Over 70 Homeless/Services/Housing/Shelter Non-Profit Programs in Sacramento

How many non-profits do you think there are dedicated to the homeless in the Sacramento region?

This should be an easy question to answer, but the City and County of Sacramento do not make it easy.

Around 6,600 to 9,000 mentally ill homeless drug addicts are living on the streets in the Sacramento region. At one point, there were 11,000 homeless counted in the point-in-time count.

With the city budget $66.2 million in deficit, and Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty‘s latest “Unsheltered Homelessness Six Point Plan Launch” to “address” homelessness, I wondered if we even need a new plan.

On its website, the City of Sacramento reports:

“While the City does not provide an exhaustive list of all non-profits dedicated to homelessness, it works with dozens of dedicated partners, including non-profits, charitable foundations, and faith-based organizations to develop solutions for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.”

The City of Sacramento does not have a complete list apparently, or it is broken down into different categories to obfuscate.

The County reports that around 17 dedicated homelessness-focused community groups/nonprofits listed in Sacramento County directories providing housing, including advocacy and support.

The Sacramento Continuum of Care, led by Sacramento Steps Forward, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that acts as the lead agency, coordinates the overall response. It works with hundreds of regional provider organizations, including independent non-profits, faith-based groups, community centers, and others that deliver shelter, housing, outreach, case management, etc. Not all are exclusively “focused on homelessness,” but many have dedicated homeless programs.

The city reports that it has “Primary Partners” and “Specialty Partners,” which we listed below.

Homelessness is big business.

I found 42 homeless housing/shelter programs in the greater Sacramento metro area, which incudes Sacramento, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, and West Sacramento. These are mostly nonprofits, and quite a few are faith-based.

Combined, these Sacramento metro homeless shelters employ 667 people, earn more than $48 million in revenue each year, and have assets of $36 million, according to CauseIQ, which details nonprofit data.

Homelessness certainly has helped employ a lot of people in the Sacramento region.

I also wanted to know how much has the Sacramento region has spent on the homeless since 2019?

I was just as disappointed with the answer:

And of the 42 homeless housing/shelter programs, 27 of them are fairly recently created – since 2019, when Gavin Newsom was elected governor. Notably, Gov. Gavin Newsom has spent $37 billion on homelessness since 2019, yet undercounts the homeless, according to the California Legislative Analyst’s Office 2025-2026 budget overview.

Some of these organizations have been around a long time, and have important goals.

Next Move Homeless Services, founded in 1970, moves homeless to self-sufficiency through housing. It is a subordinate organization under Goodwill Industries Sacramento Valley and Northern Nevada.

Reality Care Resource Center is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2009.

Sacramento Cottage Housing, founded in 1994, develops healing communities for homeless individuals to transition to self-sustainability with a 95% success rate.

HomeAid Sacramento, founded in 1996, builds dignified housing, recruits professionals from the building industry, and coordinates donations to help homeless families rebuild their lives.

Many of the newer homeless housing/shelter programs do not have a rating on Charity Navigator or are so new they have not yet filed a tax return however, all have an IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Here is the list of newer programs:

• Sun Valley Manor is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2022.
• Full Circle Recovery Residence is a homeless housing program in Orangevale, CA that was founded in 2024.
• H O P E Living Solutions is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2025.
• Resources4life is a homeless housing program in N Highlands, CA that was founded in 2024.
• A V A I L is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2024.
• Home-Not-Less is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2025.
• Americans Reach Out Resources Foundation is a homeless housing program in Elk Grove, CA that was founded in 2019.
• Citrus Heights Hart is a homeless housing program in Citrus Heights, CA that was founded in 2017.
• Helpers Village is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2021.
• Begin Again Recovery is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2025.
• Campus Cottages is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2023.
• Scholars Institute is a homeless housing program in Roseville, CA that was founded in 2024.
• Housing Roommates Success Foundation is a homeless housing program in Elk Grove, CA that was founded in 2021.
• Va Merci Housing is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2019.
• Abic is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2024.
• Asotic House is a homeless housing program in Roseville, CA that was founded in 2023.
• Saint Martin Foundation provides housing services for individuals with disabilities and addictions with a mission to find a suitable property, founded in 2022.
• Rubicon Ranch STRTP is a homeless housing program in Rio Linda, CA that was founded in 2024.
• Pleasant Place Foundation is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2021.
• Merciful Global Corporation is a homeless housing program in Elk Grove, CA that was founded in 2022.
• Grim Youth Foundation is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2024.
• Ready Adventures is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2024.
• ABL is a homeless housing program in Elk Grove, CA that was founded in 2018.
• Globally Love and Care is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2020.
• Love Wins Project is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2023.
• Open Door Housing Initiative is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2025.
• Uplifting Solutions is a homeless housing program in Sacramento, CA that was founded in 2025.
• Community Empowerment Group is a homeless housing program in Roseville, CA that was founded in 2026.

Are there really that many homeless living on the streets in the Sacramento region that we need so many homeless housing/shelter programs, or is there a lot of money to be spent and made?

I wanted to update how many homeless deaths there have been in Sacramento since 2019. When we last reported in 2024, there were 1,243 deaths. That number has increased significantly by as much as 457.

Approximately 1,500–1,700+ homeless people in total have died in Sacramento County since 2019, through late 2025/early 2026, based on coroner data.

The point in time count takes place on one night, which many say isn’t reliable.

The City highlights several key non-profit organizations that it coordinates with directly:

• Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF): A 501(c)(3) organization that serves as the lead agency for the Sacramento Continuum of Care. SSF coordinates regional housing and services for homeless individuals and manages over $30 million annually in federal, state, and local funds.
• Volunteers of America (VOA): Operates several facilities, including the Meadowview Navigation Center for women and the A Street Shelter.
• The Salvation Army: Partners with the City to operate the Center of Hope Emergency Shelter, providing 24-hour access to services.
• Hope Cooperative: A non-profit psychosocial rehabilitation agency that manages the City’s Outreach and Engagement Center and provides mental health and rehousing services.

Specialized Service Providers

Other non-profits mentioned as partners or direct aid providers include:

• Wind Youth Services: Dedicated to providing shelter and resources for transition-aged youth.
• LGBT Center: Provides congregate transitional housing for transition-aged youth.
• Waking the Village: Focuses on housing for parenting transition-aged youth.
• Saint John’s Program for Real Change: Provides non-congregate shelter for women and children.
• Women Escaping a Violent Environment (WEAVE): Offers emergency shelter specifically for women.
• City of Refuge: Acts as a program operator for homeless services and provides support for women victimized by trafficking or abuse.
• Step Up (Step Up on Second Street): Delivers case management and recovery services for individuals with serious mental health issues and those experiencing chronic homelessness.
• Wellspring Women’s Center: A past recipient of City grants for providing direct aid to vulnerable populations.

Did we already say that Homelessness is big business.

With all of these organizations, and the hundreds of millions spent, we still have 9,000 mentally ill homeless drug addicts living and dying on Sacramento streets.