To help curb homelessness, the Stockton City Council voted unanimously to create a "risk mitigation fund" for landlords who may be reluctant to rent to the homeless.
City and County of Sacramento 'Damage Fund'
But did you know the city and county of Sacramento already has a similar "damage fund" in place under their Coordinated Homeless rapid Re-Housing and Employment Program?
Started in July of 2016, the program funds $1.8 million for things like employment, housing and rental assistance. The main people it is intended to help is veterans, the elderly and people with chronic health problems. There have also been talks about expanding the program for other things like deposit assistance.
Incentives for Landlords
The program is also something the city hopes can be an incentive for landlords to rent to low-income or homeless people. According to city of Sacramento spokesperson Linda Tucker, $60,000 dollars is set aside as a "damage fund," which reimburses landlords for property damage. The money is split between the city and county of Sacramento, Tucker said.
Besides a 'damage fund,' there is also a housing mediator and landlord response line that landlords can use to get help with problem tenants.
History of Landlord 'Mitigation' Funds
Mitigation funds to help landlords who rent to the homeless is nothing new. Seattle and King County, Wa. rolled out a program in 2009, and other cities and counties followed suit, including Denver, Colo. and Orlando and Orange County, Fla.
Last July, Marin County established a $400,000 mitigation fund to compensate landlords who had their properties damaged, the Marin Independent Journal reported.
Sacramento Initiatives to Curb Homelessness
With more than one-fifth of the country's homeless living in California, local leaders continue to explore options to get people off the streets.
In March, county leaders approved a plan that sets aside more than seven million in funding from the county's general fund for the creation of a full-service shelter and existing programs that help families dealing with homelessness.
According to Sacramento Steps Forward, there are more than 2,600 people in Sacramento County that experience homelessness on any given night.
You can find a full list of Sacramento Steps Forward's permanent supportive and transitional housing services here. The entire Coordinated Exit Program for the homeless in the city of Sacramento is detailed below.