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WEBVTT EXPLAINS THAT THIS YEAR IS AMONG THE WORST IN MORE THAN A DECADE. REPORTER: NUMBERS PAINTING A DIRE STATE FOR SOME OF THE MOST HONORABLE, HOMELESS POPULATION DYING AT A HIGHER RATE ON SACRAMENTO COUNTY STREETS, AVERAGING ONE DEATH EVERY SEVEN DAYS. THE REGIONAL COALITION TO END HOMELESSNESS RELEASING THE FINDINGS FROM THE CORONER'S OFFICE, TELLING US AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS HOMELESS IS 31 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE FROM HOMICIDE, AND 16 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO COMMIT SUICIDE. SADLY AND TRAGICALLY, OVERWHELMINGLY THOSE ARE BLUNT-FORCE HEAD INJURIES, FOLLOWED BY GUNSHOT WOUNDS STABBINGS, AND IN RARE CASES, HANGINGS. REPORTER BOTH MEN AND WOMEN DYING BEFORE THE AGE OF 50-YEARS-OLD, DECADES BEFORE THE AVERAGE LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE U.S. >> THAT MEANS THAT HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, TAKES ABOUT A THIRD OFF A PERSON'S LIFE. REPORTER THE NON-PROFIT TELLING US AROUND HALF OF THE DEATHS HAPPEN DURING THE WEEKEND, WHEN ASSISTANCE AND SHELTERS ARE CLOSED, AND MORE ARE DYING. FROM 2003 TO 2013, ON AVERAGE, AROUND 47 INDIVIDUALS SUFFERING FROM HOMELESSNESS DIE EA YEAR, SHARPLY SPIKING TO 91 DEATHS IN 2014, 78 LAST YEAR, AND 79 LIVES LOST SO FAR IN 2016. EXPECTING TO CLIMB WITH 3 WEEKS STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR. >> THAT LEAVES ANOTHER 23 DAYS TRAGICALLY, THAT TRANSLATES TO ABOUT 3-4 MORE PEOPLE. REPORTER: ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS BEING DISCUSSED IS A TRIAGE AND WEEKEND DROP IN CENTER, BOTH A FIRST IN THE COUNTY. >> NOT ONLY LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE SPENDING RESOURCES, BUT HOW WE MAY BETTER TARGET THOSE RESOURCES. REPORTER: POSSIBILITIES THAT MAY BECOME A REALITY IN THE NEW YEAR. AMONG THE PEOPLE ATTENDING TONIGHT IS MAYOR DARRELL STEINBERG, WHO HAS COMMITTED TO FIGHTING THE CITY'S HOMELESS ISSUE, PARTICULARLY UTILIZING 2

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The number of homeless people dying on the streets is not only on the rise across the country – it is especially true in Sacramento County, according to a new report released Monday. The report preceded a memorial at Trinity Cathedral, where the names of the deceased will be read and honored. The Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness compiled the statistics, releasing the findings with Supervisor Don Nottoli. “It’s not just limited to the urban-downtown setting,” Nottoli said. “It’s in our suburban communities. It’s in our rural areas.” According to the coalition’s research, on average, a homeless person has died every seven days for the past 14 years, totaling 784 deaths since 2002. Up until 2013, the average was approximately 47 deaths each year. But that number has increased: The death toll spiked in 2014, with 91 deathsIn 2015, 78 homeless people within the county diedAs of Dec. 8, 79 homeless men and women have died in Sacramento County “That leaves another 23 days,” Executive Director Bob Erlenbusch said. “Tragically, that translates to about three to four more people.” For homeless men, the average age of death is 49.9 years; for women, it is 47.4 years, Erlenbusch said. That’s decades younger than the 78.8-year life span for Americans, according to the CDC. “That means that homelessness in our community, and around the country, takes about a third off a person’s life,” Erlenbusch said. At any point throughout the year, the homeless population in Sacramento County ranges from 5,000 to 7,500 people, Erlenbusch said. Around a quarter of them are considered chronically homeless year-round, while the remaining are a result of job loss, eviction or both. In the report, the nonprofit made recommendations for the city and county. The most notable suggestions: the creation of a triage center and weekend drop-in locations. Both would be a first in Sacramento County. “About half of the deaths of homeless people occur on Friday, Saturday and Sunday when more traditional programs are closed,” Erlenbusch said. “We need just a place to be safe for, especially, vulnerable populations, just because of the high level of violence over the weekends.” Another recommendation involves a reprioritization of funding. Currently, the county and city spend $40 million and nearly $14 million on homelessness, respectively, Erlenbusch said. More than half of that money, however, is spent on reactionary measures, such as law enforcement and emergency services. “Just in terms of mitigating the impacts of homelessness between the city and the county spends almost $30 million, which could be reprogrammed to provide services, affordable housing, et cetera,” Erlenbusch said. One example that was mentioned involved park rangers, who are funded through the county. More than 3,000 anti-camping citations have been issued since March 2014. In contrast, however, just 104 referrals to human services were given out in the same time period. “So we can do a better job, if we want to get people off the river, of channeling people to services, rather than giving them a $230 ticket that they can’t pay,” Erlenbusch said. “That then goes to warrant, that then potentially puts them in jail, which makes it harder to find a job.” Both the county and the city plan to address this issue at meetings in the new year. When the nonprofit released a similar report for 2014, the county acted and added $260,000 in nurse outreach services. Newly inaugurated Mayor Darrell Steinberg has committed to tackling the issue of homelessness, through a series of measures with a focus on providing enough housing. Since Steinberg was sworn in last week, more than 500 new sleeping bags and blankets. Plus, more than 1,000 pairs of socks have been donated to three youth homeless shelters, according to the mayor’s office.