San Jose homeless population is still rising

San Jose’s homeless population has ticked up despite ongoing investments to build temporary housing.

Silicon Valley’s largest city has 6,503 homeless residents, up 237 people from a 2023 point-in-time count, according to data shared by San Jose. About 60% is unsheltered, or 3,959 people, and 2,544 are sheltered. The city’s homeless population peaked in 2022 at 6,650 people, when it had the fourth highest homeless population per capita in the U.S. At that time, only 1,675 people were sheltered and nearly 5,000 were unsheltered.

“San Jose has proven that investing in shelter and interim housing works — now it’s time for every city and county to step up and do their fair share,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in a statement. “Leaving people to suffer in unsafe, unsheltered conditions isn’t compassionate or progressive; it’s neglect. The right thing to do — morally, fiscally and environmentally — is to bring people indoors immediately, connect them to services and end the era of encampments once and for all.”

However, homelessness in Santa Clara County is higher than ever. There are 10,711 homeless people per preliminary data from a point-in-time count conducted in January — more than 800 people from two years prior. The county has yet to publicly release all  data specific to local cities and municipalities.

The increase has happened despite significant investments in temporary and permanent housing, with more than 1,300 affordable apartments built over the past two years, funded through Measure A, a $950 million affordable housing bond approved by voters in 2016. The county has more people sheltered than ever before at 3,239, leaving 7,472 people unsheltered.

The county has helped move more than 8,000 people from homelessness to housing between 2023 and 2025, officials previously said. Lack of affordable housing, wage gaps and structural inequities are what officials attribute to the increase in housing insecurity and homelessness.

San Jose’s strategy in tackling homelessness has largely relied on building out more temporary housing. Since last year, four temporary housing sites with a combined 524 beds or spaces have opened, including Pacific Motor Inn last August, the Branham Lane modular site in February, the Berryessa safe parking site in March and Via del Oro in April.

“This year, we expect to open additional sites that include Emergency Interim Housing and hotel leases,” City Manager Jennifer Maguire said in a statement. “Providing a diverse set of sites ensures we have dignified options for our unhoused community to come off the streets and into a safe location.”

More sites are scheduled to open this year, such as the safe sleeping site on Taylor Street, the Cherry Avenue tiny home and five hotel conversions into shelters.

Every two years, Santa Clara County participates in a two-day, federally mandated point-in-time count to gather information on the number of homeless people on streets and in shelters. The count helps the county, state and federal government assess demographics and how to allocate money to help alleviate homelessness. Point in time counts are considered to underestimate the number of homeless people.

Sandy Perry, board vice president at South Bay Community Land Trust, said adding temporary housing is good but investing in permanent housing is also necessary.

“People need to have temporary housing, but they also need to expand permanent housing, and (San Jose)  refuses to do it because they’re waiting for the market to do it,” Perry told San Jose Spotlight. “And if they wait for the market to do it, it’ll never happen. It requires government intervention. It requires taxing.”
Santa Clara County has expanded its Homelessness Prevention System by 65% to serve more than 2,500 households each year. The system provides rental subsidies to those on the verge of eviction, and is funded by private and public dollars, including from San Jose. In 2023, families received an average assistance of nearly $7,400.

However, it’s uncertain if the county will be able to serve as many families as it did last year, due to a potential decrease in San Jose’s investment.

This fiscal year, the city will invest $5.2 million into the homelessness prevention — about $2.3 million less than last year. The difference could result in 600 fewer households receiving assistance.

Housing Director Erik Soliván previously told San José Spotlight the department plans to look into any unspent dollars it can add to homelessness prevention, though it’s uncertain how much.

Ray Bramson, Destination: Home chief operating officer and San José Spotlight columnist, said these safety nets are essential to keeping more people from becoming homeless at a time when families are facing inflationary and federal pressures.

“(Homeless) numbers are increasing because the cost of living is as high as ever,” Bramson told San José Spotlight. “Because we have a robust prevention system intact that is funded jointly by both the city, the county, corporations and private philanthropy, we’re able to keep more people from entering the streets. And it’s important to remember that these systems are what’s holding everything together right now, and what’s needed to make them stronger is deeper investment.”

While Perry thinks investing more in homelessness prevention can be one strategy, providing rental assistance is still a temporary solution, as the major factor is that households are rent-burdened. About 74% of extremely-low income families in Santa Clara County spend more than half of their income on rent. And more than 55,700 low-income families don’t have access to an affordable home, according to a report by the California Housing Partnership.

“Homelessness is caused in San Jose (by) a mismatch between people’s incomes and the rents. That’s what needs to be addressed,” Perry said. “There’s certain things that can be done. Rent control can be tightened up. The mayor, instead of opposing statewide rent measures, could support those things.”

Story updated July 14 at 12:20 p.m. Original story published July 14 at 10:55 a.m.

Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X.