The West Valley has scarce resources for the hundreds of homeless residents living on its streets. That may change as elected leaders consider adding its first shelter.
All five West Valley municipalities — Cupertino, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Campbell and Los Gatos — recently approved a homeless shelter feasibility study conducted by Good City Company. The Cupertino City Council was the last to commit in a 4-1 vote April 2, with Councilmember R “Ray” Wang voting no. The study will narrow down what kind of shelter could best serve the roughly 221 homeless residents in an area miles from one, according to 2023 point-in-time count data.
Campbell is spearheading the first-of-its-kind regional effort and will pay for the $99,000 study with American Rescue Plan funding it received during the pandemic. The study will examine several options, ranging from a seasonal shelter opened for overnight stays certain times of the year to transitional housing where stays can last up to two years. Services such as mental health treatment will vary under each option, but must meet Santa Clara County standards. Each municipality’s council will review the study’s results in August before moving forward.
Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez said ending homelessness in the West Valley is possible because of the area’s smaller population. He said creating additional resources brings the goal closer, adding Campbell has moved the needle on the issue.
“It is something that we can actually tackle,” Lopez told San José Spotlight. “With a strategy in collaboration and tailored policy solutions, we can actually really get down to functional zero.”
The area’s municipalities do offer some homelessness services, including safe parking sites and referrals to county programs. Last December, Campbell began a two-year pilot program allowing homeless residents to stay in a hotel for up to 30 nights a year.
Ron Hilla, a homeless resident in Los Gatos, has taken advantage of the few available resources, including the town’s hotel program where homeless individuals can stay overnight during inclement weather. But he’d appreciate having something more consistent, with the closest shelter up to nine miles away.
He said if a West Valley shelter existed, he’d use it as a “stepping stone” toward permanent housing. Hilla wants a shelter to have showers, a cafeteria and even a swimming pool. He’d prefer multiple shelters throughout the area with services tailored to the smaller local community, adding no residents want a large shelter in their neighborhood.
“That would be great wouldn’t it?” Hilla told San José Spotlight. “People can come in and (leave) cleaned and fed and everything.”
Campbell began considering a shelter feasibility study last summer as part of its state-required housing plan. Los Gatos, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Cupertino joined on after Campbell proposed making it a collaborative effort.
Cupertino Councilmember Sheila Mohan said the partnership between the municipalities shows commitment.
“It’s recognizing the fact that the unhoused population issue is a regional issue, not just limited to our cities or one city,” she told San José Spotlight. “We’re all in this together.”
Cassandra Magana, manager of policy and advocacy at homelessness and hunger nonprofit West Valley Community Services, is glad the region is working together to focus on this unaddressed issue. She said a shelter would be a game-changer for the roughly 300 homeless clients the nonprofit serves, many of whom are older adults.
Magana said a West Valley shelter needs wraparound services to support the community, including transportation because the area is vast.
“This would really help the efforts of trying to get (homeless residents) into self-sufficiency and get them into permanent supportive housing,” she told San José Spotlight. “This would be the first step for a lot of these folks who live outside.”
Contact Annalise Freimarck at [email protected] or follow @annalise_ellen on X.
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