Sunnyvale is trying a new approach to homeless encampment sweeps by putting people in motels and giving them an opportunity to make necessary life changes.
The city on Feb. 26 placed about 25 unhoused people in 18 rooms across two Larkspur Landing hotels — one in Sunnyvale and one in Milpitas — for 30 days, after their encampment near Sunnyvale Public Library was removed. WeHOPE, a homeless service nonprofit contracted by the city, is providing case management and two meals a day.
Freddie Rogers, outreach case manager on WeHOPE’s Sunnyvale outreach team, said people were initially shy, but have started to open up and are engaging with his team’s case management services.
“Our team is passionate about this work,” Rogers told San José Spotlight. “We’re eager to provide resources that help residents regain their independence to get them rolling.”
Sean Stein, who moved into the Larkspur hotel in Milpitas, had been living in a tent behind the library since September. He said staying in a hotel gives him stability, as he seeks help for a hip injury and takes online classes toward receiving a Google IT Support Certificate to land a job.
“I’m very appreciative of all the help and how I can just focus on exactly what I need to do,” Stein told San José Spotlight. “Now, I’m worried about necessary things I need to do for my life, instead of just necessities to survive.”
Sunnyvale has about 471 homeless residents, according to a 2023 point-in-time count, though the tally is considered to be an undercount. While officials conducted a new count earlier this year, results haven’t been released yet.
Sunnyvale spokesperson Jennifer Garnett said the hotel rooms cost about $124,000 for 30 days. She said unhoused people first began gathering near the library in April 2024, and the city’s outreach team frequently visited, but there were few resources they could offer.
Many of those living near the library previously lived at the North County Shelter, before adult residents were slowly removed as it shifted to a family shelter.
Jennifer Smith, who lived near the library for more than a year, said they tried to be respectful of the public space by picking up their trash and not keeping as many belongings. Smith has been staying at another of WeHOPE’s temporary shelter programs and said her experiences with the program’s wellness checks and case management have been lackluster.
“It’s great they’re in motels, but that’s really like a Band-Aid, and a poor Band-Aid at that,” Smith told San José Spotlight. “There really is no clear criteria about what progress is and from what I understand … they’ll just show up one day and go, ‘You’ve gotta leave today, you’ve been here too long.'”
The hotel program is another test of Sunnyvale’s attempts to strengthen support for homeless residents. Last year, the city replaced HomeFirst with WeHOPE as its outreach service provider and created a program to temporarily house more people in hotels during inclement weather .
Garnett said the city has maintained that supporting homeless residents is a priority and continues to explore multiple approaches, such as safe parking sites and hotel stays which will be discussed at a March 13 workshop meeting.
“Providing hotel room stays is not currently a formal program, but it is a service we have explored as part of our ongoing efforts,” Garnett told San José Spotlight.
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.
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