the first set of Housing Task Force recommendations, which are
being implemented. These funds have gone toward additional
beds, a cold weather shelter, and expanded health and other
services for the unsheltered homeless population. Currently
the board of supervisors is working on the second set of
recommendations that Supervisor Cortese estimated would
cost $64 million.
Is it enough? In Cortese’s words, “Not by a long shot.” But
he suggested that there’s more to come, including the area’s first
micro-housing village, later in 2016.
In his address, Cortese also said that despite Silicon Valley’s
booming economy most homeless people are homeless because
of job loss or difficult barriers to employment. He appealed to
residents living near transitional housing or shelter sites to keep
an open mind because without these sites, the homeless will be
on the street and in the parks rather than being sheltered and
stabilized. He also appealed to landlords to consider renting
to homeless veterans and others, many of whom have housing
vouchers but no opportunities to rent.
Supervisor Cortese noted that the County has also
commissioned a survey of voters to determine their willingness
to support new revenue measures to help fund affordable
housing, especially targeting the County’s extremely low income
and homeless populations.
According to County Supervisor Mike Wasserman, a potential
housing bond measure was on the board’s agenda for discussion
in early June, but was “still in its infancy.” He added that if it goes
forward, the bond measure would be on the November ballot.
“We’re all realists,” Supervisor Wasserman said. “We have
a housing and homelessness crisis. Our Housing Task Force
is moving forward and making great strides. In the past 18
months, 1,100 chronically homeless people were housed.
We’re building on that progress.”
Local Non-profits Help the Homeless:
Comprehensive Services to
Fit Individual Needs
Community Solutions is a non-profit,
comprehensive human services agency
addressing the needs of people in South
Santa Clara County, South San Jose and
San Benito County. The organization’s
services and support help children,
families and individuals overcome
challenges associated with mental health
issues, substance abuse, trauma, severe
family dysfunction, sexual and domestic
ERIN O’BRIEN
violence, and human trafficking. The
housing and residential programs
offered by Community Solutions are instrumental in keeping
clients safely housed while they receive essential services.
The organization’s Intensive Case Management (ICM)
program serves residents housed at Gilroy Sobrato Apartments
and Morgan Hill’s Belle Terra Apartments – people whose
A New Tool for
Prediction and
Prevention
In another collaborative
effort, the County,
Destination: Home, and
the Economic Roundtable
also developed a “triage
tool.” This tool uses
predictive modeling to
enable accurate screening
and prediction of high-
cost users in the County’s
public safety net system. It
has been made available
to local communities to
help them prioritize these
individuals for supportive
housing and other
interventions .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JULY / AUGUST 2016
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