While some communities across California continue to see homelessness increase, Placer County is reporting progress.
The county's latest Point-in-Time Count found homelessness decreased by nearly 10% compared with last year, a change Placer leaders attribute to expanded housing, support services and partnerships.
For people like Christina Blackwood, those resources have become a lifeline.
"I never thought I'd be homeless, but I really didn't have anywhere to go," Blackwood said.
She now visits The Gathering Inn in Roseville, where she has access to showers, hot meals, clean clothes and case management while working toward permanent housing.
Blackwood said accepting help was one of the hardest parts of her journey. After spending so much time surviving on her own, rebuilding trust has taken time.
"Getting back into society is hard for homeless people because we shelter ourselves," she said.
County officials say reducing homelessness requires more than simply getting people off the streets.
"When we are able to leverage funding through the state and through multiple resources, we're able to build lots of different types of housing to serve the community," said Jamie Gallagher, Placer County's associate homeless and housing services manager.
Gallagher said the county's focus is on building a system with enough permanent supportive and transitional housing to meet community needs while helping people move toward long-term stability.
One of the county's partners is The Gathering Inn, a nonprofit that provides emergency shelter, medical respite care, case management and permanent supportive housing.
"Our goal is to give them the skills to advocate, to reach out for support, and to learn what they need," said Lindsey Delamare, South Placer director for The Gathering Inn.
Phillip Daley knows firsthand what that support can mean.
After losing several close family members, Daley said he turned to drugs and alcohol.
"I lost my mom, my grandpa, my brother, my father. I went to drugs and alcohol," he said.
Today, Daley is two years into recovery, has reconnected with his daughter and lives at Sun Rose Apartments, an 82-unit permanent supportive housing community.
Residents pay a portion of their income toward rent while receiving on-site case management and behavioral health services intended to help them remain housed.
"I got rock bottom and somebody reached out to me. I got stable housing and it's a life changer," Daley said.
County leaders say stories like Daley's show how permanent supportive housing can help when paired with services addressing other challenges residents face.
For Blackwood, the journey isn't over, but she says she's no longer facing it alone.
"It's a tough journey out there, but these good people, they've made it a lot easier," she said.
Placer County plans to continue expanding supportive housing options. In Auburn, a former motel is being converted into a 55-unit permanent supportive housing community with help from a $15.1 million award through California's Homekey+ program.
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