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Heading Home campaign: county reports 2,100 families housed since 2021, outlines pipeline
Summary
Santa Clara County reported that more than 2,100 families have been permanently housed since the Heading Home campaign began in October 2021, and described nearly 1,700 family units open or under construction. The board received the update and asked for continued coordination with school districts and regular updates.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors received an update on the Heading Home campaign on April 8, which the Office of Supportive Housing described as the county’s initiative to achieve functional zero for family homelessness by 2025.
The county reported that since October 2021 more than 2,100 families have been permanently housed through a mix of rapid rehousing, emergency housing vouchers and new permanent units. That total represents more than 3,000 adults and over 4,100 children housed in permanent options, county staff said. Office of Supportive Housing staff also reported that 812 family units are open or under construction and another 864 are in the pipeline.
Why it matters: County officials said the program focuses on four strategies aligned with the Community Plan to End Homelessness: maximize federal resources such as emergency housing vouchers; expand rapid rehousing programs; expand prevention services; and build new permanent supportive and affordable housing with wrap‑around services. Staff stressed an equity focus because a majority of households served are people of color and many households are single‑parent families led by women.
Prevention and outcomes: The county reported more than 3,400 families served through prevention programs, and cited evaluation data showing strong outcomes for prevention and rapid rehousing services. Staff said the average wait for shelter placement in the county system was about 27 days and highlighted openings of new Homekey family sites and the role of Measure A in developing family units.
Board action and next steps: The board received the report and discussed continued coordination with school districts to identify and serve students and families experiencing homelessness. Supervisors asked staff to include a focused update on school‑district coordination, foster youth supports and services for homeless students in a future quarterly report.
Ending: County staff said tax credit awards announced that morning secured credits for two Measure A family projects — the Magnolias and Lupina — and that they will continue to bring periodic progress updates to the board on pipeline projects and service outcomes.
