No other local news outlet has covered the unsheltered crisis better than on our pages, a commitment we made in 2019. Sadly, most of the news has been grim if not hopeless.

But in recent months, we’ve seen changes that might turn the tide.

“Americans With No Address” is a new, compelling documentary on the national unsheltered crisis. I watched it on Amazon Prime and urge you to see it.

Produced by Robert Craig Films, the work dives deep into homelessness. The film was created from a three-week bus tour—starting in Sacramento—across 20 cities in 18 states. The filmmakers explore causes behind homelessness. And they find solutions.

Peruvian cuisine, a triumph of fusion cooking, is having a moment. Chicha Peruvian Kitchen Midtown puts those global flavors center stage.

Chicha opened last summer, taking over from Pronto, a fast casual Italian concept. Chicha’s vibe is young and fresh. The funky hitch of Cumbia songs and the sway of salsa tunes play over the hi-fi. Service is attentive and friendly.

It’s a sit-down restaurant that feels more casual than it actually is. Decorations are cheeky. Murals of jungle cats and haunting female gazes stare out along one wall. Souvenir statues of llamas and bulls, brightly painted and delightful, sit on shelves.

Yet at Chicha, the napkins are linen. Every dish comes elegantly presented.

Peruvian cooking brings together influences from around the world. The indigenous culture has always been deft with the use of seafood, beans, squash and ever-present potatoes.

On a clear morning at Goldbud Farms in Camino, after rains saturated the hilltop, we walked rows surrounded by peach, apple and pear trees. Branches bristled with rouge, white and faint pink blossoms.

Trees were building for summer’s fruit yield—a perfect balance of sugar, acid and soil.

Goldbud grows award-winning grapes and heirloom peaches, nectarines, plums and pluots. The farm also produces organic citrus, such as blood oranges, tango and owari satsuma mandarins. There are Meyer lemons and yuzus, pears and apples.

When Jennifer Mata-Tayamen and Mar Tayamen married four years ago, both were widowed for many years. They had six children between them and a large home in Elk Grove.

But East Sac kept calling. “My daughters attended St. Francis High School, so I was in East Sac frequently transporting them to and from school and to the homes of their friends,” Jennifer says. “The sense of community was awesome and quite different than Elk Grove.”

After house hunting for several months, the couple closed last year on an unusual home on 46th Street. Built in 1970, it was the newest house on a stately street. The design is modern compared to the Tudors and Spanish styles that surround it.

Over time, previous owners upgraded and added Craftsman details. They also liked a color that didn’t agree with the Tayamens. “The house had a lot of yellow, which we decided to change right away,” Jennifer says.

Laini Golden always wanted to help people.

As a high school student in San Antonio, she joined every service club she could find. Her youth group helped blind people shop for groceries. She played with kids at orphanages.

“I knew I wanted to help people in the community,” Golden says. “I’ve always had this desire to try to connect on whatever level.”

Golden has given back for decades. As a licensed clinical social worker in Sacramento, she’s done therapy with children in schools, hospitals and outpatient facilities. Now she works with adults to help them reconnect with their inner voice.

Mark Twain fans know the tale about his obituary getting published while he was still alive, followed by Twain’s protest that “reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.” Accurate or not, the quote applies to Downtown.

When I wrote my first column for Inside in August 2019, the central city was on a roll. Golden 1 Center was only a few years old and getting high marks. Hotels and new housing were coming online. There were plans for riverfront development.

Energy and momentum Downtown were palpable. Everything was looking up. The headline an editor put on my debut column summed up the mood: “It’s finally our moment, Sacramento.”

A few months later, it all ground to a halt. The pandemic locked down much of California. With state employees working remotely, Downtown was deserted. Restaurants and small businesses failed by the day.