The Roseville Road homeless shelter in Sacramento has a newly redesigned community space through a partnership between IKEA, First Step Communities, and the City of Sacramento. According to the City of Sacramento, the project aimed to improve the shelter’s common areas for people experiencing homelessness. The updates, valued at about $12,000, focused on making the space more useful and organized.
Brian Pedro, director of the City’s Department of Community Response, said the improvements help build trust with shelter guests, stating, “We’re grateful for the strong partnership that made these improvements possible” and “Creating a safe and supportive space is essential to building trust with our guests and connecting them to the services and housing that can help them move forward.” The redesigned space now includes a TV lounge, reading area with bookshelves, game storage, and seating for meals and group activities. Joseph Pacheco, executive director of First Step Communities, said, “this new environment offers more than comfort – it creates a foundation for healing, connection and hope during a critical moment in each client journey,” as reported by the City of Sacramento.
IKEA helped improve the Roseville Road shelter by providing furniture, labor, and art materials that guests used to create artwork now displayed in the space. “At IKEA, we have a vision to create a better everyday life for many people,” said IKEA Loyalty Manager Nicole Arneson Shoob. She added, “With trauma-informed design, there is an opportunity and a responsibility to use our unique strength, which is our home furnishing expertise, to create environments that nurture and heal and to support those who are vulnerable and in need.” The shelter is part of Sacramento’s plan to address homelessness and has provided about 100 Pallet homes and trailers for unhoused adults since January 2024. An additional 100 sleeping cabins are planned using $12.35 million in state funding received in October 2024, as stated by the City of Sacramento.
