Santa Clara County looks to lessons of past to learn how to stop future homelessness

Santa Clara County connected 17,485 homeless individuals to permanent housing but struggles to prevent new cases as homelessness reaches an all-time high of over 10,700 residents. The county aims to reduce new households falling into homelessness to 3,330 by 2025; however, 4,098 new households fell into homelessness in the last year. Deputy Executive Consuelo Hernandez noted that political will and a focus on prevention are critical to addressing the crisis. The county has expanded its shelter capacity to over 3,100 spaces and increased its Homelessness Prevention System to assist more than 2,500 households annually. Despite these efforts, rising living costs and potential funding cuts pose significant challenges.

Townley highlighted that without affordable housing, services alone cannot resolve the homelessness issue. The county constructed over 1,300 affordable apartments in the past two years, funded by a $950 million bond approved by voters. The current situation emphasizes the need for comprehensive strategies to combat the growing homelessness crisis.