Sacramento opened a new $2.5 million homeless Safe Camping site in the River District this week, expanding temporary shelter capacity while city officials face pressure over the cost and performance of local homelessness programs.
River District site starts referrals.
The new Safe Camping site is built to serve about 100 people experiencing homelessness. Participants will be referred by city outreach teams working in the River District, where encampments have remained visible near industrial roads, sidewalks, and public spaces.
The camp includes city-issued tents placed on raised platforms beneath covered structures. The setup is intended to give residents basic weather protection while keeping the site organized and supervised.
The city said it opened a new camping site with showers, restrooms, phone-charging areas, dog kennels, community space, and around-the-clock security. Residents will also have access to case managers and behavioral health clinicians. Those workers can help people obtain identification documents, apply for benefits, reach health care providers, search for employment resources, and begin housing navigation.
Project cost draws scrutiny.
The construction cost has become the center of public debate. Sacramento spent about $2.5 million to build the site and expects to spend about $1.2 million each year to operate it. The annual costs include maintenance, security, staffing, and community oversight. Local reporting said the project could serve up to 125 people, putting the construction cost at about $20,000 per space at that capacity.
City officials have described the camp as a temporary shelter, not permanent housing. The site is meant to offer a safer alternative for people who may not be able to immediately enter traditional shelters, treatment programs, or housing.
Officials defend shelter approach.
McCarty said the city needs additional shelter options because too many people remain outside. He said the Safe Camping site is part of a wider response, not a final solution.
City leaders said the camp is intended to meet people where they are. They said many unhoused residents need documents, health care, benefits, and case management before they can move into stable housing.
Smith said the site expands the city’s ability to connect people with services and housing resources. She described the camp as a step toward permanent housing, not a replacement for it.
Audit finds spending gaps.
The site opened shortly after Sacramento’s city auditor released a review of local shelter programs. The audit examined how the city spends homelessness funds and how well it tracks results. Sacramento operated 14 active homeless shelter programs as of June 30, 2025. Those programs ranged from emergency shelter to housing placement and longer-term stability services.
The city spent about $63.2 million on those programs during fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The audit said Sacramento needs stronger ways to compare cost, shelter capacity, services, and outcomes.
Data limits affect findings.
The audit did not conclude that Sacramento’s shelter system failed. It found that city programs helped some people move indoors and access services. But auditors said Sacramento lacks a comprehensive method to evaluate shelter models against one another. That makes it harder to determine when higher-cost programs are justified.
The audit also found no strong link between services received and positive outcomes based on the available data. Auditors said data limitations made it difficult to compare the full effectiveness of different programs.
County homelessness remains high.
Sacramento County’s latest homelessness count showed the scale of the challenge. The 2026 Point-in-Time Count was conducted in January and released in May. The count found 7,458 people experiencing homelessness across Sacramento County. That was a 12.7% increase from the 2024 count.
The previous camping model closed.
The River District site follows the closure of Camp Resolution, a previous sanctioned camping effort in Sacramento. That site was self-governed and operated under a different model. Sacramento closed Camp Resolution in 2024 after city officials described it as unsuccessful. The new site is more structured, with city-managed referrals, security, and formal service connections.
City faces an outcome test.
Sacramento’s immediate task is to fill the site through outreach referrals and manage daily operations. The longer test is whether residents leave for housing or another stable placement. The audit gives the city a clear measurement challenge. Officials must track how many people enter, how long they stay, what services they receive, and where they go afterward.
The most important outcomes will involve permanent housing, transitional housing, treatment, family reunification, or other stable exits. The city will also need to track returns to homelessness and unknown outcomes. The River District Safe Camping site is now open. Sacramento’s Department of Community Response has agreed to the audit recommendations and is expected to continue updating its measures of shelter performance, costs, and results.
