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Los Gatos joins West Valley cities to pursue regional homeless services implementation task force
Summary
After hearing a feasibility study prepared for five West Valley cities, the Los Gatos council voted to adopt a resolution of intent to participate in a West Valley homeless services implementation task force; the vote commits the town to planning participation but not to funding at this stage.
The Los Gatos Town Council voted April 7 to receive a West Valley Homeless Services needs analysis and feasibility study and adopted a resolution of intent to participate in a five‑city West Valley implementation task force. The study, prepared by Good City Company for Campbell and the other West Valley cities, was funded with ARPA funds and is intended to help the subregional cities coordinate services and priorities.
Study findings: Consultant Vera Gil summarized the study’s findings, noting the West Valley area shows higher proportions of youth and families among people experiencing homelessness, higher rates of “couch‑surfing” and sleeping in vehicles, and a larger share of people experiencing homelessness for two or more years compared with county averages. The consultant said some West Valley cities already provide supports (hotel vouchers, safe parking and faith‑based services), but that the region lacks scale in services such as permanent supportive housing and consistent case management.
What the task force would do: The proposed implementation task force—representatives from each participating jurisdiction, county representatives, key stakeholders and service providers—would produce a formal implementation plan, define goals, governance, financing strategy and performance metrics. Vera Gil emphasized that adoption of the resolution of intent is not a funding commitment: "This is not committing you to any money to the task force," she told council.
Council discussion: Councilmembers asked about point‑in‑time (PIT) count methodology and the reliability of multi‑year comparisons; staff and consultants noted PIT methodology changes (time of count) can produce differences and that counts are one input, not an exhaustive census. Several council members emphasized the need to coordinate with county services for behavioral health, case management and to leverage faith‑based partners and local nonprofits already delivering shelter and rental assistance.
Action and next steps: Councilmember Badami moved to receive the study and adopt the resolution of intent to participate; the motion passed unanimously. Staff said the next steps include appointing a local representative to the task force and participating with the other four cities to draft a formal implementation plan; no direct financial obligation was approved at this meeting.
