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County reports steady housing placements but rising street and vehicle homelessness
Summary
County staff told supervisors the coordinated homelessness response served 2,735 households in FY25 but reported an increase in people living in vehicles and a median 190-day time to permanent housing. Officials emphasized prevention, data sharing and interdepartmental coordination under HARP and asked for further alignment with public health.
County staff presented the Board of Supervisors a data-driven update on homelessness response on July 14, highlighting both measurable placements and persistent challenges.
The Department of Community Services reported that 2,735 households were served through the coordinated system during the fiscal year, and that 330-plus people transitioned to permanent housing. Staff also highlighted a rise in people living in vehicles (from 675 to 962 between 2022 and 2025) and said the median days to permanent housing now stands at about 190 days—a notable increase from 134 days in 2023.
Why it matters: The presentation framed the problem as multi-factorial—housing affordability, substance use, mental health and limited shelter capacity—and argued that prevention and cross-department coordination are the most effective levers. Staff described HARP (county-level prevention and response structure) and Estela (the local system map and data platform) as central tools to reduce chronic street homelessness.
Program highlights and funding: Staff said over $32 million is currently managed across contracts (about $24M state grants, $7M federal grants, with other local funds) and that earlier investments produced measurable reductions in chronic encampments in some parts of the county. The county has applied for an additional $11M and received board approval on a $12M application in the prior week.
Supervisor and board direction: Supervisors praised cross-departmental collaboration and asked for clearer metrics on exits to permanent housing, time-on-system analysis and improved data-sharing with public health and sheriff99s custody programs. The board voted unanimously to receive and file the presentation and asked staff to return with follow-up reports and a clear timeline for any policy recommendations.
Public-service note: Staff said prevention lines (including a bilingual hotline and Good Samaritan response) aim to stabilize households early and reduce entries into homelessness, but emphasized that housing supply and services must expand for durable gains.
