Patrick Miller of Grace House helps distribute hot meals to area homeless on Dec. 27, 2022. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip–
Volunteers from the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) and Grace House on Tuesday provided a hot meal behind Costco to those living on the streets of Citrus Heights.
Both organizations work together to provide meals every Tuesday at the picnic tables behind Costco and Walmart on Auburn Boulevard. This week’s turnout on Dec. 27 was slim due to the weather, organizers said.
Homeless advocate Alfred Sanchez, known on the streets as “Snack Man” for his efforts to distribute snacks and toiletries, said people living on the streets and in the parks try to stay warm and dry as best they can.
“Thank God that Grace House is out here doing this,” Sanchez said. “Because it gives it a kind of a sense of community, somebody cares. The navigators, the people from HART, I come out, and it just makes it feel like, damn, somebody cares.”
Citrus Heights HART President Irene Hronicek said the outreach helps staff connect with homeless individuals and offer services. The meals are prepared and served by Grace House, she said.
Patrick Miller, president of the board for Grace House, said his organization houses between 30 and 35 men and women among three houses, a men’s house, a women’s house, and a men’s transitional house.
Since April of last year, the City of Citrus Heights has paid for 18 people to be housed at Grace House, Miller said. Of those, only two have turned back to alcohol or drugs while the rest are either living in transitional housing or continue to live at Grace House.
“We don’t run a rehab, we don’t run a behavior modification type of program,” Miller said. “We build a new family for them.”
Grace House meets each Friday night at Crossroads Christian Fellowship near Dewey Drive and Madison Avenue. Citrus Heights HART offers office hours with the navigator, Gabby Yost, at various times and locations during the week.
HART is also helping coordinate a rotating Winter Shelter program, set to begin Sunday night.
By Mike Hazlip—
Citing a decline in volunteers amid the coronavirus pandemic, organizers of a rotating winter homeless shelter in Citrus Heights are seeking to enlist more help in preparation for the shelter opening later this month.
The “winter sanctuary” program is put on by the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) and is slated to begin Sunday, Dec. 26 and rotate between various churches, as in prior years.
The intake site will again be at Messiah Lutheran Church, at 7801 Rosswood Drive, according to a news release sent out by HART this week. The site will open its doors at 5 p.m., and guests will be registered and provided with behavior guidelines upon arrival.
Room for up to 25 guests will be available, and those showing up for overnight accommodations will be able to secure small items and bicycles overnight, the news release said.
The winter sanctuary relies on volunteers and host churches throughout the city. The program is scheduled to run through Feb. 26, 2022. The program is chaired by Irene Hronicek, and is one of several HART groups through Sacramento County.
“We begin winter sanctuary right after Christmas, because it’s our coldest, rainiest months, in January and February,” Hronicek said in Tuesday’s press release, adding that the homeless men and women who come “are welcomed by smiling faces. They are included in prayer and companionship throughout the evening.”
Resources are also provided at the winter sanctuary sites, with personnel on hand to assist with housing, work programs, and addiction recovery programs, the release said.
File photo, Citrus Heights HART Coordinator Irene Hronicek hugs a guest at a warming center at Celtic Cross Presbyterian Church in January. // M. Hazlip
By Mike Hazlip—
Volunteers with the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) are looking at ways to continue efforts to help area homeless, as “warming centers” set up during the cold season have concluded.
In a statement provided by HART board member Irene Hronicek, this year’s modified winter program served a total of 62 individuals, 46 men and 16 women, during the five weeks the program was in operation.
Five local churches participated in hosting the shelter on a rotating basis with each church hosting for one week, between Jan. 4 and Feb. 5, 2021. Unlike prior years, in an effort to follow state COVID-19 guidelines and prevent spread of the virus, guests were not allowed to stay overnight, but could spend up to four hours at the centers.
“The abbreviated offering this year truly served to reinforce to the participating host churches and volunteers that the overnight model is greatly needed and even preferred,” Hronicek told The Sentinel in an email Wednesday. “The preparation to welcome guests for 4 hours was much the same as welcoming guests for 12 hours overnight.”
Hronicek said guests were able to use charging ports for their electronic devices and receive haircuts and clothing during their stay. Citrus Heights Navigator Toni Morgan was also available at the centers to assist individuals with finding more permanent housing.
“In the City of Citrus Heights, there are no other overnight accommodations, winter or summer, that people who are homeless can be referred to,” Hronicek said. “The Homeless Navigator has some resources during this Covid environment, but they are limited, and conditions to qualify do not fit many of her clients.”
Hronicek said the causes of homelessness are complex and vary from one individual to the next. She says HART is working to educate the public about assumptions that people choose to be homeless or that there is a single cause or a simple solution to the problem.
“It is not usually one thing, but multiple events that squeeze the person onto the street,” she said. “And often, loss of employment, divorce, substance abuse, criminal activity, is only the last stress that finally forces a person onto the street.”
Over 190 volunteers participated at the five area churches to host the warming centers, according to HART. Participating churches were Antelope Road Christian Fellowship, Advent Lutheran Church, Celtic Cross Church, Holy Family Catholic Church, and the LDS Ladies Relief Society Citrus Heights Stake that provided volunteers at Celtic Cross Church.
An earlier report by The Sentinel noted that Mercy Holistic Ministry provided a mobile shower trailer for guests. HART also recognized Hands On Sacramento, Just Serve, Dignity Health, David Connick of Alcoholics Anonymous, Sunrise Christian Food Ministry, D.R.I.V.E Ministry, HART of Mesa, WEAVE, Kay Brown, Starbucks and the Citrus Heights Police for providing additional supplies and volunteers.
What’s next?
HART is currently considering ways to continue efforts to assist area homeless in the coming months, with a goal to provide year-round assistance in line with the organization’s mission to help people get off the streets and become self-sufficient.
“It would be great to have a consistent opportunity to reach the folks who are homeless,” Hronicek said. “Our vision includes perhaps a weekly Respite opportunity connected to a weekly Community Meal that could include First Aid and wound care, vaccinations, Navigator visits, laundry opportunities, and other service providers that offer help and resources to take steps out of homelessness.”
Funding for the nonprofit’s work also received a boost in recent months. The organization recently reported receiving several donations totaling more than $15,000 from a variety of community groups and organizations. Sigma Phi Gamma International Sorority, Safeway Foundation, Carmichael Elks, and the Men’s Advisory Council were some of the organizations that contributed to the amount.
Volunteers serve homeless guests a hot meal at a local church as part of a local winter shelter program. // CH Sentinel
By Thomas J. Sullivan– The Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) is calling this year’s “Winter Sanctuary” program to temporarily house the city’s homeless a qualified success, with an eye towards increasing participation next year.
“Seventy-six homeless guests showed up at least once during this year’s Winter Sanctuary program,” said Stan Munoz, a Citrus Heights HART board member who spoke on behalf of Irene Hronicek, chairperson for Winter Sanctuary at HART’s monthly meeting on March 28 at Holy Family Church in Citrus Heights.
The annual rotating winter shelter program concluded on Feb. 23, 2019, and began on Dec. 30 last year.
Munoz and homeless navigator Toni Morgan gave members a statistical summary of this year’s program during the meeting, along with an overview of lessons learned. Morgan acts as the main outreach specialist and works to assess and provide connections to services for those experiencing homelessness.
“Last year there were 69 participants in Winter Sanctuary,”
Morgan said. Interest in the program was up considerably due to unseasonably
heavy winter rains, she added.
Munoz also said this year’s response was better. He said “many came in to the application process early, and care groups who were involved in the screening process we reached them much sooner.”
“Some 25 people came to register in just the first week of
Winter Sanctuary. There were 2-3 homeless guests per night we just couldn’t fit
in. Our average was 28-29 guests per host site per week,” Munoz said. Twelve
homeless guest participants in last year’s Winter Sanctuary program returned to
participate again this year.
The Winter Sanctuary is an annual rotating emergency shelter program for Citrus Heights homeless residents hosted by the local faith-based community during the cold weather months. The program also includes volunteer training, on-site staffing for an overnight period and preparation and serving of a warm dinner meal.
“Without the ongoing commitment of all volunteers involved
in Winter Sanctuary each year, the program wouldn’t be effective,” Munoz said.
Messiah Lutheran Church served as one of three intake sites.
No pets, weapons, drugs or alcohol are allowed among those 18 years or older
who participate in Winter Sanctuary. Dinner and a to-go breakfast are served to
homeless-guest participants who are furnished a cot and sleeping bag at each
hosting site. Secure overnight storage for small items including a bicycle were
also offered.
Hronicek spoke to The Sentinel last week by telephone and shared some success stories, including several homeless guests in the Winter Sanctuary who were successfully matched with resources and services to reconnect with family members who were actively looking for them.
“I’m usually on hand to give specific thanks to all of those involved who make such a considerable difference in the lives of so many, Hronicek said, noting the volunteer work of churches and others who contributed hundred of hours to the effort. “We can’t thank them enough.”
Each homeless guest who sought to participate in Winter
Sanctuary was registered, photographed, searched for weapons and contraband
such as drugs before being cleared to participate in Winter Sanctuary.
“We’re trying to meet the homeless where they are, and
respecting who they are,” Hroncek said.
Triaging the mental health, drug and alcohol counseling and
personal needs of each Winter Sanctuary participant is critical, she said. “We
want to respond as efficiently as possible to each of their needs.”
“We want to increase our ability to provide mental health
services to our guests and especially first aid care. Many guest participants
in Winter Sanctuary had some very urgent medical issues. There were some who
needed an immediate infusion of antibiotics and these needed to be taken to
local emergency rooms,” she said.
Hronicek said the volunteers and board members of Citrus
Heights HART seek to give their homeless guests the health and medical
resources they need to take care of themselves. “We have to take care of their
basic needs and help them to become the person they were intended to be.”
Munoz, a longtime HART member, credits the Citrus Heights Police Department’s positive attitude towards community policing as changing how the homeless are viewed. CHPD began its month-long annual count of the homeless in the city on April 1.
“Being homeless isn’t itself a crime. These people need the support of our entire community if we, as a city are going to be successful in working with this population, said Munoz. “We have to build public trust and actively encourage those who need assistance to register with the Citrus Heights Navigator.”
“We recognize over 200 homeless in our community but the actual
count could be greater,” he said. Morgan expects the officers of CHPD will do
as thorough a count as possible.
“The better we are able to get an accurate account, the
better we can help them. It takes the whole community to be involved,” Morgan
said.
Munoz hopes the annual Winter Sanctuary program can take in
more homeless guest participants next year. To do so will require the involvement,
partnership and participation of many more community groups to work cooperatively
to add available space to the program.
Host locations this year included Advent Lutheran Church, Antelope Road Christian Fellowship, Celtic Cross Presbyterian Church, Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Citrus Heights Stake, the LDS Church Relief Society, and Holy Family Catholic Church.
Helper organizations included the City of Citrus Heights Navigator, Rotary Club of Orangevale, Citrus Heights Police Activities League, Elica Healthcare Services and A Community for Peace.
Donations and additional host and helper churches are being sought for next year’s Winter Sanctuary program. Those interested can contact Irene Hronicek at (916) 220-3615 or by email at citrusheightshart@gmail.com.
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Messiah Lutheran Church in Citrus Heights will again serve as a check-in center for a local rotating winter shelter program. // CH Sentinel
Sentinel staff report– Local churches in partnership with the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART) are again launching a temporary winter shelter for Citrus Heights homeless during the cold and wet winter months.
The shelter program is scheduled for Dec. 30 through at least Feb. 23, and organizers are hopeful to extend the shelter into March if a few more churches sign on as a host site. As in prior years, the shelter will rotate to a different church each week, where up to 20 homeless guests will be given a hot meal and a warm place to stay overnight.
“This is an opportunity to break the cycle [of homelessness], offer them respite from the cold, some hot meals, and a chance to connect with people who can help them and take advantage of the resources that are already available so they can work their way back into society,” said Irene Hronicek, who chairs HART’s winter sanctuary committee.
Although having an immediate goal to provide temporary shelter for those without homes in the winter, HART’s ultimate mission is to help the homeless find permanent housing — and the organization says getting the often-roving homeless population in one room has proved to be helpful towards that end. Once on site, homeless will have an opportunity to connect with resources to help with alcohol and drug addiction, as well as contact the Citrus Heights Navigator for help with housing, obtaining identification, getting a bus pass and more.
“[The goal is] to put these folks in an environment where they have regular contact with resources… so they can walk the path out of homelessness,” said Hronicek, noting that many homeless don’t have an ID, which is a barrier to employment and housing. “When you’re out there just trying to figure out a place to sleep, you don’t wonder whether your ID is valid.”
The 2018-19 shelter is HART’s third year offering the rotating program, with last year’s program providing shelter to a combined total of about 70 homeless throughout the eight weeks it was offered. Guests this year will again check in at Messiah Lutheran Church, at the corner of Antelope Road and Rosswood Drive, and will then be taken by bus to whichever church is hosting the shelter that week.
Churches in Citrus Heights that are serving as host sites for the shelter this year are: Advent Lutheran, Celtic Cross Presbyterian, Holy Family Catholic Church, Antelope Road Christian Fellowship, and the Citrus Heights Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church is also serving as a host site for the shelter.
New this year is the involvement of SacRT, which has offered to provide transportation to-and-from the check-in site on weekdays. The Way Ministries will provide transportation on weekends, and donations and volunteers have also been provided by SMUD, Cub Scout Pack 22, Deseret Industries, and JustServe.
Hronicek said the shelter has a strict policy against alcohol and drug use, and guests will be vetted by volunteers at the check-in site. All guests will also be required to sign a 15-point “Rules of Conduct” agreement.
Homeless interested in the shelter are asked to arrive at Messiah Lutheran Church at 5 p.m. to have time to check in before the bus leaves at 6 p.m.
While HART has a goal to extend the shelter for a full 10 weeks, through March 9, 2019, organizers still have a need for a host church to fill in for the fifth week, which goes from Jan. 27-Feb. 2. The shelter will also be limited to an eight-week period, if additional churches can’t be found to fill in for the final two weeks.
“We haven’t given up hope, but we do need a host to commit for week five,” Hronicek said in a phone interview on Friday. “I don’t imagine we’ll have week nine and 10, but we remain hopeful of course. Eight weeks for sure this year, and maybe nine or 10 next year.”
Members of churches who may be interested in becoming a host facility either this year or next are asked to contact HART for more information and to see first-hand how the rotating shelter works. Those interested in volunteering for HART or the winter shelter are invited to contact the organization by emailing citrusheightshart@gmail.com. Donations are also accepted at www.citrusheightshart.org.
Sentinel staff report–
Last Monday began the first of a 55-night rotating shelter at area churches for homeless in Citrus Heights. Through Feb. 24, up to 20 homeless are able to grab a hot meal and warm place to stay thanks to the overnight hospitality of various congregations and numerous volunteers.
The effort is part of an eight-week “Winter Sanctuary” program coordinated by the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART), a local nonprofit made up of various public and private organizations, churches, and volunteers. The shelter program relies heavily on the involvement of area churches, with various congregations offering to host the homeless overnight for a week and additional volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and other area ministries also offering staffing help.
“We offer a hot meal, a dry place to sleep, and a to-go meal in an environment that helps [the homeless] connect to caring people and services to help them on a path out of homelessness,” said Irene Hronicek, who serves on the board of HART and is helping coordinate this year’s shelter. While at the shelter, she said homeless guests, as they are referred to by volunteers, will also be offered help from Alcoholics Anonymous, free health checkups from a mobile Elica Health Center van, domestic violence resources from A Community for Peace, and housing counseling and assistance by a homeless “navigator” from Sacramento Self-Help Housing.
The shelter kicked off last year for the first time in Citrus Heights with a seven-week rotating shelter, which has now expanded to eight weeks for 2018.
This year’s temporary shelter came just in time for rain on Wednesday, offering a dry place to stay at Holy Family Catholic Church on Old Auburn Road, which hosted the first week of the shelter program. Despite the rain, however, only one homeless person showed up to the shelter on the first night, and by Wednesday the shelter only hosted four homeless overnight.
“We thought there’d be more,” Hronicek said, noting that hundreds of fliers had been passed out to announce the shelter. “But the weather is so mild right now, so a dry place to stay is maybe not as big of a deal.”
Compared to last year, the shelter also started out with smaller numbers, but overgrew capacity by February when volunteers even had to turn one guest away in the rain. Hronicek noted the weather was colder last year, and 2017 also began with a heavy downpour from a pair of “atmospheric rivers” that caused minor flooding in Citrus Heights.
Another reason some homeless avoided the shelter in the past has been HART’s rules, which includes a no drug and alcohol policy. Guests must also show up each night at an intake site at Messiah Lutheran Church between 5-6 p.m. in order to be taken by a van to the host church. The shelter is also unable to accept homeless who have pets, due to facility limitations.
Although having more than enough volunteers to staff the initial weeks, shelter organizers said volunteers are still being sought as “night owls” — a term referring to the overnight shift at the host facility. A host church for the fifth week is also still up in the air.
Hronicek said it’s been difficult finding churches who will agree to be a host location, and said rotating shifts between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. require about 20 volunteers to be lined up each night.
“20 people, 7 nights a week; it’s a burden,” she said.
Although having an immediate goal to provide temporary shelter for those without homes in the winter, HART’s ultimate mission is to help the homeless find permanent housing — and getting the often-roving homeless population in one room has proved to be helpful towards that end.
The City of Citrus Heights has partnered with HART in its housing endeavor by providing funding for a full-time homeless navigator, charged with the task of connecting homeless with public services. During last year’s shelter, the navigator said 30 homeless guests received housing counseling, 11 were provided transportation through rides or a bus pass, and 10 shelter guests were given fee-waiver vouchers for applying for a state ID or drivers license.
Once the shelter program concludes in February, HART is also seeking churches or landlords in Citrus Heights that are willing to have their rental property serve as transitional housing for homeless. Those interested in volunteering for HART or the winter shelter are invited to contact the organization through their website at www.citrusheightshart.org.
Volunteers serve homeless guests a hot meal at a local church as part of a local winter shelter program. // CH Sentinel
Updated Feb. 25, 12:30 p.m.–
With rain drops falling on a stormy February afternoon, about two dozen homeless men and women began arriving at a temporary “intake center” set up at Messiah Lutheran Church in Citrus Heights.
Familiar “guests” were checked in using simple paper identification cards with a photo, and newcomers were screened for alcohol and drugs before having a picture taken and an ID created. After checking in, the homeless guests could be seen chatting while seated around a half-dozen round tables, waiting for a van to arrive and transport them to an area church for a meal and overnight stay.
At 6 p.m., guests piled into a large passenger van owned by The Way Ministries and took off for a baptist church in Carmichael, which had agreed to host the homeless for a week.
“Dig in,” said Dave Brown, pastor of The Church on Cypress, after leading a short prayer before the meal. Salad bowls were placed at each table, and guests lined up to be served a hot meal — with chicken enchiladas cooked by Pastor Brown and served up by volunteers.
Following the meal, guests checked in with a volunteer to be assigned a cot and sleeping bag for the night, with each item numbered and documented on a paper spreadsheet. By 10 p.m., lights were required to be out and guests looked forward to breakfast being served the next morning before being transported back to the intake center.
The effort was part of a first-ever “Winter Sanctuary,” a seven-week program coordinated by the Citrus Heights Homeless Assistance Resource Team (HART), a local nonprofit made up of various public and private organizations and volunteers. The group’s mission is to “provide resources that will enable at risk people and people experiencing homelessness in Citrus Heights and adjacent areas to become independent, self-sustaining and participating members of the community.”
There are three other HART’s in the region, with Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova HART’s serving as a model for Citrus Heights, and a newly formed Carmichael HART being launched in the past year.
The inaugural seven-week shelter was held from Dec. 26 through Feb. 11, 2017, with homeless guests taken to a total of five different area churches who each agreed to host the homeless on site for a week. Three of the churches were located in Citrus Heights — Holy Family Catholic Church, Celtic Cross Presbyterian Church, and Advent Lutheran Church — while two churches in Carmichael agreed to take on a total of three weeks, after hearing of an urgent need for more host churches.
Getting off the ground Although organizers view the first-ever winter shelter effort in the city as a success, the effort almost didn’t get off the ground.
Mark Holt, a deacon at Holy Family Catholic Church in Citrus Heights, helped spearhead the shelter program and said he “almost pulled the plug” on the program in November, when he only had two host churches lined up to cover three of the seven weeks.
Beginning last May, the deacon said he worked to contact local churches to line up facilities to host the seven-week program, but although contacting churches by mail, in person, phone, and email, the deacon said he was lucky if he even got a phone call back. Thanks to the help of neighboring churches on short notice, the program was still able to have host facilities each week, but Holt is hopeful to find more host churches in the city for next year’s shelter.
The rotating shelter also faced limitations when more homeless showed up than the shelter was able to handle. One volunteer expressed a “heartbreaking” moment, when he had to turn away a homeless man in the rain, due to the program only being able to help up to 20 homeless guests each night.
“We’re just barely hitting the tip,” said Deacon Holt in an interview, referencing the number of homeless the shelter helped contrasted with a Citrus Heights police surveythat identified a total of 192 individuals as homeless or associated with homelessness within the city.
The 2016 survey also found that 58 percent of those included in the survey self-identified as having a drug or alcohol addiction — a problem faced by the shelter, which turned away individuals who didn’t meet the requirement to be drug and alcohol-free.
“We’ve got some pretty strict rules,” said Holt. “Very simple respectful rules, but we’ve found people have some issues with that — and if you can’t follow the rules, then you’re on the streets.”
Finding housing
Although having an immediate goal to provide temporary shelter for those without homes in the winter, HART’s ultimate mission is to help the homeless find permanent housing. Getting the often-roving homeless population in one room proved to be a helpful tool towards that end.
The City of Citrus Heights partnered with HART in its housing endeavor, funding a “navigator” charged with the task of connecting homeless with public services. The navigator visited the shelter once a week, helping homeless get state ID’s and housing counseling.
Navigator Lauren Juskelis told The Sentinel 30 homeless guests received housing counseling, 11 were provided transportation through rides or a bus pass, and 10 shelter guests were given fee-waiver vouchers for applying for a state ID or drivers license.
Katherine Cooley, a HART leader and development specialist with the City of Citrus Heights, said five guests are also now in the process of getting housing through Volunteers of America’s “Rapid Re-housing” program. She also said several shelter volunteers worked on an individual basis to connect homeless with housing through local ministries, like The Way Ministries’ Grace House.
Asked whether homeless were also helped with finding employment, Cooley said the city-funded navigator was “not really” focused with providing employment services. She said the navigator was focused on getting homeless housed and connecting guests with social security, public assistance, and bus passes.
“While the city sent our homeless navigator to the shelter, the success of the shelter is due to HART,” said Cooley, referencing volunteer work and contributions of churches. “The city, we didn’t do it — they did it.”
In the end, organizers estimate over 900 volunteers assisted with the shelter, with about 400 volunteers coming from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, according to Deacon Holt.
The guests Over the 48-night shelter period, organizers said as many as 70 different homeless individuals participated in the program, ranging from age 18 to 70. Volunteers were encouraged to sit down during dinner and meet with homeless guests, talk to them, and find out their story.
Volunteers interviewed by The Sentinel repeatedly said their most memorable experience in helping at the shelter was sitting down with homeless guests and hearing their unique stories and backgrounds.
Volunteer Irene Hronicek highlighted the effort as a winter “sanctuary” rather than just a “shelter.” She noted the personal aspect of the effort was “more than just a roof over the head,” with volunteers sitting down to chat with homeless guests during evening meals.
“We became part of their community,” said volunteer Dick Bartlett, noting the level of personal involvement in the program. “They know our names, we know their names.”
Deacon Holt pointed out the youngest guest, age 18, who he said was likely kicked out of his parents house for alcohol or drug abuse. He was reportedly placed in Grace House for temporary housing and rehab.
Another guest was 60-years-old and chronically homeless for 30 years, with no plans to try to get off the streets.
Other homeless guests served at the shelter included a man and his mother, who attended the shelter every night — while others came only for a few nights. Holt said a volunteer ended up taking the man to an interview with a regional water district, and other guests were offered employment by at least one volunteer.
Shelter objections The shelter was not without its critics however. Holt said objections had been raised by some community members who were concerned the shelter would attract more homeless and crime to the area.
Asked whether police had observed an increase in homeless-related calls for service during the shelter period, Lt. Jason Russo told The Sentinel he was “not aware of any increase,” but said a study had not been conducted.
In January, the lieutenant said calls for service related to camps and loitering went down compared to December, but noted that rain could also have contributed to the difference observed.
In prior years, Mayor Jeff Slowey expressed skepticism about whether funding a navigator would be a worthwhile investment for the city, but after hearing the results of a pilot program in the prior fiscal year, he called the navigator “a phenomenal success.” He has also expressed opposition in the past to building a permanent shelter in Citrus Heights, commenting in several public meetings that “if you build it, they will come.”
Asked about the temporary shelter provided by HART, Slowey told The Sentinel in an email last week that he is not opposed to “sheltering the disadvantaged,” but is not in favor of a permanent shelter in Citrus Heights, as he said “there are many places that already offer that service today.”
Slowey said HART had done “an excellent job” with the shelter program and also praised faith-based communities who “stepped up and did what they do best – put others ahead of themselves.”
He said the city would be continuing its support for HART, but said he “will continue [to] tread very cautiously when spending taxpayer dollars on this topic and will make sure there are measurable results and outcomes.”
Reflections and future plans Looking to next year’s shelter, Deacon Holt said HART is hopeful to line up a total of nine local churches — a goal he believes will be possible through more advance notice and connections made during the first shelter period.
“It’s been a huge success from our perspective,” said Holt, reflecting on the group’s first shelter season. “It’s a band-aid, but it’s a step in the right direction.”
