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ELK GROVE, California (KOVR) -- With beds and blankets, cozy chairs around a TV and a desk with computers, a new year-round homeless shelter in Elk Grove has all the comforts — but it's not a home.
The shelter is designed to house up to 35 adults and can even accommodate their pets.
"There's three meals a day. There's case management. There's workforce development services. There's connections to mental health and substance abuse resources," said Sarah Bontrager, manager of Elk Grove Housing and Public Services.
The shelter opens just two months after the Elk Grove City Council passed tough new anti-camping laws made possible by a recent Supreme Court ruling on homelessness.
The new city ordinance makes sleeping in most public spaces a misdemeanor and allows police to seize personal property.
"What we're seeing is that that's actually inspiring more people to be interested in taking shelter," Bontrager said.
Clients will need to be referred to the shelter by homeless outreach workers or police. No walk-ins are allowed.
The city is paying the nonprofit Gathering Inn $1.5 million a year to operate the shelter. Most of the money comes from a sales tax increase passed by voters in 2022, with 62% of the public saying they support this type of program.
"A program like this opening up in the community to meet the needs specifically of that community is something the community can be proud of, and it's the right thing to do," said Nick Golling, chief program officer of the Gathering Inn.
The program's goal is to get people off the streets and spend the night in a safe place where they can also get supportive services and assistance finding a permanent place of their own.
"We want to help people to get back to a point of stability in their life," Bontrager said.
The new shelter will be located at the Cavalry Christian Center at 9499 E. Stockton Blvd. in Elk Grove. It is scheduled to open in early November and will remain at the site for a minimum of three years while the city searches for a permanent location.
