☆ SJ Housing Dept's most recent data on key questions re: homeless count and shelters

Image by Wikimedia Commons

With SCOTUS' Grants Pass decision, updates to SJ's homelessness strategies, and Gov. Newsom's call for cities to get more aggressive regarding encampments, we asked the SJ Housing Dept for updates on key, related data. They replied quickly with the info below. An Opp Now exclusive.

Opportunity Now: How many beds are currently available to the homeless in SJ?

SJ Housing Dept: We currently have 2,112 beds for homeless residents in the City of San José. This includes shelter beds and temporary housing beds. We are also developing new sites and expanding existing sites, which we expect will add 1,089 more beds or sleeping spaces by late 2025.

Sign up to receive updates on Opp Now articles. Click HERE.

ON: What's the latest count for homeless in the city? 

SJHD: Our most recent homeless census and survey was completed in 2023. According to that count, there were 6,266 homeless residents in the City of San José. Of that population, 70% were unsheltered. 

ON: Are there any geographic or other stipulations which inform shelter bed availability—does the city require it to be close to encampment? Does it need to have certain amenities?

SJHD: There are no universal stipulations in determining a person’s eligibility for shelter. For example, some shelters are reserved for families with children. Some serve adults only. As for amenities, again it varies by location. The County of Santa Clara operates many congregate shelters. The City does not operate any such shelters, so you might want to contact the County Office of Supportive Housing for more details.

ON: Mayor London Breed in SF says two-thirds of the homeless in that city refuse shelter beds when offered. Does SJ have this kind of data re: shelter refusal?

SJHD: The City does not track refusal of service or shelter. However, the County may be able to track that data through its shelter hotline.

ON: Breed also says up to 40% of SF homeless are from out of town. Does SJ have data re: # of homeless in the city who came from someplace else?

SJHD: According to our 2023 homeless census and survey, 85.66% of survey respondents said they were living in Santa Clara County when they most recently became homeless. On a related note, 96% of all people in California who were served through the homeless services system between 2022 and 2024 received services in only one area (i.e., they did not move across continuums).

Related:

• Progressive Bay Area Dems waking up to Housing First failures

• SJ homelessness audit discourse reveals need for targeted, relevant metrics, say local fiscal watchdogs

• Opinion: Batra and Doan are right; Math doesn't check out on SJ's homeless housing plan

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity

Sign up to receive updates on Opp Now articles

Email Address:

First Name:

Last Name:

Opp Now enthusiastically welcomes smart, thoughtful, fair-minded, well-written comments from our readers. But be advised: we have zero interest in posting rants, ad hominems, poorly-argued screeds, transparently partisan yack, or the hateful name-calling often seen on other local websites. So if you've got a great idea that will add to the conversation, please send it in. If you're trolling or shilling for a candidate or initiative, forget it.