First outreach session on site selection for Elk Grove permanent homeless shelter being held this week

Funded by Measure E sales tax revenues, the City of Elk Grove will hold the first of three outreach sessions on the planned permanent homeless shelter. This week's session will be conducted between 5:30 and 7 p.m. at the Elk Grove Public Library on Elk Grove Boulevard in Historic Downtown Elk Grove.

Presiding over the first meeting will be the city's housing manager, Sarah Bontrager. At last week's city council meeting, Ms. Bontrager briefed Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and the City Council on the public outreach effort.

Unlike the previous two homeless shelters, which were operated at temporary locations during the cooler months, the city is in the process of selecting a site for a permanent facility that will operate year-round. The city contracted with Gather Inn, a Roseville, Calif.-based Company, for the day-to-day operations.

When the locations of each of the temporary shelters were announced, they were met with considerable opposition from nearby residents. Since their respective opening and operations, no substantial comments have been leveled against their operations or residents during Elk Grove City Council meetings.

The most controversial aspect of the permanent shelter will be site selection. The site selection announcement is expected to meet resistance from neighboring residents regardless of its location.

Below is the entire presentation Ms. Bontrager made at last week's city council meeting.