Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Sacramento Mayor Says City Warming Centers Should Open Immediately Following Repeated Calls By Homeless Advocates

  •  Chris Nichols 
Tuesday, December 1, 2020 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.
Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Warming centers are a service the city provides when temperatures dip to the mid-30s and below, but many advocates say that criteria is too strict.

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

Updated Dec. 2, 2020 at 1:51 p.m.

Mayor Steinberg called for the opening of warming centers at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, though no definitive plans were made and no exact timetable was outlined. 

“We have to do this,” Steinberg said. “We ought to do it and we will do it, I hope, in collaboration with our county partners.”

Sacramento City Manager Howard Chan added that he’s already in contact with the county “about how we can open the warming centers safely, given Covid. So, we’ll continue to have those conversations.”

County Board of Supervisors Chairman Phil Serna said he’s exploring how to provide more help for those on the streets.

“I hear the calls for more warming centers and appreciate the interest in relaxed criteria to open them,” he said in a written statement to CapRadio. “I also appreciate the need for social distancing during this deadly pandemic, and that’s why I’m consulting with our Public Health Department to explore how we might simultaneously provide relief from the elements while avoiding congregate exposure to the COVID-19 virus.”

Updated 4:47 p.m.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Tuesday he plans to request the city immediately open warming centers for unhoused individuals as overnight temperatures drop to the mid-to-low 30s.

The mayor’s comments come after advocates for homeless residents made numerous calls in recent weeks to open the facilities — and after one homeless man died in the cold two weeks ago.

“Tonight, I’m going to call for the city of Sacramento, I hope in collaboration with the county, but no matter what under any circumstances, that we open warming centers here in our city,” Steinberg told CapRadio. “Because the weather is getting colder and I believe it is the humane thing to do.” 

Steinberg said he’s not sure how quickly the centers could open, but that wants to move as fast as possible. 

Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

State Government

‘It Is Inhumane’: Advocates For Sacramento Homeless Say Criteria For Opening Warming Centers Must Change

City Manager Howard Chan may have the funding authority to open them right away, according to the mayor, though it’s possible City Council would need to vote on the matter at a future meeting. 

City spokesperson Tim Swanson said Chan has the spending authority of up to $250,000 on any one transaction without city council approval, but “potential next steps would depend on the discussion at Council.”

It costs $1,900 to operate a warming center for 12 hours, according to the city.

Greg Tarola, a 63-year-old unhoused man, was found dead last month near the homeless service center Loaves & Fishes in the city’s River District. Advocates believe Tarola froze, though his cause of death is undetermined. 

Nighttime temperatures have dipped into the 30s in recent weeks. Cities in the region typically open warming centers only when it drops to 32 degrees or below three consecutive nights, in accordance with guidance from the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors.

Advocates say that criteria is too strict and point out that cities can choose to set their own rules for opening the centers. 

For now, Bob Erlenbusch, the executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, considers this a win.

“I am grateful that the Mayor is being responsive to our collective advocacy,” Erlenbusch wrote in an email. “In order to save lives, I hope that the Mayor will open them immediately and discard the current inhumane weather activation guidelines and keep them open through the end of March, 2021.”

A yearly report by the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness showed that 138 homeless people died in 2019 in Sacramento County. That was up from 132 the year before.  

“Finally, for next year and beyond, I hope that the opening of warming centers is automatic as the right thing to do for our unhoused neighbors,” Erlenbusch added.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to clarify that a city spokesperson responded to CapRadio for City Manager Howard Chan.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

    Related Stories

  • Andrew Nixon / CapRadio

    ‘It Is Inhumane’: Advocates For Sacramento Homeless Say Criteria For Opening Warming Centers Must Change

    Tuesday, November 17, 2020
    Temperatures must hit 32 degrees or less for three consecutive nights before warming centers open in the Sacramento region. Advocates say the threshold should be less stringent.

Chris Nichols

PolitiFact California Reporter

For the past dozen years, Chris Nichols has worked as a government and politics reporter at newspapers across California.  Read Full Bio 

 @christhejourno Email Chris Nichols

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

More Stories

Alisha Jucevic / CalMatters

California spent millions to boost COVID vaccination rates of Medi-Cal members — but they lag even more

May 11, 2022

Damian Dovarganes / AP Photo

A salty dispute: California Coastal Commission unanimously rejects desalination plant

May 14, 2022

AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

May 13, 2022

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

California coronavirus updates: Sacramento City Council may vote to continue virtual meetings

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

Ukraine says it's downed 200 aircraft, a mark of Russian failures in the sky

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

Downtown Sacramento shooting: What we know and latest updates

With California budget surplus projected at $97 billion, Newsom proposes driver rebates, more reproductive health funding

California coronavirus updates: Sacramento City Council may vote to continue virtual meetings

U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla will appear on California’s June primary ballot twice. Here’s why.

Ukraine says it's downed 200 aircraft, a mark of Russian failures in the sky

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.