Santa Clara staff present two‑year homelessness response plan; council asks for more prevention, services and data

City staff and county partners on Tuesday outlined a two‑year plan to reduce homelessness in Santa Clara, presenting 34 work items that mix prevention, outreach, shelter and housing development while asking the City Council for feedback on priorities and funding.

The update came during a joint City Council and Stadium Authority study session. Deputy City Manager Christine Jeong and Housing Manager Adam Marcus led a staff presentation, and Hillary Armstrong, deputy director at the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing, gave countywide context and data.

The plan’s immediate focus is a mix of existing work and near‑term pilots: sustaining ongoing rental and eviction prevention; expanding interim and emergency shelter capacity; piloting a hotel‑based inclement‑weather program and short‑stay hotel rooms with the nonprofit We Hope; boosting high‑touch street outreach and case management seven days a week; and developing safe‑parking options for people living in vehicles. Jeong said staff categorized the 34 items as ongoing (about half), planned (10 items staff expects to start within two years) and pending/resource‑contingent (seven items requiring new funding or staffing).

Why it matters: countywide data show an inflow problem — more people are…