Santa Clara County may have just gotten one step closer to solving chronic homelessness. According to a recent study by the UCSF Benioff Housing and Homeless Initiative, permanent supportive housing has been successful in housing the county’s most impaired and desperate homeless individuals, including frequent users of emergency medical and psychiatric services and jails. Researchers...
At new San Jose shelter, Newsom announces $200 million more for homeless housing
Governor Gavin Newsom announced $200 million in additional funding for Project Homekey, a program to house the homeless, and joined Mayor Sam Liccardo Oct. 23 on Bernal Road in San Jose to celebrate the opening of one of three new emergency interim housing centers. Homekey funding has made it possible for California cities to build...
Measure A housing not moving fast enough, oversight committee says
Asserting housing isn’t getting built fast enough with funds raised by the Measure A housing bond, an independent oversight committee is urging Santa Clara County to find ways to speed things up. The Measure A bond, passed in 2016, so far has generated $421 million for new projects. In March, the county allocated $137 million...
Santa Clara County seeks funds to buy hotels to house homeless
As Santa Clara County’s homeless population continues to grow, county officials are moving to turn more hotel properties into permanent and interim housing. The county is vying for $19 million in state CARES Act funds through California’s project Homekey to purchase and refurbish two hotel properties and turn them into interim housing for the most...
New panel begins to tackle emergency needs of homeless in Santa Clara County
Even as long-term solutions for homelessness in Santa Clara County gain momentum and support, emergency measures are lacking and likely will get worse. That was the grim reality presented to the county’s Unhoused Task Force, which held its initial meeting Sept. 9. Proposed by Supervisor Dave Cortese earlier this year, the group aims to address...
San Jose council throws support behind latest plan to address homelessness in county
More than 6,000 people last year were homeless in San Jose — a number that keeps rising amid the coronavirus outbreak— prompting city leaders to set a goal of housing 20,000 people and doubling the number of shelter beds within the next five years. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Aug. 25 to endorse...
Could this be the site of homeless housing in San Jose?
A new homeless housing community is being planned in San Jose — but it likely won’t be located near you. “We’re looking for a partnership,” said John Davis, retired Air Systems founder and primary funder of the project. “We don’t want to spend four years fighting with whoever is around us.” Davis, along with Barry...
‘Plan to End Homelessness’ in Santa Clara County unveiled
A consortium of agencies working to tackle one of Santa Clara County’s biggest concerns unveiled a long-term strategy Thursday with an epic goal: To end homelessness. Called the 2020-2025 Plan to End Homelessness, its recommendations include securing 14,000 homes for the homeless, doubling shelter bed space and establishing a homeless prevention system that now serves...
San Jose breaks ground on emergency housing for homeless
San Jose took another step to alleviate its homeless housing shortage by breaking ground Monday on the first of three emergency interim housing sites that will accommodate more than 100 beds each. Citing building restriction waivers that made it easier to get the project off the ground, Mayor Sam Liccardo said the houses are being...
Short, hard lives for homeless people in Santa Clara County
Special from Bay City News Foundation Editor’s note: This story is the first in a series exploring the deaths of homeless people in Santa Clara County — who the victims were, how they died and what might be done to save the lives of people few may remember. Deaths among homeless people in Santa Clara County have...