{"id":2896,"date":"2026-06-25T05:08:17","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T05:08:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=2896"},"modified":"2026-06-25T05:08:17","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T05:08:17","slug":"california-city-rolls-out-glamping-for-homeless-amid-fierce-criticism-over-costs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=2896","title":{"rendered":"California city rolls out ‘glamping’ for homeless amid fierce criticism over costs"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Sacramento\u2019s latest attempt to tackle homelessness comes with a hefty price tag: roughly $20,000 per bed for a government-run tent camp complete with raised wooden platforms, city-issued tents and around-the-clock security.<\/p>\n

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The new $2.5 million safe camping site in the city\u2019s River District officially opened this week with room for up to 125 people.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And the costs don\u2019t stop there.<\/p>\n

City officials estimate it will cost another $1.2 million annually to operate \u2014 about $9,600 per bed each year, according to ABC10.<\/p>\n

Each resident will receive a city-provided tent set atop a raised platform, along with a cot, two storage bins and a lawn chair.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The site also includes shared showers, portable restrooms, behavioral health services and 24-hour security.<\/p>\n

There is no kitchen or air conditioning, although officials say swamp coolers and fans will be brought in during the summer.<\/p>\n

The opening comes just days after Sacramento\u2019s independent city auditor released a review of the city\u2019s homelessness response that raised questions about whether taxpayers are getting the best return on their investment.<\/p>\n

The audit found Sacramento spent $63.2 million operating 14 homeless shelter programs during fiscal years 2024 and 2025.<\/p>\n

But auditors found Sacramento has no clear standard for determining when its pricier shelter models are worth the cost \u2014 and no consistent method for figuring out which homelessness programs deliver the biggest bang for taxpayers\u2019 bucks.<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven limited resources and growing demand,\u201d auditors recommended the city develop a system to evaluate shelter costs, outcomes and efficiencies to improve how homelessness dollars are allocated.<\/p>\n

The report also found the city could shelter more people at minimal additional cost by increasing occupancy at some existing congregate shelters instead of continuing to pour money into new projects.<\/p>\n

While outcomes varied depending on the type of shelter and the populations they served, auditors found \u201cno strong link\u201d between the services people received and positive outcomes based on the available data.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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They also concluded the city lacks a comprehensive performance framework, making it difficult to measure overall success or compare which shelter models perform best.<\/p>\n

According to the audit, more than half of people leaving in the city\u2019s shelters, tiny-home villages and motel programs returned to homelessness or had an unknown outcome.<\/p>\n

At Sacramento\u2019s largest tiny-home village on Roseville Road, 65% of residents returned to homelessness or had an unknown outcome after leaving, according to reporting by Abridged.<\/p>\n

Despite the audit\u2019s findings, city leaders say additional shelter remains urgently needed.<\/p>\n

Sacramento County\u2019s identified more than 7,400 people experiencing homelessness, including 3,944 living unsheltered.<\/p>\n

Mayor Kevin McCarty acknowledged the new campground offers only basic accommodations but argued it is preferable to leaving people on the streets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are too many people who are still languishing on our streets, and sometimes, unfortunately, dying on our streets,\u201d McCarty said during Tuesday\u2019s opening, according to Abridged.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd look, this isn\u2019t perfect,\u201d he added. \u201cThere\u2019s not individual A\/C units for everybody here, there\u2019s not individual bathroom facilities. \u2026 But I\u2019d like to go for a walk 100 yards down the street and ask, is it better than what we have outside?\u201d<\/p>\n

City Manager Maraskeshia Smith called the campground a temporary step toward permanent housing.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe long-term solution is to get people into housing, but that doesn\u2019t happen right away,\u201d Smith said, according to Abridged, noting many people need identification, employment and supportive services before they can secure permanent housing.<\/p>\n

The River District site replaces Sacramento\u2019s previous sanctioned camping site. <\/p>\n

The city shut down the self-governed Camp Resolution in 2024 after officials declared it a \u201cfailed experiment,\u201d according to Abridged.<\/p>\n

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Sacramento is rolling out a new $20,000-per-bed homeless tent camp, complete with raised platforms, city-issued tents and 24-hour security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2896","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-metro"],"yoast_head":"\nCalifornia city rolls out 'glamping' for homeless amid fierce criticism over costs - Metro Transit Review<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/metrotransitreview.com\/?p=2896\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"California city rolls out 'glamping' for homeless amid fierce criticism over costs - 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