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Permanent Housing Programs
Permanent Housing Programs by Impact and Feasibility
Programs by Type Impact Score Feasibility Score
Permanent Affordable Housing Highest High
Figure 10. Permanent Housing Programs by Impact and Feasibility Permanent affordable housing programs provide long-term housing solutions and supportive services to individuals and families who have recently or are currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness. The level of services provided varies based on the type of affordable housing.
Family housing will provide support services for the children and light support services to the heads of household, whereas permanent supportive housing is a more intensive program.
Permanent Affordable Housing
Affordable housing, whether temporary or permanent, is a high need not just in the West Valley, but throughout Santa Clara County and California. According to Destination: Home, at least 75 percent of Santa Clara County’s unhoused people are unsheltered. This means they are living on the streets, in vehicles, tents or other places not suitable for habitation. Although jurisdictions in the West Valley offer safe parking sites and hotel stays, none of these are classified as transitional or permanent housing.
Cupertino has several 100% affordable housing developments in its jurisdiction and Campbell is looking to provide 100 affordable units at the Santa Clara County Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Winchester park and ride lot. Housing to serve homeless households specifically includes the following:
• Permanent affordable housing includes the construction of 100 percent affordable developments, inclusionary units, the provision of Section 8 vouchers, and the rehabilitation of existing units to serve the extremely low-income. In addition, Extremely Low-Income (0-30% AMI) and Acutely Low-Income (0-15% AMI) units can be provided in mixed-income housing developments. • Permanent supportive housing combines longer-term rental assistance with supportive services and case management for individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. In the West Valley area, there are presently six units of permanent supportive housing in Cupertino and 23 that have been approved in Campbell.2 2 County of Santa Clara, Office of Supportive Housing, Supportive Housing Development Update, January 28, 2025, https://files.santaclaracounty.gov/exjcpb1571/2025-01/housing-bond-report-25.pdf.
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Recommendations
The project team offers the following recommendations to support prioritization of potential future homelessness services programming. While there are clear advantages to prioritizing programs with both the highest feasibility scores and highest impact scores, ensuring a holistic overall program landscape is also important.
The needs analysis also underscored the higher prevalence of specific subpopulations. Many programs described above, such as permanent affordable housing, temporary shelter, and hotel voucher programs, can be used to support targeted subpopulations of unhoused individuals and families. In addition, such programs may also support housing-vulnerable populations at high risk for homelessness including youth and families with children, domestic violence survivors, youth aging out of the foster care system, LGBTQ+ youth, veterans, postincarceration/reentry populations, and housing insecure community college and university students. Cities may want to partner with local community colleges and domestic violence service providers to create permanent housing, temporary shelters, or other services for these populations.
1. Develop a West Valley area homelessness response implementation plan While this study identifies programs and actions the cities could take to address homelessness, it requires the cities to take the next step to focus on implementation. An implementation plan would establish clear goals and tracking metrics to understand progress is a hallmark of successful strategies to address homelessness. A plan tailored to the five jurisdictions of the West Valley area could include the following elements:
a. Vision: Establish an aspirational vision for the plan over a multi-year time horizon. Consider aligning with the Housing Element cycle. b. Goals and objectives: Write Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) goals and objectives for the West Valley area and for each jurisdiction.
c. Mind the gap: Ensure programming addresses each step along the homelessness services continuum and supports individuals to move toward stable housing.
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34 WEST VALLEY HOMELESS SERVICES JANUARY 26, 2026
d. Priority segments: Develop a common definition of priority segments of the population for the West Valley area and develop services tailored to their specific needs.
e. Near- and long-term outcomes: Include near wins and activities with longertime horizon impacts. f. Leverage existing programs: Wherever possible, strengthen or expand existing services rather than building a parallel system.
A template including examples of relevant SMART goals and objectives are included in the text box below. While not intended to be a comprehensive implementation plan, the following could serve as inspiration for such a plan. An effective plan would be developed in conjunction with a community engagement process and engagement among the jurisdictions and other key stakeholders. An example summary from the City of Mountain View is also included as an attachment to this document. The process used to develop the Santa Clara Valley Agricultural Plan can also serve as a model for how the West Valley jurisdictions could come together through a task force to develop a shared homelessness response implementation plan.
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Figure 11. Example SMART Goals and Objectives
Example Goals and Objectives*:
1. Ensure no family with children or youth sleep outdoors by 2027. a. Establish agreement with County to provide X family and youth beds with priority for West Valley homeless residents by 2027.
2. Cut unsheltered homelessness across the West Valley Area by ~40% by 2028 and by 60% by 2031. a. Secure X number of priority access beds for homeless West Valley residents by 2028. b. Make X permeant housing placements per year by 2028 and X permanent housing placements by 2031.
3. Reduce first-time homelessness by ~25%, by 2028.
a. Provide X of financial support to Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System by 2028.
b. Provide financial support to tenant protection service providers (e.g. as indicated in each jurisdiction’s Housing Element)
4. Provide targeted services to 75% of individuals who have been homeless for 2 months or less by 2027. a. Expand safe parking options by an additional 30 spaces by 2027. b. Establish an oversize vehicle safe parking for at least 20 spaces by 2027.
5. Provide intensive formal case management to 50% of unhoused population by 2027. a. Implement a West Valley case management contract with a service provider (e.g. four FTE case managers and one FTE outreach worker) by 2026.
b. One jurisdiction to hire a program manager to manage the shared program by 2026.
6. Remove barriers to health, mental health, and substance use care to 50% of unhoused population by 2028.
a. Provide transportation to 100 individuals per year by 2027. b. Provide mobile services at least once per month by 2028.
7. Provide coordinated services to at least 50 individuals per month by 2028 a. Establish a pop up based or mobile event on a fixed schedule (e.g. First Monday of each month) that includes multiple service providers, community-based programs (e.g. food distribution), and health care by 2028.
8. Establish Homelessness Action Teams by 2026 and publish quarterly scorecard by 2027. a. Formalize West Valley Homelessness Response Task Force by 2026. b. Establish each Jurisdiction Homelessness Action Team by 2026. c. Adopt shared tracking metrics aligned with the Community Plan to End Homelessness and publish quarterly scorecard by 2027.
* Note: all quantitative figures included in the above example goals and objectives are provided for illustrative purposes only. Specific numbers would be developed by the West Valley homelessness response task force.
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36 WEST VALLEY HOMELESS SERVICES JANUARY 26, 2026
2. Sustain and strengthen what works
While there is increasing evidence demonstrating the positive impact of a wide range of homelessness services and prevention programs, at present, the expected loss of funding for the Continuum of Care, federal programs, and the potential service cuts caused by these funding cuts remains a reality.
a. Ensure the continuation of existing ongoing services with a proven track record.
Homelessness prevention and permanent affordable housing are critical bookends to an effective homelessness response strategy. Identify ways to support and expand these efforts using the tools available to local governments.
These include but are not limited to:
i. Direct subsidy of permanent housing development and preservation and homelessness prevention programs, including the Santa Clara County Homelessness Prevention System.
ii. Leveraging land use authority to incentivize or require the development of new units, including inclusionary housing programs, commercial linkage fees, and development agreements.
3. Prioritize programs with high feasibility and high impact Programs with both the highest feasibility scores and highest impact scores should be prioritized while still ensuring a holistic strategy that tailors programs across the spectrum of needs.
a. Programs with high feasibility and high impact include: homelessness prevention and rental assistance; case management; rapid rehousing; permanent affordable housing; health and mental health care; food, showers, and laundry; and an opportunity fund and reunification program. These programs are described in greater detail in the above feasibility analysis section. b. Prevention: Every $1 spent on prevention returned $2.47 in public benefits, according to one recent study.3
c. Permanent Supportive Housing developments, such as the Mary Avenue Villas in Cupertino, are more cost-effective in the long run than temporary shelter. 3 Jeff Olivet and Susan Ellenberg, “Homelessness Is Preventable. Ending It and Saving Lives Is a Policy Choice,” Governing, November 15, 2023. https://www.governing.com/housing/homelessness-is-preventable-ending-it-and-saving-lives-is-apolicy-choice
ITEM NO. 15.
FEASIBILITY STUDY 37
Nationally, the annual cost for temporary shelter beds to temporarily shelter three people is about $56,000 over twice as costly as the average permanent supportive housing unit for a family of three at about $25,000 per year.4 d. As described in the Needs Analysis report, the public costs to other public services, including public safety, emergency room visits, EMS, and other health costs are associated with considerably increased use among unsheltered homeless individuals.
4. Cultivate partnerships at all levels
The scale of the homelessness challenge is such that a “whole of society approach” is generally considered a best practice. This involves proactively engaging governments, the private sector, civil society, individuals, and communities. a. Invest to coordinate with Santa Clara County, the lead government agency responsible for coordinating responses to homelessness, the Office of Supportive Housing, Continuum of Care, and Community Plan to End Homelessness. b. Target local investments to strengthen homeless services where such services will complement or strengthen the work of others, wherever possible. c. Establish a formal West Valley homelessness task force that includes the five jurisdictions, County representatives, and other key stakeholders (e.g. community college district representatives and select service providers) to develop the West Valley area homelessness response implementation plan. Establish a formal purpose, goals, objectives, membership, and meeting schedule. Consider quarterly meetings of elected representatives and staff from each jurisdiction and monthly manager-level meetings, along with other key stakeholders. Each jurisdiction would share the progress against established metrics with the full group at least quarterly. Variations of such an approach could include informal collaboration with regular meetings, establishing a memorandum of understanding among jurisdictions to share implementation responsibilities for specific services, and creation of a joint power authority among jurisdictions to 4 Hannah Chimowitz and Adam Ruege, “The Costs and Harms of Homelessness: A Learning Brief Examining the Costs Borne by Individuals, Communities, Systems, and Society,” Community Solutions, September 25, 2023, https://community.solutions/research-posts/the-costs-and-harms-of-homelessness/
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38 WEST VALLEY HOMELESS SERVICES JANUARY 26, 2026
oversee sub-regional implementation of unhoused services as South Bay Cities Council of Governments has done in areas of Los Angeles County. d. Within each jurisdiction: Establish a regular Jurisdiction Homelessness Action Team consisting of representatives from all relevant departments such as city manager’s office, community development, police, parks and recreation, libraries, and where applicable: housing, human/social services. Consider monthly meetings or no less frequent than every other month.
e. Identify opportunities for local agency procurement policies that can allow for one jurisdiction to piggyback on the procurement of one of the others to expand a program or contract to their own. This can expedite the delivery of services, reduce administrative burden for public agencies, and reduce the operational burden for service providers who are servicing multiple adjacent jurisdictions. f. Explore creative solutions to remove barriers to community-led programs, including faith-based programs where appropriate.
g. Leverage local governments’ convening power to bring key stakeholders together to shape homelessness response efforts and become more educated about the work of other agencies and organizations.
5. Engage people who have experienced homelessness
Identify ways for individuals who have experienced homelessness to meaningfully participate during the overall strategy visioning and design phase and additional ways to engage during the development and implementation of specific programs on a recurring basis. Consider adding representatives who have experienced homelessness to housing advisory boards or other structured bodies, which would align with recommendations of the Community Plan to End Homelessness. The Lived Experience Advisory Board (LEAB) may be a helpful resource or partner in this work.
6. Align with the Community Plan to End Homelessness
Demonstrate alignment with the current plan’s three goals: address the root causes of homelessness through system and policy change, improve the quality of life for unsheltered individuals, create healthy neighborhoods for all, and expand homelessness prevention and housing programs to meet the need. An update of the Community Plan
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FEASIBILITY STUDY 39
to End Homelessness is underway and is an opportunity for West Valley jurisdictions to provide input.
7. Identify funding
Explore creative approaches to identify funding to support homelessness response programs. Engage affordable housing developers to understand what can be done to remove barriers to affordable housing development, particularly barriers to affordable housing finance.
a. Programs to address homelessness are primarily funded through a combination of federal grants, state and local government initiatives, private foundations, and corporate and individual donations. Federal grants are a critical source of funding but are often administered by state and local agencies rather than directly distributed to individual programs. In almost all cases, when jurisdictions apply to the state or federal government for grants for homeless services, they must do so through the local Continuum of Care (CoC), which will administer the distribution of the funding. There are other funding sources such as the public service portion of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and the HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) which are Federal entitlement grants that would not need the CoC partnership.
b. Local and regional funding to support a variety of permanent housing and other homeless services programming is often an effective, if challenging approach to bring additional funding to the table. In many cases, local funding to support the initial capital and startup costs of a program can be helpful in securing additional outside funding. This is often achieved through support from the general fund or through voter approved measures to establish dedicated revenue in the form of sales tax, property transfer tax, bond, or business or lodging taxes. School districts, including community college districts, can also support permanent housing and other homeless services programming. Partnerships with districts to raise funds, especially districts who may also serve as implementation partners, can be an effective way to raise bond funds.
c. In addition, California cities with the Prohousing designation are eligible to apply and receive Prohousing Incentive Program (PIP) funding. These funds can be used to address homeless services as well as affordable housing development. With the small sizes of the five West Valley jurisdictions, it is unlikely that any of the
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jurisdictions can apply for the State’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) program funding or funds set aside for encampment removal.
This funding is often reserved for larger cities, the CoC, and Counties. d. Some cities that dissolved their redevelopment agencies (RDA) have successfully used a portion of “boomerang” funds to fund homeless services. Boomerang RDA funds are local tax increment funds that return, or "boomerang", to cities for affordable housing after the RDAs were dissolved in 2012. These funds replace the prior tax increment dollars that RDAs used to finance projects, providing a local source for affordable housing development and other programs. However, the overall amount is less than the previous RDA funding.
8. Support neighborhood health, safety, and cleanliness Address quality of life issues for the entire community by contracting with a service provider who would provide case management, outreach, sanitary services and street clean up. This could be similar to what the Cities of Sunnyvale and Santa Clara are currently providing with WeHope contracts.
9. Consider a Functional Zero Homelessness Approach
Functional zero homelessness is a concept used to establish a defined goal regarding the frequency and length of homelessness in the community. The County of Santa Clara defines functional zero as the overall homelessness response system’s ability to consistently house more unhoused families than the number of families experiencing homelessness for the first time each year, and the ability to maintain housing placements at a level sufficient to assist all families currently experiencing homelessness (i.e. those in the Community Queue). This does not mean literal zero instances of homelessness but ensuring sufficient temporary and permanent housing opportunities that are effective at preventing and quickly resolving unsheltered homelessness.
The County of Santa Clara does not include temporary shelter in how it defines meeting functional zero. While some communities define functional zero as including temporary shelter, existing when the number of people experiencing homelessness is consistently fewer than the number that can be housed within 90 days, or use other definitions, this report recommends using the County of Santa Clara definition.
ITEM NO. 15.
FEASIBILITY STUDY 41
a. Recently, the City of Redondo Beach made the news for having achieved functional zero homelessness. They still have a homeless population, but they can offer housing to those who want housing, and residents who become unhoused can be housed within 90 days of their becoming unhoused. Redondo Beach used strategies like tiny home villages, leasing hotel rooms, using existing interim and permanent housing, and collaborating with local nonprofit organizations and government entities to attain its goal.
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42 WEST VALLEY HOMELESS SERVICES JANUARY 26, 2026
List of Attachments
Attachment A: Homelessness Response Programs – Detailed Metrics Table Attachment B: Example Homelessness Response Strategy Summary Attachment C: Example Printed Resource Handouts
Attachment D: Navigation Center of San Mateo County Photos Attachment E: West Valley Homeless Services Needs Analysis Report (July 24, 2025)
ITEM NO. 15.
FEASIBILITY STUDY 43
West Valley Homeless Services
Feasibility Study
Attachment A: Homelessness Response Programs – Detailed Metrics Table Figure A-1. Homelessness Response Program Detail. Note: This table is organized by impact score, then by feasibility score. Component metrics that underly the composite impact and feasibility scores are also provided.
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44 WEST VALLEY HOMELESS SERVICES JANUARY 26, 2026
West Valley Homeless Services
Feasibility Study
Attachment B: Example Homelessness Response Strategy Summary Figure B-1. Example Homelessness Response Strategy Summary (Source: City of Mountain View)
ITEM NO. 15.
FEASIBILITY STUDY 45
West Valley Homeless Services
Feasibility Study
Attachment C: Example Printed Resource Handouts
Figure C-1. Santa Clara County Prevention System Handout Available: https://preventhomelessness.org/
Figure C-2. City of Mountain View Handout
Available: https://www.mountainview.gov/ourcity/departments/housing/homelessness
ITEM NO. 15.
46 WEST VALLEY HOMELESS SERVICES JANUARY 26, 2026
West Valley Homeless Services
Feasibility Study
Attachment D: Navigation Center of San Mateo County Photos Figures D-1 to D-3. Navigation Center of San Mateo County (Photos courtesy of San Mateo County Health Department)
ITEM NO. 15.
FEASIBILITY STUDY 47
West Valley Homeless Services
Feasibility Study
Attachment E: West Valley Homeless Services Needs Analysis Report (July 24, 2025)
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ITEM NO. 15.
REVISED TABLE BASED ON PIT COUNT REPORT
Due to an error in the Feasibility Study Table (Page 10), below are the correct percentages by West Valley Jurisdiction. (PIT COUNT REPORT; Page 19 of 60; Table 2: 2023-2025 Comparison of Point-In-Time Results by Jurisdiction) 17%
110%
-67%
NA
15%
ATTACHMENT
3
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ITEM NO. 15.
1 of 2
Resolution 2026-XXX Month, Day, 2026
RESOLUTION 2026-XXX
RESOLUTION OF THE TOWN COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS
OF INTENT TO SUPPORT PARTICIPATION IN A
WEST VALLEY HOMELESS SERVICES IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE WHEREAS, according to the most recent 2025 Point in Time Count data, the collective West Valley area has an unhoused population of 255 individuals, and the number of people experiencing homelessness in the West Valley area increased by 13 percent between 2023 and 2025.
WHEREAS, the Town of Los Gatos and the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Monte Sereno, and Saratoga (“West Valley area”) have partnered together to prepare the West Valley Homeless Services Feasibility Study (“Study”).
WHEREAS, The Study evaluates the state of homelessness in the West Valley area and includes a needs analysis that identifies unmet needs within the overall system for addressing homelessness.
WHEREAS, the Study identifies potential policy and program responses to address homelessness in the West Valley area that the five West Valley cities could collectively implement in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.
WHEREAS, the Study evaluates the impact and feasibility of implementing different policies and programs within the categories of Homelessness Prevention, Outreach and Case Management, Immediate Needs, Shelter and Parking, Interim and Transitional Housing, and Permanent Housing.
WHEREAS, A key recommendation from the Study is for the West Valley cities to develop and adopt a West Valley area homelessness response implementation plan (“Implementation Plan”) that includes an aspirational vision, clear goals and objectives, programs tailored to population segments, plans for near- and long-term outcomes, and leverages existing programs.
WHEREAS, the creation of a West Valley Homeless Services Implementation Task Force (“Task Force”) can act as a means for the West Valley cities to collaborate in developing the Implementation Plan.
WHEREAS, the Task Force is envisioned to be composed of representatives from each of the five West Valley cities and the County, along with stakeholders and service providers, supported by staff and a consultant team, and be time limited in duration.
ATTACHMENT 4
ITEM NO. 15.
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Resolution 2026-XXX Month, Day, 2026
WHEREAS, by working together on developing and implementing homeless services, the West Valley cities can potentially reduce costs and maximize efficiency and economies of scale in implementing homeless services for the unhoused.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Town Council of Los Gatos that it does hereby find, determine, resolve and order as follows:
Section 1: That it is in the best interest of the Town to join with other West Valley jurisdictions and the County in a West Valley Homeless Services Implementation Task Force to work together on developing an implementation plan for collectively addressing homelessness in the west valley area.
Section 2: That the Town Manager or their designee is hereby authorized and directed to enter into discussions regarding the formation of the Task Force and the development of a workplan and budget, and to bring back a recommendation and Memorandum of Understanding for action identifying the composition, duties, and responsibilities of the Task Force to consider for adoption by the City.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the Town Council of the Town of Los Gatos, California, held on the ____ day of _____2026, by the following vote:
COUNCIL MEMBERS:
AYES:
NAYS:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
SIGNED:
___________________________________
MAYOR OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
ATTEST:
____________________________________
TOWN CLERK OF THE TOWN OF LOS GATOS
LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
ITEM NO. 15.
PREPARED BY: Katy Nomura
Assistant Town Manager
Reviewed by: Town Manager, Town Attorney, and Administrative Services Director 110 E. Main Street Los Gatos, CA 95030 ● (408) 354-6832 www.losgatosca.gov
TOWN OF LOS GATOS
COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 04/07/2026
ITEM NO: 16
DATE: April 7, 2026
TO: Mayor and Town Council
FROM: Chris Constantin, Town Manager
SUBJECT: Approve Legislative Priorities with Regard to State, Federal, and Regional Legislation
RECOMMENDATION: Set the Town’s Strategic Priorities as the Town’s Legislative Priorities with regard to state, federal, and regional legislation.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item does not have a direct fiscal impact; however, with the current workload and resources, staff does not have the bandwidth to actively monitor or take action on legislative priorities on a regular basis.
STRATEGIC PRIORITY:
As proposed, this item addresses all of the Town’s strategic priorities.
BACKGROUND:
Every year, the Town reviews legislative priorities shortly after the Council discusses its strategic priorities. As outlined in Council Policy #2-18: Legislative Policy (Attachment 1), the Council establishes legislative priorities annually shortly after the Council discusses its Strategic Priorities. Legislative priorities would be used to support Town Council Members in discussions with legislators and to provide guidance as the Town considers which legislative proposals to take a position on. The Town Manager or the Town Attorney is authorized to prepare and issue position letters for the Mayor's signature after determining that the legislative proposal could impact the Town and that the proposed position would be in alignment with the adopted legislative priorities. While there may be many legislative proposals for which a Town position would be in alignment with the Legislative Priorities, only the most pressing proposals will be acted on and will be subject to staff capacity.
ITEM NO. 16.
PAGE 2 OF 3
SUBJECT: Legislative Priorities
DATE: April 7, 2026
In addition, the Town is a member of the League of California Cities, which actively conducts legislative advocacy on behalf of its members. The Town is also a member of the Santa Clara County Cities Association, which participates in legislative affairs.
DISCUSSION:
The Town Council has previously approved a small number of Active Priorities for staff to actively monitor and take appropriate action on (e.g., submitting position letters) as well as Passive Priorities that are not actively monitored, but still allow the Town to take action should the need become urgent and staff bandwidth allow for it. It has become apparent that with the current workload and resources, staff does not have the bandwidth to continue Active Priorities that require proactive monitoring and action. As such, it is recommended to adopt legislative priorities with the intent to support Town Council Members in discussions with legislators and to provide guidance as the Town considers which legislative proposals to take a position on as bandwidth allows.
In addition, staff proposes that the Council consider adopting the Town’s strategic priorities (Attachment 2) as the Town’s legislative priorities moving forward. This would streamline processes and allow the Town’s priorities to be consistent on all fronts. If the strategic priorities and legislative priorities were to be aligned, as long as support or opposition to legislation can be clearly tied to furthering one of the Town’s strategic priorities, the Town Manager would be able to proceed with the process to take an official legislative position as outlined in Council’s Legislative Policy. As part of this process, Council would have the opportunity to request that any legislative proposal be added to a future Council agenda prior to a position being taken.
Any proposal that falls outside of the set legislative priorities would need to be considered by the full Council prior to a position being taken. In addition, even if a proposal appears aligned with the legislative priorities, the Town Manager may exercise discretion and defer the decision on a legislative proposal to the full Council if needed.
The Town’s current legislative priorities (Attachment 3) could be encompassed and addressed under the Town’s existing strategic priorities, with the exception of some of the bill specific references, which are now outdated. Many of the legislative priorities in the past have been specific in nature, and broadening to the strategic priorities would allow the latitude to respond to a variety of legislation with the safeguards of the Council’s and the Town Manager’s ability to agendize a proposal for full Council consideration.
CONCLUSION:
Moving forward, staff recommends that the Town Council use the strategic priorities as the legislative priorities.
ITEM NO. 16.
PAGE 3 OF 3
SUBJECT: Legislative Priorities
DATE: April 7, 2026
ALTERNATIVES:
The Council could choose to set a separate list of legislative priorities that does not match the strategic priorities. This is not recommended as it would be inconsistent with the objective to focus on the Town’s strategic priorities. In addition, given the limited bandwidth for the work associated with legislative affairs, any staff work dedicated to legislation would likely already be related to the Town’s existing strategic priorities.
COORDINATION:
This report was coordinated with all Town Departments.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
This is not a project defined under CEQA, and no further action is required.
Attachments:
1. Council Policy #2-18: Legislative Policy
2. Current Town Strategic Priorities
3. Current Legislative Priorities
ITEM NO. 16.
ATTACHMENT 1
ITEM NO. 16.
ITEM NO. 16.
ITEM NO. 16.
Strategic Priorities
Top Priorities Additional Priorities
CORE GOALS: COMMUNiTY Character GOOD GOVERNANCE FISCAL STABILITY QUALITY PUBLIC INFrASTRUCTURE CIVIC Engagement PUBLIC SAFety Further the Town’s emergency preparedness, resiliency, and response capabilities, particularly in the area of wildfire risk. (Goal: Public Safety) Ensure prudent financial management to result in structurally balanced five-year forecasts and fully funded five-year Capital Improvement Plans, managing liabilities such as pension costs and leveraging the Town’s assets, efficiencies, partnerships, and revenue streams. Define and implement a cohesive deferred capital improvement program for Town facilities and lifecycle assets. (Goal:
Fiscal Stability)
Preserve the Town’s small-town charm and provide a range of housing opportunities and historic neighborhoods, while diligently maintaining and implementing the Housing Element. (Goal: Community Character) Develop structure to ensure accountability of how funding resources move forward the Town’s core goals and priorities. (Goal: Fiscal Stability) Implement transportation demand management, traffic calming, and other innovative efforts to mitigate traffic congestion and improve safety for all users, including bicycle and pedestrian improvements. (Goal: Quality Public Infrastructure)
Manage downtown parking that is easy to access and locate for residents and visitors. (Goal: Quality Public Infrastructure)
Promote sustainability practices and protect and conserve the natural environment for present and future generations. (Goal: Community Character) Foster the economic vitality of businesses in Town. (Goal: Community Character) Ensure all residents and visitors feel a sense of belonging in Los Gatos, maintaining and enhancing the Town as a welcoming, family-oriented, safe, and inclusive community. (Goal: Civic Engagement)
Continue to engage community service providers to meet the needs of older adults. (Goal: Civic Engagement)
Continue to engage community service providers to meet the individualized and complex needs of unhoused residents, while pursuing a more coordinated regional approach. (Goal: Civic Engagement)
2025 - 2027
Amended 2026
ATTACHMENT 2
ITEM NO. 16.
ATTACHMENT 3
Current Legislative Priorities:
Active Priorities:
1. Oppose California Business Roundtable Measure: This measure is slated to appear on the November 2024 ballot. It would revise the California Constitution with provisions that limit voters’ authority and input, adopt new and stricter rules for raising taxes and fees, and may make it more difficult to impose fines and penalties for violation of state and local laws. The measure puts billions of local government tax and fee revenues at risk statewide with related core public service impacts. The measure includes a provision that any taxes and fees adopted after January 1, 2022 that do not comply with the new rules are void unless reenacted. The League of California Cities recommends opposing this measure on their “Take Action” webpage (Attachment 3). The Town has already submitted a letter with an “oppose” position.
2. Monitor AB 3109 (Muratsuchi) – Theft: Existing law, the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act, enacted as an initiative statute by Proposition 47, as approved by the electors at the November 4, 2014, statewide general election, makes the theft of money, labor, or property petty theft punishable as a misdemeanor whenever the value of the property taken does not exceed $950 and grand theft when the value exceeds $950. Proposition 47 requires shoplifting, defined as entering a commercial establishment with the intent to commit larceny if the value of the property taken does not exceed $950, to be punished as a misdemeanor. The bill would, if a person has one conviction for a specified theft offense, make a second or subsequent conviction punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or 16 months, or 2 or 3 years. This bill contains other related provisions and other existing laws.
3. Clarifications regarding SB 9: The Town may want to support legislation that clarifies SB 9 lot splits and developments in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Passive Priorities:
4. Fire Protection and Insurance: Fire protection is one of the Town Council’s Strategic Priorities and the Town may want to support legislation that furthers fire protection funding and efforts that could be beneficial to the Town. Legislation to ensure the availability of fire insurance for residents could become more important if insurance becomes harder to obtain.
5. Beach Traffic: Legislation to support the Town in reducing impacts of beach cutthrough traffic could be beneficial. One possibility could involve prohibiting
ITEM NO. 16.
ATTACHMENT 3
navigation applications from directing cut-through traffic through High Fire Severity Zones on high fire risk days.
6. Protect Vehicle License Fee (VLF) and Educational Revenue Augmentation Fund (ERAF): As the State may consider how it will address future budget shortfalls, it is critical that the State not take funding from local government. In the past, these two funding sources have been redirected to the State for its own budgeting purposes.
7. Internet Sales Tax: With the exception of our Measure G district sales tax, internet sales tax goes into a pool and is distributed based on a jurisdiction’s share of the overall sales tax collected in the respective County. In contrast, the Town’s Measure G district sales tax is distributed based on the buyer’s location, yielding higher revenue for the Town. The Town may want to support changes to the general distribution of sales tax that would benefit Los Gatos.
8. Mental Health: Mental health support is important to the Los Gatos community and the Town may want to support legislation that furthers mental health through funding, emphasis in Policing, or other methods could be beneficial to the Town.
9. Housing: When effective, the Town may have interest in participating in certain housing bills.
10. Unfunded Mandates: Unfunded mandates strain the Town’s already limited resources and should be opposed.
11. Water: Support local water agency requests when beneficial to the Town.
12. Transportation – Speeding: The Town may want to support legislation to reduce speeding that could be beneficial for the Town.
13. Misuse of Artificial Intelligence in Elections: Support legislation aimed at protecting elections from misinformation and the potential misuse of artificial intelligence and deepfake technology, including SB 1228 (Padilla), AB 2839 (Pellerin), and AB 2655 (Burman).
ITEM NO. 16.