A new state bill could bring more accountability to homeless shelters in Santa Clara County. Assembly Bill 750 aims to provide more oversight of homeless shelters across the state by requiring local governments to inspect facilities and produce yearly reports on their conditions. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, could also see California withhold funding...
San Jose homeless residents shuffled around after being swept
Dozens of people living in RVs are scrambling to find another location after San Jose cleared out Columbus Park. Last month, the city started sweeping Columbus Park where roughly 370 people lived in tents, vehicles and makeshift shelters. By Sept. 15, the park had been completely cleared and the city installed fences to prevent re-encampment....
Silicon Valley officials target mental health efforts at homeless shelters
Two local elected leaders are teaming up on a plan to bring behavioral health workers directly to homeless residents living in shelters. District 2 Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong unveiled her proposal alongside San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Friday. The plan calls for adding another team of workers from the county Valley Homeless...
More Santa Clara County residents report first-time homelessness
More Santa Clara County residents are falling into homelessness for the first time as the cost of living rises. There are a record 10,711 homeless people living in the county this year, according to a count conducted in January. The county surveyed 1,534 homeless people during that time and 58% reported being newly homeless, according...
San Jose river trail use up after homeless sweeps
More San Jose residents are utilizing a local recreational trail following a city ban on homeless camps in the area. That’s according to city data and environmental advocates, who also say more wildlife is returning since no encampment zones took effect last year. San Jose has worked to clear homeless people living near rivers and...
San Jose safe sleeping site temporarily closes
San Jose’s first safe sleeping site for homeless residents has temporarily shut down due to electrical issues just days after opening. A housing department spokesperson said the city closed the Taylor Street tent village on Friday and moved nearly a dozen homeless people living there to other temporary housing sites. The electrical issues stem from...
Cupertino’s RV permit policy could affect homeless residents
Fanny never expected she’d uproot her four children from their Santa Clara apartment to a small RV parked on a side street off Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino. When her landlord kicked her out due to a minor dispute about two months ago, she began renting the RV for $900 a month to stay off the...
Silicon Valley tool alerts homeless residents to available housing
One nonprofit has a unique web tool to help homeless people connect to resources, with the goal of becoming the go-to site for that population. MyConnectSV, a web-based portal spearheaded by Destination: Home, allows homeless residents to directly message case managers, receive alerts on available housing and more. The nonprofit wants to hit 2,000 users...
San Jose sanctioned homeless camp set to open
San Jose is opening its first safe sleeping site for homeless residents next week after construction delays. The vacant lot at 1157 E. Taylor St. will allow up to 56 people to sleep in tents without fear of being swept, and includes eight ADA-accessible tents. The site is meant to serve as a navigation center...
Valley Water land sees reduction in San Jose homeless camps
As efforts to clean up trash and clear homeless residents from local waterways continue, officials are working to make sure people don’t just move from one location to the next due to lack of housing. Valley Water has removed 462 homeless encampments from its land since implementing a no camping policy at the end of...