The west steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento are often the backdrop for political speeches, protests and promoting new technology. On Tuesday, they showcased a new model of cabin-sized shelters, a product hailed as an interim solution to California’s intractable homelessness crisis.
“What you’re looking at here is a sleeping shelter that will house a person for as long as they need as they stabilize and rehabilitate as they exit homelessness,” said Amy King, CEO of Pallet, describing the company’s latest “emergency sleeping cabin,” a small, metal structure often called a tiny home. “They come with a bed, a desk, a heater, an air conditioner.”
Pallet manufactures thousands of small shelters used to house people living on the streets from Seattle to Sacramento to Los Angeles. It’s one of five companies the state selected to build 1,200 tiny homes Governor Gavin Newsom promised last March for communities across the state, including Sacramento.
That promise has yet to be fulfilled, though state officials announced in October they would provide 175 small shelters to a site on Stockton Boulevard in South Sacramento by early this year. That would be a portion of the 350 tiny homes Newsom pledged for Sacramento.
King said Pallet’s new sleeping cabins will be among those deployed across the state and offer several improvements. Its new 70 square-foot cabin can be assembled in about an hour while the older versions take about two hours to set up. In addition, the new cabins are more energy efficient and durable, King said, noting they can last up to 15 years.
Amy King, CEO of Pallet, stands next to her company’s newest “emergency sleeping cabin.” King says the small shelters offer a temporary solution to California’s homelessness crisis.Chris Nichols / CapRadio
State and local governments are increasingly turning to the rapid-assembly cabin model as a way to house people experiencing homelessness. It’s an option that offers greater privacy and security compared with traditional dorm-style shelters. Sacramento County, for example, contracted with Pallet to provide shelters at its recently-opened Safe Stay communities in South Sacramento.
Some housing advocates, however, are skeptical. They argue tiny homes are far from the permanent supportive housing needed to truly solve homelessness. But with an estimated 181,000 Californians living unhoused, King said the small shelters are a stop gap.
“We should prioritize resources as much as possible in permanent housing,” King said. “But also, recognizing that it takes many years to get that permanent housing built … we don’t want people sleeping on the streets while they wait for that.”
The CEO offered tours of the new cabins as state crews removed lights from the Capitol’s 60-foot red fir Christmas tree yards away. Sacramento’s downtown, which serves as the center of state and local government, has witnessed the rapid growth of homeless encampments in recent years.
Scores of tents line downtown streets, sometimes encircling Sacramento City Hall.
“Isn’t it better and safer for them [unhoused residents] to be inside something with a locking door where they have heat and electricity and a place to sleep where they don’t have to be worried about being preyed upon at nighttime? I think that’s the benefit,” she added.
Pallet’s new cabins, with their faster assembly and greater durability, come with a higher price. King said the new 70-square-foot models cost about $18,000 to $20,000 each depending on how many amenities are included. They are several thousand dollars more than comparable older units.
King said the company also offers 120-square-foot cabins designed for two people. They are priced at about $23,000 each, she said.
Contact CapRadio reporter Chris Nichols at [email protected]
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