Dear Sacramento County Board of Supervisors:
We write as constituents to urge you to prioritize health and human services in your 2022-2023 budget. We live, work, and play throughout the County, and see the urgent need for help among our neighbors every day. We have no one to call for urgent mental health crises, no place for people to go who need residential care, no space in shelters for people experiencing homelessness. This crisis affects us all, and the level of need requires us to act as urgently as possible.
The County of Sacramento receives funding for health and human services, and we’d like to see that funding prioritized to scaling up services and real-time crisis response to address the imminent need. This will require additional beds for residential mental health and substance abuse services, additional shelter beds and long-term, low income public housing for people experiencing homelessness.
Additionally, immediate funding is necessary to assist with re-entry services so people exiting our jails have the housing and services they need to prevent recidivism. And while we know the County has been developing a real-time response team for mental health crises, we need that program to be funded adequately to ensure it is available county-wide.
While we appreciate all you are doing to address the needs in our community, we need these services and programs up and running as quickly as possible to address the immediate need. We stand ready to support you in advocating for state and federal funding, and any other measures necessary to ensure Sacramento County has the level of services necessary to meet this unprecedented need.
Sincerely,
Councilmember Katie Valenzuela
Supported and Co-signed by:
Crystal Sanchez, Arden Arcade
Liz Blum, Alhambra Triangle
Sloane Read, Midtown and Tallac Village
Chris Brocchini, East Sacramento
Therea Brocchini, East Sacramento
Danny Turner, Midtown
Emily Baime Michaels
Whitney Delgado, Mansion Flats
Maria Reyes, Midtown
Bethany Harman, Newton Booth
Josh Bartholomew, Colonial Heights
Zach Freels, North Highlands
Nancy Cornelius
Patti Michel-Evleth, Oak Park
Henry Ortiz, South Sacramento
Robert Sullivan, East Sacramento
Martha Turner, New Era Park
Autumn Gonzalez
Athol Wong, Capitol Mansions
Deborah Franklin, Midtown
Tracy Fairchild, New Era Park
PJ Andrews, Midtown
Kendra Ramsey Matouka, Mansion Flats
Jack Reichel, East Sacramento
Alexandria Flores, Downtown
Alberto Mercado, Oak Park
David Aslanian, East Sacramento
Virginia Diaz, Colonial Heights
Jay Franco
Thomas Gonzales, Mansion Flats
Evelyn Kwong, Tallac Village
Emily Edmond, Midtown
Daniel Reynolds Sr
Ronnie Slimp, Woodlake
Julie Spezia, Midtown
Robert Coplin, Midtown
Monica Madrid, Elk Grove
Kristan Culbert, Pocket/Greenhaven
Julie Hintz, Fair Oaks
Alaina Boys, Poverty Ridge
Cory Copeland, Downtown
Dina-Marie McGowan, Land Park
Spencer Richins, Land Park
Dr. Corrine McIntosh Sako, Pocket
Jennifer Lantz, River Park
Shirley Toy, Midtown
Patricia Gainer, River District
Del Surette, Citrus Heights
Courtney Poole, Oak Park
Melissa Rice, Del Paso Heights
Serena Kouklis, River Park
Celeste Taylor, Poverty Ridge
Alissa Sambucetti, Poverty Ridge
Sarah Reiwitch, Hollywood Park
Martha Paterson-Cohen, East Sacramento
Mohammad Kashmiri, Southside
Leia Schenk
Keyan Bliss, Richmond Grove
Adam Jordan Wills
Stacey Greer, Oak Park
Stevie Cook, Elmhurst
Jessica Mill, Midtown
Lisa Sullivan, Tahoe Park
William Burg, Alhambra Triangle
Stephanie Gerstle, Midtown
Christian Kurpiewski, East Sacramento
Andee Sunderland, Del Paso Heights
Dyane Osorio, Midtown
Joshua Lurie-Terrell, Marshall School
Nancy Pryor, Downtown
Selenne Martinez, Marshall School
Eli Cizewski-Robinson, East Sacramento
Marissa Eng, North Natomas
Mark Gorman, Somerset Ranch
Phillip Kim, South Land Park
Virginia Lambing, Midtown
Stacy Paragary, Midtown
Seann Rooney
James Harrold, Arden
James Relles, East Sacramento
Christopher Phillips
John Adair, Midtown
Alissa Anderson, East Sacramento
Bret Gladfelty, Mansion Flats
Sara Lebastchi, Midtown
Brook Eaton, Downtown
James Patrick Cornett, Sutter District
Allison DePaoli, Mansion Flats
Kimio Bazett, Downtown
Joseph Carle, New Era Park
Jennifer Larr, South Natomas
Sigmund Lindley, East Sacramento
Alan Hernandez
Mary Taylor, Fair Oaks
Barbara J Pryor, Orangevale
Craig Castleton
Ben Cox, Midtown
Keira Reeder, Land Park
Megan Sapigao, Elk Grove
Mia Dawson, Land Park
Emilie Dempsey, Curtis Park
Josh Greetan, Downtown
Mike Dobson, Midtown
Megan Cannon, Oak Park
Jamie Jun, Arden-Arcade
Dianne Khlok, Antelope
Devan Miller, South Natomas
Dillon Fleming, East Sacramento
Dave Kempa, Downtown
Joel Quiggin, Midtown
Nicole Silkman, Tahoe Park
Shea Hazarian, Midtown
Lynda Benvenuti Taylor, Arden Oaks
Farzad Qmehr, Carmichael
Faedeh Kioumehr, Downtown
Touran Kioumehr, Carmichael
Elizabeth Guerrero, Sutter Business District
Ilonka Zlatar, North Sacramento
Avery Lay, Newton Booth
Marisa Kolokotronis, Midtown
Jennifer Pharr, Midtown
John Adair, Midtown
Nancy Yamada, Boulevard Park
Dianne Khlok, Antelope