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Ending Homelessness
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Home | Department | Programs | Policies | Projects | Homeless Services | Data | Reports | Publications | Links
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Who We Are
The Housing Department’s Homeless Program engages in a variety of activities designed to end homeless. The Homeless Program does not provide direct services to people seeking housing. We administer and monitor grants awarded to local homeless service providers. We also research, analyze, and develop policies and programs to end and prevent homelessness.
Homelessness is a multi-faceted regional problem, and therefore solving this crisis requires the cooperation and coordination of the entire community. The City of San José works with all of its partners to offer a comprehensive array of homeless services, including homeless prevention assistance, homeless shelters, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing.
For information on the City and County’s homeless residents please refer to the following reports:
Cost of Living in San José
The cost of living in San José and the surrounding areas is among the highest in California and the nation. Housing costs are the primary reason for this high cost of living. It is, therefore, not surprising that the primary reasons residents become homeless are the lack of affordable housing and the lack of sufficient income. According to HUD, the 2006 Fair Market Rent (FMR) for a one-bedroom apartment in Santa Clara County is $1,196. Fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,438 and $2,068 for a three-bedroom apartment.
Although 16% of the homeless population in Santa Clara County said they work at least part-time, it is likely that the vast majority still cannot afford Silicon Valley rents. Someone who works full-time at a minimum wage earning of $8.00 per hour or $1,280 per month (40 hours a week) could not afford a two-bedroom market rate apartment in San José on their own. A single parent raising two small children and employed in a minimum wage job would earn $16,640 annually and therefore be living below the poverty line of $17,600 for a family of three
SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 73, No. 15, January 23, 2008, pp. 3971–3972.
Cost of Homelessness
According to the 2004 San Francisco Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness, it costs over 3 times as much to have someone live on the street then to provide them with a permanent home with supportive services, including home-based case management and treatment. It may cost taxpayers over $60,000 per year for emergency room services and incarceration for a homeless person while permanent supportive housing for that same year would cost only $16,000.