Sacramento will resume delivering water to one homeless camp. What about the other 33?

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With Sacramento County facing backlash for ending water delivery to about three dozen homeless camps amid a record-breaking heat wave, the city of Sacramento will resume delivery to at least one camp.

Mayor Darrell Steinberg announced Thursday the city will pay for water delivery to resume for the rest of the summer at Camp Resolution in North Sacramento, where about 50 people live in city-issued trailers.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Steinberg wrote in a statement on X Thursday. “We made our first two deliveries last week and this morning, and will continue regular drop-offs of water for every resident.”

The deliveries will cost $2,000 for the rest of the summer, coming out of the mayor’s staff budget. It is possible because the mayor’s office has a few staff vacancies right now, said Chief of Staff Mary Lynne Vellinga.

While the news is good for Camp Resolution, 33 camps that recently lost water deliveries remain unserved. They included camps where hundreds live in south Sacramento along Morrison Creek and along Stockton Boulevard, downtown, midtown, the River District, along the bike trail, and along Roseville Road.

The county stopped deliveries July 1, the start of the new fiscal year, because federal grant funding for COVID-19 response had expired, county spokeswoman Janna Haynes has said. The ending of the delivery coincided with the start of the hottest 20-day period on record in Sacramento, with temperatures hitting 113 degrees and at least one person dying of heat stroke.

For the county to resume water delivery without the federal money would cost about $230,000 a year out of its $9 billion budget. The Board of Supervisors did not discuss that option at its last meeting July 9 — the day before temperatures hit 109 degrees.

Supervisor Patrick Kennedy plans to bring the topic up at the next board meeting Tuesday. It’s not on the agenda however so they may not be able to take action.

Only the county executive can place items directly on the board agenda, Haynes said.

City Councilwoman Katie Valenzuela is urging the supervisors to resume delivery. She pointed out the city just approved a $1.6 billion budget — barely avoiding layoffs due to a deficit. The county just approved a nearly $9 billion budget without the threat of a deficit.

“I would absolutely like to see the county contribute water delivery to encampments,” Valenzuela said. “This is clearly a public health issue, and they aren’t facing the budget deficit we are at the city. So why would they stop?”

Steinberg said he only has so far announced delivery to Camp Resolution because although it does not cost the city anything, it is a city-sanctioned camp.

“Camp Resolution is unusual because it is a single site and has a lease with the city of Sacramento,” Steinberg said in a statement. “With regard to other encampments, I’m considering a number of options, and would encourage others to step up. Water is a basic necessity of life, and at the same time, we’re trying to get more people out of these large encampments.”

Sacramento City Council has been on summer recess but will meet Tuesday.

It’s unclear how long Camp Resolution will stay open at its currently location at Colfax Street and Arden Way, a city-owned property.

The city earlier this year ordered the camp to close because it said people were camping in tents on the dirt, which is not allowed under the lease because the dirt contains contamination. Mayor Darrell Steinberg then promised the camp would not close until all residents got housing. The city attorney’s office has said the camp residents and its leaders have refused meetings to make that happen. The Sacramento Homeless Union in May sued the city over the situation.

Because it ended delivery, the county has reserved a stockpile of water to keep on hand through this summer. To access that water, cities must work with contractor Community HealthWorks to organize pickup during their office hours.