The Solution
One Community, One Plan
In 2014, Destination: Home, the County of Santa Clara and over 200 stakeholders created the county-wide 2015-2020 Community Plan to End Homelessness in Santa Clara County. The Community Plan is the roadmap guiding the County’s work to prevent and end homelessness. Working together toward common goals, our neighborhoods, service organizations, and local governments are more effective and efficient. The plan has set a goal of creating 6,000 new housing opportunities, some of which have already been completed or are in the pipeline.
We Know What to Do
Supportive housing using the Housing First approach has been proven as an effective solution for chronic homelessness. The homes we are building look like other apartments and homes, but include support services to help new residents keep their housing and live productively in the neighborhood. Services are designed to stabilize residents, help with community interaction and integration, and make it easy to get treatment based on each resident’s needs.
For more information about the effectiveness of supportive housing, visit the Research and Reports page.
Housing First
The Housing First approach results in long-term housing stability and improved physical and behavioral health outcomes and has been proven to reduce use of public services like emergency departments, hospitals and jails.
2016 Measure A Affordable Housing Bond
To help pay for new supportive housing for extremely low income (ELI) and very low income (VLI) households, voters approved a $950 million affordable housing bond measure in November 2016. The housing bond provides an opportunity for the County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing to partner with cities, residents, and the affordable and supportive housing community to address housing needs of the community’s poorest and most vulnerable residents, including veterans, seniors, the disabled, foster youth, victims of abuse, chronically homeless, and individuals suffering from mental health or substance abuse illnesses. A portion of the bond funds will also be used to provide new opportunities for renters and first-time homebuyers with moderate incomes.
There are several Housing Bond-funded developments underway. For a comprehensive and interactive look at existing and future supportive housing developments throughout Santa Clara County, explore the Housing Ready Community's Toolkit Supportive Housing Map.
The Veranda, a 19-unit affordable housing development located in Cupertino, broke ground on April 10, 2018 and is targeted for completion by April 1, 2019. Six apartments will be reserved as permanent supportive housing units for formerly homeless or special needs individuals.
Visit the Office of Supportive Housing to learn more about the housing bond and efforts to promote a healthy, safe and prosperous community by ending and preventing homelessness.