Logo courtesy of City of West Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Refurbishing city-owned emergency homeless transition facilities and updating the Citizen Participation Plan were a couple proposals City Council reviewed at its March 4 meeting as part of updating the city’s Community Development Block Grant five-year Consolidated Plan.

The plan is required as a condition of West Sacramento’s status under the program as an “entitlement jurisdiction.” According to program information, entitlement jurisdictions are cities with populations of 50,000 or more, principal cities within a Metropolitan Statistical Area or qualified urban counties with populations above 200,000.

West Sacramento Economic Development and Housing staff estimate the proposed CDBG funding — based on a formula that considers population, poverty, overcrowding, housing age and growth lag — for the city in 2026 at $546,333. It’s an anticipated amount, associate community investment planner Isaiah Alford told the council, as the city has yet to receive an award letter.

“When we receive the grant award, we will adjust accordingly,” he added.

The CDBG program is part of the federal Housing and Urban Development Department and supports efforts to provide affordable housing, homeless services, infrastructure and economic development. At least 70% of CDBG funding must benefit low- and moderate-income households.

Funding can also be used for public services for these households but is capped at 15% of the annual allocation. Administrative and planning costs are capped at 20%.

To be eligible for CDBG funding, activities must either benefit low- and moderate-income households defined as those at 80% of the HUD area median household income (AMI) for Yolo County, eliminate slum and urban blight related to physical structures and/or benefit urgent need or disaster-related emergencies. According to the staff report, Yolo County’s AMI for a household of four is $135,900 — with 80% of this being $108,720, barely above the $100,700 maximum considered low income.

Activities include acquisition or rehabilitation of affordable housing, excluding new construction, or of public facilities serving low-income persons. Also included are funding for services benefiting low-income residents such as programs for youth, the homeless or the elderly and economic development activities creating jobs for low-income persons.

The city has acquired five former motel properties since 2020 as part of its Homeless Emergency Housing Program for interim homeless housing. Two original acquisitions, Rodeway Inn and Flamingo Motel, are scheduled to be terminated this year and program participants transitioned to three other motels — Pick Wick, El Tejon and Westwood.

The city allocated $482,660 in 2024 CDBG funding for rehabilitation of the three motels but couldn’t complete all the work. Staff is proposing $385,118 of 2026 funding for additional rehabilitation, along with $81,949 for homeless support services and $109,266 for general administration and planning — meeting the 15% and 20% maximum respectively.

The Citizen Participation Plan was adopted in 2016 when West Sacramento became an Entitlement Jurisdiction. City staff propose two updates: replacing the Parks, Recreation and Intergenerational Services Commission workshop with a City Council workshop for the plan along with “establishing funding thresholds and budget actions that align with the City’s current procurement and budget practices.”

As part of the update process, staff have proposed new goals for 2026-2030. Goals set as “high priority” include providing homeless person support services, expanding availability of low-barrier housing, supporting affordable housing opportunities and housing stability support for persons exiting homelessness.

A potential solution to expanding low-barrier housing was suggested during public comment by resident Robin Davis. Davis advocated for zoning guidelines to allow “tiny homes on wheels” to be considered affordable dwelling options and was successful last year when council unanimously passed an ordinance changing municipal codes to classify them as “legal dwellings.”

Davis acknowledged there is a short time frame this year to include these homes as options, with the city facing a May 15 HUD submission deadline. She asked these, as well as accessory dwelling units (ADUs), be considered in the future.

During discussion, Councilwoman Norma Alcala asked if it were possible to look at tiny homes and ADUs as homeless dwelling options. Economic Development & Housing Department Housing Manager Raul Huerta said some aspects could be covered, but such a project would be large and CDBG uses are very specific.

“The city’s allocation of CDBG funds is relatively small,” he said. “It could help fund a portion of such a project.”

Council was supportive of the proposed updates and funding uses, although Councilwoman Dawnté Early expressed dissatisfaction with the city’s online survey that received only 40 responses. Early said such a sample size for a city of West Sacramento’s population size was not a good basis to make decisions, adding she would also like to see such efforts for citizen input be in more languages reflective of the city’s diverse population than just English and Spanish.

Huerta said organizations working with the homeless and on homelessness issues provided input. The city also conducted focus groups, consultations and received input from the Economic Development & Housing as well as the Parks and Recreation Intergenerational commissions.

There is also a 30-day public review and comment period running March 7 to April 5 and a public hearing before the council on April 15 when the plan is considered for adoption.

“We will continue to receive public input until then,” Huerta added.