Sacramento Supervisors approve HEAP funding to help homeless clean records

Earlier this month, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors authorized an additional expenditure for the county's Public Defender Office to contract with Sacramento Steps Forward (SSF) for the provision of an expungement clinic.

The on Tuesday, December 13 the five-member board of supervisors approved $220,000 in the Houseless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) funds be directed to the Public Defenders Office.

Numerous validated studies have found a criminal record creates significant barriers to a person’s ability to have housing, employment, education, and social services. The clinic aims to eliminate barriers to exiting homelessness.

"The Sacramento County Public Defender's Office is excited to create a program that will benefit the community, increase public safety, decrease county costs and help improve the lives of some of our most underserved people in our community," Public Defender, Tiffanie Synnott said.

With the creation of the Expungement Clinic, the Public Defender’s Office hopes to eliminate barriers to exiting homelessness and develop opportunities for housing, employment, education, and social services. The development of an Expungement Clinic was created from a collaboration of HEAP and CESH (California Emergency Solutions and Housing) partners and input from the community.

The office's goal is to process 80 applications a month for expungements and/or help clean records for the duration of the contract, which begins Jan. 1, 2019 and runs through Jun. 30, 2021.

For more information, contact the Public Defender's Office at (916) 874-6411.