At our February 18th Board of Supervisors meeting, the Board received an overview of the County’s efforts to address homelessness, including updates on funding, services, and regional coordination.   Homelessness is a growing challenge across California, but Placer County continues to maintain one of the lowest rates in the state—17 homeless individuals per 10,000 residents, compared to the statewide average of 47.8 per 10,000. In 2024, the County identified 702 individuals experiencing homelessness, with 366 unsheltered and 336 sheltered. 

Counties play a key role in addressing homelessness, working alongside cities, state and federal agencies, Continuums of Care, nonprofits, and community partners. Together, these groups provide essential services, including rental assistance, eviction prevention, job training, emergency shelters, outreach, and behavioral health support. Placer County invests approximately $18.6 million annually into these efforts, with $5.7 million from local funds and $12.9 million from state and federal sources. These funds support: 

• Crisis Support – Emergency shelters, outreach teams, and behavioral health services. 

• Housing Solutions – Interim housing, permanent supportive housing, and managed encampments. 

• Prevention Efforts – Rental assistance, eviction prevention, and job training. 

While emergency shelters and managed encampments provide stability, long-term housing remains a significant challenge. Shelter data shows that while occupancy rates are high, many individuals return to unsheltered conditions upon exit. Currently, only 1 in 6 emergency shelter guests transition into permanent housing, reinforcing the need for more long-term supportive housing—where 85% of participants remain housed after two years. 

To address this, the County is working to expand permanent supportive and emergency housing options and to assure that they are distributed more evenly throughout the County.  Recently the county has added 14 new Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) units in Kings Beach, 82 new PSH units in Roseville (to be completed in April), and has applied for state funding to convert a 55-unit motel in Bowman into PSH.  The County-sponsored Regional Homeless Response Project contemplated the development of a South Placer Navigation Center, which would have a 180-day maximum stay and priority for local residents. The Roseville/ Rocklin/ Placer County Continuum of Care and its Local Government Advisory Committee continue to explore critical details of a potential South Placer Navigation Center, including potential funding sources and siting.

The Board then gave direction to initiate contract renewal negotiations with the current service provider for the two mid-placer homeless shelter contracts, to include negotiation on admissions and exit criteria, and performance metrics to enhance the services that the guests in our shelters receive.