San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan recently shared some uplifting news: the city's unsheltered homeless population has seen a decline of more than 10% since 2022, a success attributed to an innovative and humanitarian-focused approach. A combination of strategies, including Quick-Build Communities and safe parking sites, has fostered the city's reduction in unsheltered homelessness, which led to a significant drop for the second year in a row.
The numbers are in and our Quick-Build Communities are starting to show some promising progress. Since 2022, our city’s population of unsheltered neighbors has dropped by more than 10% – almost 600 people no longer call our streets, creeks and parks home. San José is leading the… pic.twitter.com/otNdTIpeiL
— Mayor Matt Mahan (@MattMahanSJ) June 1, 2023
In contrast to San Jose's positive developments, the crisis of homelessness continues to ravage other parts of California, with cities like San Francisco and Orange County grappling with an increase in their homeless populations. A report by Public Policy Institute of California indicates a 6% increase in homelessness statewide since 2020 compared to a mere 0.4% nationally. San Jose's progress exemplifies the potential that well thought-out, targeted measures can have—not only for Californian cities but for the entire nation.
One of San Jose's key strategies is the implementation of interim housing or Quick-Build Communities—a cost-effective, quicker way of providing shelter. In total, six Quick-Build Communities have been established since 2020, proving an essential factor in the city's decline in unsheltered homelessness.
As public opinion swells in support of San Jose's efforts, Mayor Matt Mahan has also called for increased resident involvement in securing the city's essential budgetary needs. On June 13th, City Council will be voting on Mayor Matt's Back to Basics Budget, focused on addressing core priority areas like crime, homelessness, and dirty streets (click here to back the Mayors budget). With an allocated $50 million towards urgent solutions like Quick-Build Communities, city officials hope to expand these housing options to provide shelter for even more unhoused individuals via Matt Mahan's Twitter.
Despite San Jose's measured progress, there remains a concerning and uneven trend in the very same city: the homeless family population has increased by a staggering 122%. It bears acknowledging that while San Jose's approach to addressing unsheltered homelessness is making a positive impact, a more targeted response is needed to assist homeless families specifically.
Nevertheless, San Jose endeavors to implement innovative programs that address different aspects of the homelessness crisis, such as the San Jose Bridge—a program aimed at providing unhoused individuals with employment opportunities, via Hoodline .
The city's ongoing commitment to battling homelessness has also garnered external investment: recently, San Jose secured $11.1 million in federal funding, allocated for combating rural and unsheltered homelessness. These funds will aid in transitioning homeless individuals from unsheltered to transitional housing, ultimately guiding them towards permanent housing options. Additionally, privately-driven initiatives like the Heading Home campaign target specific issues like family homelessness and aim to eliminate it in Santa Clara County by 2025.
