taxes.
- 02 · FundsFunding sourcesCity General Fund and Measure U, State grants such as HHAP, County funds, federal HUD grants.
- 03 · AgenciesCity and County officesCity Department of Community Response; County Department of Homeless Services and Housing.
- 04 · ProvidersNonprofits and operatorsShelters, outreach teams, motel programs and housing providers.
Federal HUD grants skip step 03: they go straight to providers. That is why we show them on their own line.
City of Sacramento homelessness budget, FY25/26 (July 2025 to June 2026).
The City budgets about 3.5% of its operating budget on homelessness
This counts every funding source the City uses for these programs, including State grants it receives, plus department staff. Budgets are plans; actual spending can be higher or lower.
See what the City budget pays for
See the share of the City budget, year by year
| Fiscal year | City homelessness budget | City operating budget | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY22/23 | $38.9M | $1.32Bp100 | 3.0% |
| FY23/24 | $47.8M | $1.36Bp112 | 3.5% |
| FY24/25 | $51.9M | $1.46Bp152 | 3.5% |
| FY25/26 | $54.1M | $1.54Bp154 | 3.5% |
| FY26/27 | $45.5M | $1.60Bp156 | 2.8% |
Share = City homelessness budget ÷ City operating budget (current operations, approved). Ratios that count only the department's own line are lower because they leave out State-funded programs.
Have a question about these numbers? Ask the people who set the budget.
The County publishes one total, with no split by program
The County budget book shows a single amount for its Department of Homeless Services and Housing. It does not say how much goes to each program or provider. Not published
State money is counted once, where it is spent. In FY25/26 the City budgeted $12.9Mp100 of State HHAP grants and the County budgeted $30.9Mp127 of State and federal grants. Both are already inside the totals.
See City and County, year by year
* County FY26/27 is the Recommended budget. FY21/22 is left out because the City did not publish a comparable total that year.
| Fiscal year | City | County | City + County | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY22/23 | $38.9M | $49.2Mp91 | $88.1M | City figure derived (low confidence, likely undercount) |
| FY23/24 | $47.8M | $58.7Mp88 | $106.6M | — |
| FY24/25 | $51.9M | $61.4Mp81 | $113.3M | — |
| FY25/26 | $54.1M | $68.9Mp127 | $123.0M | — |
| FY26/27 | $45.5M | $71.1Mp127 Recommended | $116.6M | County figure is Recommended, final adopted not posted |
Want the County to publish a breakdown? Ask your supervisor.
HUD Continuum of Care awards to groups across the county, FY25/26. Shown separately, never added.
Federal money goes straight to local groups
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) pays these grants directly to providers. They do not pass through City or County budgets, so they are not part of the City + County total.
See federal awards, year by year
| Fiscal year | HUD CoC award | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| FY21/22 | $27.1MHUD | Total award only; project list not used yet |
| FY22/23 | $29.7MHUD | Total award only; project list not used yet |
| FY23/24 | $30.5MHUD | Total award only; project list not used yet |
| FY24/25 | $32.8MHUD | Total award only; project list not used yet |
| FY25/26 | $40.5M | Itemised list of 36 projects (HUD FY2024 competition) |
Have a question about these numbers? Ask the people who set the budget.
Some costs sit in other budgets
Police, fire and medical calls, public works, parks, code enforcement and libraries also deal with homelessness. These departments do not publish a homelessness amount, so they are not in any total here. The one published piece is Public Works "Homeless Mitigation": $983Kp2 in FY25/26, already inside the City total.
Also not yet counted: County behavioral-health housing, SHRA's own budget, other cities in the county, and City permanent supportive housing run by a different City office. See the full list of gaps.
See the full money map
Dashed grey links are money already counted at an earlier step. They show who gets the money, but they are never added again.
Scroll sideways on small screens. Lines show who passes money to whom. Amounts are listed in the table, not on the lines, so nothing is added up by eye.
Amounts and sources for all 48 links in FY25/26
| From | To | What | Amount | Basis | Counted in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City General Fund / Measure U | City Dept of Community Response | General Fund Support | $35.30Mp100 | budgeted | city headline |
| State & federal grants to County | County Homeless Services & Housing (DHSH) | Intergovernmental revenues | $30.90Mp127 | budgeted | county headline (part of total) |
| County General Fund (net County cost) | County Homeless Services & Housing (DHSH) | County General Fund net cost | $25.51Mp127 | budgeted | county headline (part of total) |
| State HHAP grants | City Dept of Community Response | Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (HHAP-6) | $12.90Mp100 | budgeted | city headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | SHRA | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (2 projects) | $9.15Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| County Health Services (behavioral health) | County Homeless Services & Housing (DHSH) | Intrafund reimbursements (mainly County DHS) | $8.10Mp127 | budgeted | county headline (part of total) |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | SHELTER, Inc. | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (3 projects) | $6.96Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Lutheran Social Services of Northern California | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (10 projects) | $6.09Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| City General Fund / Measure U | City Dept of Community Response | City General Fund/Measure U (DCR staff operations) | $5.91Mp158 | budgeted | city headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Next Move Homeless Services | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (3 projects) | $4.97Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | TLCS, Inc. dba Hope Cooperative | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (2 projects) | $4.32Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Sacramento Steps Forward | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (7 projects) | $2.97Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| State Parkway grant | County Homeless Services & Housing (DHSH) | Interfund reimbursement from HSH Restricted Revenues BU 5820800 (State Parkway grant) | $2.39Mp127 | budgeted | county headline (part of total) |
| County semi-discretionary reimbursements | County Homeless Services & Housing (DHSH) | Semi-discretionary reimbursements | $1.84Mp127 | budgeted | county headline (part of total) |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Step Up on Second Street | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (1 project) | $1.44Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Waking the Village | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (2 projects) | $1.43Mp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Lao Family Community Development | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (1 project) | $985Kp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Opening Doors Inc. | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (1 project) | $812Kp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Bridging Initiatives International | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (1 project) | $434Kp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | My Sister's House | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (1 project) | $354Kp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Cottage Housing | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (1 project) | $338Kp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| U.S. HUD Continuum of Care | Mercy Housing California | HUD CoC FY2024 competition (1 project) | $239Kp5-7 | awarded | federal headline |
| County General Fund (net County cost) | County Homeless Services & Housing (DHSH) | Miscellaneous revenues | $154Kp127 | budgeted | county headline (part of total) |
| County Homeless Services & Housing (DHSH) | County-contracted providers (not named) | DHSH 'Other Charges' (contracts/aid payments) | $54.93Mp127 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: county headline (DHSH gross) |
| City Dept of Community Response | City motel program (motels + Step Up) | City Motel Program/Emergency | $7.86Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Volunteers of America (VOA) | Meadowview Navigation Center | $4.84Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Volunteers of America (VOA) | X Street Navigation Center | $4.63Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | The Gathering Inn | Roseville Road Campus North | $4.38Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | FS Global | Citywide Cleanup Services | $4.23Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | SHRA | Emergency Bridge Housing at the | $3.62Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | The Gathering Inn | North 5th Street Navigation | $3.43Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | TLCS, Inc. dba Hope Cooperative | Outreach and Engagement Center | $3.15Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | First Step Communities | Roseville Road Campus South | $3.06Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | SHRA | HHAP 4 Funding Meadowview Nav Center | $2.00Mp187 | awarded | counted elsewhere: city |
| City Dept of Community Response | TLCS, Inc. dba Hope Cooperative | Outreach & Mental Health Services | $1.34Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Step Up on Second Street | Case Carrying Outreach | $1.19Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Saint John's Program for Real Change | Women and Family Shelter | $1.18Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Sacramento Steps Forward | Coordinated Access System | $1.00Mp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Sacramento Steps Forward | Coordinated Access System | $1.00Mp187 | awarded | counted elsewhere: city |
| City Dept of Community Response | City Public Works (homeless mitigation) | PW Homeless Mitigation | $983Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Sacramento LGBT Community Center | Sacramento LGBT Community | $756Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Waking the Village | The Village Shelter | $683Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Wind Youth Services | Wind Youth Services Common | $617Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | FS Global | Disposal Services | $593Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | WEAVE, Inc. | Women and Family Shelter | $575Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | Sacramento LGBT Community Center | Sacramento LGBT Community | $81Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
| City Dept of Community Response | SHRA | HHAP 1 Homeless Grant Program | $61Kp187 | awarded | counted elsewhere: city |
| City Dept of Community Response | The Gathering Inn | North 5th Street Navigation | $13Kp2 | budgeted | counted elsewhere: city headline (DCR program budget) |
Ask the people who set these budgets
Find your council member and supervisor, pick an action, and get a short draft that uses only the sourced numbers on this site. You edit it and send it yourself.