[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6558213,"mediaKeyId","3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828","parentId",3275390,"title","San Jose council debates ‘responsibility to shelter’ policy as officials press county for treatment and MOU expansion","audioSeconds",5824,"startMs",765000,"endMs",6589000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828&start=765&end=6589","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828/thumbnail_765000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6558213/San-Jose/Santa-Clara-County/California/San-Jose-council-debates-responsibility-to-shelter-policy-as-officials-press-county-for-treatment-and-MOU-expansion","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558213-3b06b1e1e69cd4d7b4bc910fc4507113/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174870&Signature=eGj51kGQAbqIN4XG8kUcXsvnPpy8WxQ65B2OKYoB36-G~2~idxhN3PIyGYmLtS3Mun0~YmdrhKOwiGBpLbFCs-kY2gm65qX~xutPpg8Q00yy3kJOeajVBKQUcj9vhCR4lp~svNldqlCG5TSF6cXfOR2BQ441vFPJqGImqFDQtx-YVpfr9dHBYxN5yNwNj~AMh9GaIlCQFxU2ZFPXXyg52TUflncwfsQLm-Sr84kUzqrAcfiHLD~bpMSal~3kmR0Tpjpe68U3TIuK2mySjskA~1HcLzYeX4okxQ3iqpLYiGWmlV9SgE-tjvIqIZ3m~H4yeHGlFmisEDR7c-ZOU5Ughw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Jose CA","date","2025-05-13T13:14:48Z","article","San Jose city leaders spent a large portion of a May council study session debating a proposed “responsibility to shelter” policy that would push outreach teams to offer shelter earlier, reserve placements for people assessed as highest‑need, and create procedures to connect people for treatment or, in limited cases, pursue enforcement when shelter is repeatedly refused.

Council members and city staff framed the proposal as an attempt to pair expanded shelter capacity and outreach with options to intervene when people are persistently living in public places and appear to be a danger to themselves or others. Mayor Mahan said the goal is to “intervene earlier and get people into shelter or treatment and hold people accountable for engaging with treatment when they’re unwilling to accept shelter.”

The council’s discussion focused on three practical dependencies: an agreement with Santa Clara County to accept some misdemeanor arrestees at the Mission Street Recovery Station instead of jail; available treatment and court diversion options; and higher‑quality data to measure whether outreach leads to placements.

Why it matters: City officials said expanded interim housing—about 1,400 placements scheduled to come online this year—must be paired with a clearer process when outreach fails. Proponents argued earlier offers and the ability to send appropriate arrestees to a county recovery center could break recurring cycles of addiction and untreated mental illness. Opponents and many public speakers called the plan punitive or warned it would criminalize homelessness if shelter capacity and services are inadequate.

What staff described. Eric Solivan, San Jose’s director of housing, told the council outreach will be brought “much earlier in the process” and an enhanced engagement team will collect consistent case information and flag individuals who may pose health or safety risks. Solivan said the enhanced engagement team would operate in three phases, provide more uniform data collection, and coordinate with police when outreach indicates risk to others.

Police and county coordination. San Jose Police leadership said the city already has an MOU with the county to bring certain arrestees to Mission Street Recovery Station (for example, some first‑time DUI and low‑level drug arrestees). Chief Joseph said the department is negotiating with the county to expand the MOU to accept more misdemeanor arrestees when appropriate, so a person could be booked into custody and taken to the recovery center rather than jail. “We would like to expand it to cover most misdemeanors,” Joseph said, while also noting exceptions would remain.

City attorney and legal limits. City Attorney Nora Freeman told the council the city cannot arrest people simply for refusing shelter; arrests would be for violations such as trespassing. Freeman said the United States Supreme Court has held there is no constitutional obligation for a city to offer shelter before a trespassing arrest, and that the city must therefore structure the policy around what is legally permissible while coordinating with county courts, the district attorney and the public defender about diversion or treatment options.

Treatment placement and court diversion. Officials emphasized the policy is meant to pursue treatment and diversion where possible rather than punishment. Councilmembers pressed staff about what would happen after someone reaches Mission Street Recovery Station or is booked: Chief Joseph and others said many misdemeanor arrests do not lead to long stays in custody and diversion or prosecution decisions rest with the county agencies. Councilmember Campos asked what the long‑term outcomes would be; staff said options include treatment placements, court diversion programs (behavioral health courts) or other non‑custodial outcomes when available.

County capacity and MOU status. City staff reported ongoing high‑level meetings with county leadership including the sheriff, district attorney, supportive housing, behavioral health and county executives. Solivan and the mayor described a recent meeting in which county leaders committed to continued discussion, but multiple councilmembers expressed concern that the county has not yet committed to scalable capacity and that Mission Street Recovery Station currently has limited beds. Council member Kameh reported hearing 27 beds mentioned; other staff said the facility has been described at various times as “20‑plus,” “22” or “27” beds and that county officials say the site is underutilized.

Criteria and equity concerns. Councilmembers asked what would count as a bona fide refusal of shelter, and how the city would treat families, people with special medical needs, and LGBTQ people who avoid shelters for safety reasons. Staff acknowledged those questions are being worked through in the city’s SOPs and said officers are to use discretion—particularly where separation of parents and children would be involved—and publicly described the code of conduct as an administrative tool, not a law.

Data, performance metrics and outreach. Multiple councilmembers stressed the need for clear, measurable performance indicators before authorizing enforcement steps tied to refusal. Housing staff said outreach data is case‑by‑case and they are developing uniform metrics (for example: number of offers, acceptance rates, services linked, and outcomes) so the enhanced engagement team can be measured against objective criteria. Chief Joseph said the police are also working with communications staff to modify 911‑call triage questions to identify mental‑health emergencies earlier.

Opposition and public comment. Dozens of speakers during the public comment period urged the council to reject enforcement or arrest‑based approaches. Speakers from Sacred Heart Community Service, housing advocates, and multiple unhoused or formerly unhoused residents said criminalization or citation would be inhumane and ineffective without large increases in permanent housing and prevention resources. Others, including neighborhood association and business representatives, said encampments and related criminal activity threaten public safety and that the city must have tools to remove people who repeatedly pose hazards to neighbors.

Remaining steps. Staff said more work remains: finalize SOPs for outreach, expand or modify the county MOU for Mission Street Recovery Station if possible, develop measurable performance indicators and bring back specifics about how “responsibility to shelter” would be operationalized. Councilmembers requested more time with county leadership before a vote; staff said meetings are scheduled and ongoing.

Ending note. City officials characterized the proposal as an attempt to combine expanded shelter and services with an intervention pathway for people with severe, treatment‑resistant behavioral health or substance‑use issues—but success, they said repeatedly, depends on county treatment capacity, clearer data and agreed operational protocols.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","MAY 12, 2025 | City Council Budget Study Session, Afternoon","oneSentenceSummary","San Jose city leaders spent a large portion of a May council study session debating a proposed “responsibility to shelter” policy that would push outreach teams to offer shelter earlier, reserve placements for people assessed as highest‑need, and create procedures to connect people for treatment or, in limited cases, pursue enforcement when shelter is repeatedly refused.","taxTitle","San Jose , Santa Clara County, California","taxId",2857,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558199,"San Jose mayor proposes tying 5% of council pay to measurable citywide performance goals",629,5193000,5822000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828&start=5193&end=5822","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828/thumbnail_5193000.jpg","/articles/6558199/San-Jose/Santa-Clara-County/California/San-Jose-mayor-proposes-tying-5-of-council-pay-to-measurable-citywide-performance-goals","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558199-4e334e41478d0825d8f2cd09249a2d52/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174870&Signature=R~Klb968oiUUwqBgDPtbd7DKDMT0C6nqJ2JRlMiwrk2BYEUSMb1OH63Syl7IBZAuOyhwUoM5e-iGXtzZEA7kRM0YTkeMdC7-J5Jm~G9s8mOEXq3z9UNO7~hUigrpXNCqxQYC4CzAb1VUsDENQbqB~Vws1zFm0jz~lwBcYHeeVPusE4tJNz8VjFKxEd9GuJ2r2LyDQzD5gSvJUxV7NZm~zF-tdgc0~y0hxCb8uJrB4jZoM78FW5xXw8Zf4pgmucxkx8fHTBEo6AUFhyIKF9LLYeBoNKAuESZXvGdipTB2LsTayZIGgFYG2lqYqq4W8KuPNiJaEbSQr3FX7TM-Ru7pjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Matt Mahan and supporters presented a pay‑for‑performance proposal to tie a portion of city‑council compensation to measurable results on council‑adopted performance metrics, prompting a lengthy debate about design, equity and unintended incentives.

Lede: The proposal would withhold 5% of each councilmember’s base salary at the start of a fiscal year and restore it prorated based on performance against a set of publicly adopted citywide performance measures—metrics that the council would set through the budget process and finalize in a fall readout. The administration argued the change would align elected officials’ incentives with those already applied to senior city managers.

What proponents said. Mayor Mahan described the plan as a way to expand accountability and create a public feedback loop: the council would set explicit hypotheses about which programs and budget choices would move prioritized outcomes (for example, aspects of homelessness, public safety or housing), resource those choices through the budget, and accept public grading of the results. He argued the approach could be implemented under existing charter provisions without the expense of a ballot measure.

Key design points and staff requests. The city manager’s office and city attorney proposed using charter section 407(d) and an ordinance to implement the withhold/repay approach each fiscal year rather than pursuing a charter amendment. Administration asked for more time to return in the fall with a recommended rubric and proposed performance measures; staff said the council could provide initial goals during the June budget process but a final approval cycle in the fall would be prudent.

Concerns and debate. Several councilmembers raised concerns about perverse incentives, the difficulty of setting fair citywide metrics that account for district‑level priorities, and the idea of elected officials deciding their own compensation adjustments. Councilmember McConell (concerns) asked how the proposal could avoid incentivizing short‑term or simplistic decisions to hit targets. Others urged caution about compounded or permanent cuts and asked staff to clarify how the withholding would interact with the salary setting commission and annual CPI adjustments.

Why it matters: The proposal is intended to strengthen transparency and pressure the council and administration to set clear, measurable outcomes and justify budget tradeoffs. Opponents said the plan risks narrowing council priorities, creating perverse incentives, and discouraging prospective candidates; supporters said it matches expectations the council already imposes on executives.

Next steps. Staff requested more time to return with an implementation rubric and recommended performance measures—administration suggested bringing measures back in September rather than June to allow time to align with a newly added focus area and to ensure the measures are well‑designed.

","The mayor proposed withholding 5% of council base pay and making that portion contingent on meeting publicly adopted, citywide performance measures; the council would set goals through the budget process and review results in a fall readout.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558204,"Council presses county ties for Mission Street Recovery Station and co‑response teams amid plan for enhanced outreach",2239,1212000,3451000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828&start=1212&end=3451","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828/thumbnail_1212000.jpg","/articles/6558204/San-Jose/Santa-Clara-County/California/Council-presses-county-ties-for-Mission-Street-Recovery-Station-and-coresponse-teams-amid-plan-for-enhanced-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558204-0d3c163913e68dd2fcb1d36900c4e691/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174870&Signature=D8huPAtrsSpOdLHoBsIrSfOXNleT8XfObXDKyy7Ztdd5zhtQRzZy97f-woDExNiOxhcUoiIygv6xuy09QODXeVGgVw8NfKGj9-GHy-eGJX7sniifD8v3cRxaqN-x7WGxu3aRxyEe1KBasIgynSLxs4SwqvknuIhHIgfb3IZUnNyq9~ZAnRwMzVV4l2NtkKvKXrlFfRMRKR~gFxnKZ4sKKvaxYWHVV-7pgLS7fzJZoxMbpLdwhQ2xtkp2BzHEOMrZy074fjggg6qxx-6FRIUspaCdlCyw~0CUdZxi3-RdGfd6gDduIe0uJgKgGQ8m3-wPsecxOCp5Ihc2U5hwT5y8JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Jose staff told the council the administration wants to expand coordinated outreach, link an enhanced engagement team with the San Jose Police Department, and broaden an existing county MOU so some misdemeanor arrestees could be routed to the Mission Street Recovery Station instead of jail.

Lede: City housing and police leaders described a push to bring outreach earlier in an encampment lifecycle, collect more uniform data, and use county treatment placements as an alternative to incarceration where appropriate. The approach would also rely on co‑response models—such as the county’s PERT clinicians riding with police—and better 911/988 triage to divert suitable calls to behavioral health teams.

Enhanced engagement and data. Housing Director Eric Solivan said the enhanced engagement team will add staff and focus on earlier, repeated contact and systematic data collection so outreach can identify people who may require expedited placement or clinical intervention. Solivan said the team will “figure out a standard operating procedure for how information gets from the housing department... over to the police department.”

Mission Street Recovery Station MOU. Chief Joseph and other staff described an existing MOU that allows San Jose to bring some arrestees (for example, certain DUI or low‑level drug offenses) to Mission Street Recovery Station; they said police hope to expand the MOU to include other misdemeanor arrestees when county capacity and criteria permit. Council members repeatedly asked for the city to secure county commitments before moving to enforcement tied to refusal of shelter.

PERT, TRUST and 988/911 triage. Chief Joseph and council members discussed the Psychiatric Emergency Response Team (PERT) clinician embedded with SJPD and concerns that county changes could restructure clinicians into broader mobile crisis teams; staff said the city currently funds one PERT clinician who rides with SJPD and that the county had indicated it may reassign clinicians into the mobile crisis response system. Calls for better triage were frequent: staff said defining clear transfer criteria for 911→988 and embedding county clinicians in dispatch are priorities but noted county capacity constraints.

Why it matters: City leaders emphasized the policy will only be effective if county treatment capacity and court diversion resources are available and if outreach data are improved. Council and staff said co‑response models and Mission Street placements are possible alternatives to routine booking and short jail stays that do not address underlying behavioral health needs.

Public safety interface and no‑encampment zones. Staff described expanded bicycle creek patrols (funded in part by Valley Water) and no‑return zone enforcement for waterways; officers will act as eyes on the ground to guide resources for abatements and encampment prevention. Councilmembers asked how these enforcement patrols would interact with the enhanced engagement work so abatement is not just displacement without services.

Next steps. Staff will continue to negotiate with county partners on MOU expansion, refine SOPs on outreach‑to‑police information transfer, and try to narrow criteria for which 911 calls can be safely transferred to 988 or alternative response teams. Councilmembers requested a joint city‑county meeting and said they want a publicly available set of performance measures and SOPs returned to council.","San Jose officials described plans to expand outreach, create an enhanced engagement team and expand use of the Mission Street Recovery Station for certain arrestees. Councilmembers asked for clarity about MOU coverage, PERT clinician availability and co‑response options for 911 triage and diversion to behavioral‑health responses.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558208,"San Jose chiefs outline police and fire recruitment plans; city explains first responder fee rollout",227,1695000,1922000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828&start=1695&end=1922","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828/thumbnail_1695000.jpg","/articles/6558208/San-Jose/Santa-Clara-County/California/San-Jose-chiefs-outline-police-and-fire-recruitment-plans-city-explains-first-responder-fee-rollout","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558208-a3dccc36d138845d5e74ca5a83cf73ae/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174870&Signature=X1iNTVh02b2aK77qyyaxtqgICagU-7BVqH4-NUQ4yDtiJTWMPR2Gcgs3-~yh4GXgh1qDH-HyC0vtbdRtDD3zpbXhVEJn4k26YHSkRrHgGjfUbkD6kkBTR3Q0hA0Utsy1roqLh6qkyqQO8sXgSJLYgt3HZL7Q9LYzP5Ow6JSgzjytYXrBV2j-Bdb3hZfKTOse2DfgK6OKFxyvnAlDikT6B1xIR4VlVPLxWUsVEDTi8buVTTYSDzxKmbH22f-X-wF~VM107TtqSWBmc23QzfR8gc1xhWoJOqyi5rs8axpU6Kaj2UfQ6HFKiHx0DCxD~SyHrul00kRQVJV4QPCKJcFpcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Police and fire leaders briefed San Jose councilmembers on staffing shortages, recruitment efforts and a new first‑responder fee during a public safety city service area study session.

Lede: Police Chief Joseph told the council the department currently has roughly 25–30 budgeted vacant positions and expects to start a large next academy with 40–44 recruits; Fire Chief Sapien said sworn vacancies equate to about a 6.94% vacancy rate (about 50 positions) and the department is targeting a class of 30 in August.

Recruitment strategies. Chief Joseph said the department has boosted online advertising, retained a recruitment firm tailoring outreach to the city’s needs, and expanded local recruitment at community events, colleges and job fairs. He said San Jose is launching a paid cadet program to keep younger recruits in the pipeline. Chief Sapien said a statewide paramedic shortage has eased and the department is again seeing a larger qualified applicant pool; the fire department also runs community recruitment events, a women’s boot camp and hopes to replenish retirements expected in January.

Impacts on operations. Councilmembers asked how new units or pilot teams would be staffed. Chief Joseph said the planned neighborhood quality‑of‑life unit would be formed by reassigning six officers and a sergeant from other assignments rather than relying entirely on overtime; that shift will require backfill and could generate additional overtime costs for core patrol functions.

First‑responder fee. Councilmembers asked about the administration and timing of the first‑responder fee for emergency medical responses. Assistant chiefs and staff said the fee will be established through a two‑step process: (1) a draft ordinance will come to council to define the program and (2) the city will implement policies and administrative provisions with a third‑party billing firm, whose contract council recently approved. Staff said the firm will help design “compassionate billing practices” and the city will bring policy details back during fees‑and‑charges hearings.

Why it matters: Both departments emphasized that recruitment improvements will take months to affect field staffing levels, and that planned units or outreach programs will require explicit staffing tradeoffs. Councilmembers stressed community expectations for neighborhood visibility and rapid 911 response times.

","San Jose police and fire chiefs told the council about current vacancies, recruitment strategies and upcoming academies. Fire and police leaders said staffing is improving but gaps remain; the city also described steps to implement a new first‑responder fee, including an ordinance and contracted third‑party billing firm.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6558195,"Senior service providers, volunteers urge San Jose to restore older‑adults health and wellness grants",92,11625000,11717000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828&start=11625&end=11717","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3275390-502d62af675926ad3e10d8fe3d46b828/thumbnail_11625000.jpg","/articles/6558195/San-Jose/Santa-Clara-County/California/Senior-service-providers-volunteers-urge-San-Jose-to-restore-olderadults-health-and-wellness-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6558195-5f782f33db5fe6c43bf8a2a44fdaec66/orig.mp4?Expires=1771174870&Signature=dYdmajMu8CfhW-aVHYVsWe4Hf0kF-3UrdNI2Rh8DP~Cp8CAgP~NfPRBQ4VkK4eM6Nd35FxnciiRn9Fj1LUE9KD-EMSKezDY-NYPF54E2MAaNHGDYHwVim09TDJ9XfkO8Lqq2KdfgB7VF3nfOBnNlLfVoChV1q~fkJ3GdXQmdHoTggqeE6EMJ8sGDTaY3N0WX9nxHEZSCQNDNhTmLrsSYIt9qizKTqUhZHSsi3KmhKCSaTdBmjaylL~pTVCqORyVwDNExrtIrnOJduBD405qc72mmg7BXJqiXXogDQpASin6OqErbtIdXZmhdupSz9cZNRTKw~GmuAz~9amUvCLVmfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representatives of nonprofit legal services, Medicare counseling programs and senior center volunteers asked San Jose councilmembers not to eliminate Older Adults Health and Wellness grant funding during the city’s budget process, saying cuts would reduce counseling and legal assistance for low‑income and non‑English‑speaking seniors.

Lede: Multiple speakers, including attorneys and program directors for senior legal aid and health‑insurance counseling, described how grant funds support one‑on‑one Medicare counseling, legal representation on evictions and elder abuse cases, and bilingual outreach at senior centers. They said the proposed PRNS cut—about $526,000 in one staff presentation—would force service reductions or closure at several senior‑center sites.

What providers said. Michelle Schroeder of Senior Adults Legal Assistance (SALA) noted the organization uses grant funding to serve older adults at nine senior centers across the city and that losing funds would mean fewer services or elimination at multiple sites. Georgia Basile of SALA and other speakers from Sourcewise and the health insurance counseling program described an operational reliance on those funds to provide bilingual counseling, basic legal planning (powers of attorney), and screening for benefits programs.

Why it matters: The programs help people avoid eviction, access benefits and prevent elder abuse. Counselors and volunteers said the city’s senior population is growing and that many clients speak languages other than English; losing grants would reduce equity‑focused services in languages such as Spanish and Vietnamese.

City response and next steps. PRNS and budget staff acknowledged grant reductions are tied to available grant revenue this year and said some grants will roll over or be rebudgeted if programs continue into the next fiscal year. Councilmembers pressed departments for details and asked staff to provide additional information on which sites and services would be affected if the funding is cut.

Public comment highlighted program impact. Speakers provided client examples—such as monolingual Spanish‑speaking older adults who rely on bilingual counselors to navigate Medicare/Medi‑Cal—and urged council to preserve funding so existing bilingual counselors and volunteer counselors can continue serving seniors across community centers.

Ending note. Providers asked the council to maintain the Older Adults Health and Wellness grants in the recommended budget or identify alternate funding to preserve counseling and legal services at senior sites across the city.","Several nonprofit legal and counseling groups told the council proposed cuts to the Older Adults Health and Wellness grants would reduce counseling, legal assistance and Medicare navigation for low‑income seniors and multilingual clients. Providers said elimination of roughly $526,000 would force service reductions at multiple senior centers.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

San Jose council debates ‘responsibility to shelter’ policy as officials press county for treatment and MOU expansion

San Jose mayor proposes tying 5% of council pay to measurable citywide performance goals

Council presses county ties for Mission Street Recovery Station and co‑response teams amid plan for enhanced outreach

San Jose chiefs outline police and fire recruitment plans; city explains first responder fee rollout

Senior service providers, volunteers urge San Jose to restore older‑adults health and wellness grants