Logo courtesy of the City of West Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - West Sacramento City Council approved the creation of a Homeless Response and Support Department during its Oct. 7 meeting.

The new department, approved unanimously, will assemble outreach, case management, encampment response and grant funding under one director. It has 23 employees, mostly drawn from existing city departments along with three as-yet unfilled positions, and a budget of nearly $7.7 million.

“Creating a stand-alone department will bring these functions together under a single team, allowing outreach workers, case managers and field crews to coordinate more closely and provide a more consistent response across the community,” city officials said in a press release.

The action fulfills a priority identified in the City Council’s 2026 Strategic Plan and reflected the city’s commitment to strengthening its response to homelessness, according to officials.

“Our Council made a promise in the strategic plan to put real structure and leadership behind our homeless response, and we kept it,” Mayor Martha Guerrero said. “This department reflects our belief that every person in West Sacramento deserves dignity, and every neighborhood deserves a city that shows up with a plan.”

The city currently budgets $6,746,510 for its homeless response, Assistant City Manager Ariana Adame told City Council. Under the new department, an additional $943,803 will be allocated, in part to cover the cost of the three new positions, bringing the total to $7,690,314. 

West Sacramento residents were divided on the move, at least on social media.

“Great job, West Sac! Taking care of your neighbors is the only way to be,” wrote Dave Dolliver on Facebook.

“The ONLY thing that's going to resolve the housing crisis at the root level is MORE SUPPLY of housing,” wrote Matthew Criswell. “It's a fundamental supply and demand thing. Demand has far exceed supply.”

Added Ed Hockey, “Now we’ll have new city employees getting the homeless money, and the homeless will remain homeless. Any government agency is designed for growth. The primary purpose is to survive and grow into more government jobs.”

A January 2026 survey of Yolo County showed West Sacramento with 358 individuals identified as homeless, according to the Yolo County Homeless and Poverty Action Coalition.

As part of the council’s action, 20 existing positions will be transferred to the new department. Ten will come from Economic Development & Housing, five from Parks and Recreation, three from the West Sacramento Police Department, and three from Public Works Operations & Maintenance.

Existing parks and grounds staff are being moved into new homeless response field worker roles, developed in partnership with IUOE Stationary Engineers Local 39.

The three new positions will handle leadership and supervisory roles. They are director of homeless response & support, business manager and homeless response field supervisor. The director will guide strategy, grants, budget and daily field operations and will report to Adame.

The positions, beginning with the director, are expected to be filled by “late spring, early summer” of 2027, Adame said.

“Homeless response is complex work that touches public health, housing, public safety, and the quality of our shared spaces,” Adame said. “Giving it a dedicated department means the people doing this work have the leadership, support, and clear direction they need to make a lasting difference for our community.”

The Homeless Response and Support Department will also strengthen the city's ability to compete for state and federal funding. Many grant programs require or prioritize coordinated approaches that connect outreach, case management, and site response. A unified department will provide the city with a centralized structure for managing this related funding.