County of Santa Clara
Office ofSupportiveHousing
150 W. Tasman Drive, San Jose, CA 95134
(408) 278-6400 Main
(669) 220-1444 Fax
Board of Supervisors: Sylvia Arenas, Betty Duong, Otto Lee, Susan Ellenberg, Margaret Abe-Koga County Executive: James R. Williams
TO:
Mountain View City Council
City of Mountain View
500 Castro Street
Mountain View, CA 94043
Cc: Parneet Dhindsa, Human Services Manager
FROM:
KJ Kaminski
Director of the Office of Supportive Housing
150 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA
RE: SUPPORT FOR INCREASING SAFE PARKING CAPACITY AT LOT B Dear City Councilmembers,
Since 2017, the County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) has been proud to partner with the City of Mountain View (City) to build and sustain a robust Safe Parking program. This partnership has been essential in responding to the needs of residents who are living in vehicles, particularly in Mountain View, which continues to have one of the highest concentrations of individuals living in vehicles in the county, as reflected in recent Point ‑ in ‑ Time count data. As such, the need for continued Safe Parking options in the county and region remains critical.
Over the years, OSH has worked closely with the City to refine and strengthen the program, ensuring it remains effective and responsive to participant needs. In Fiscal Year 2024-25, approximately 40% of the participants who exited the program went on to a permanent housing destination. Safe Parking provides a unique opportunity to meet people where they are. Through required case management and consistent engagement, participants become familiar with available resources and are more willing to take the next step toward long ‑ term housing stability.
The Safe Parking program—and the Shoreline Lot B site in particular—fills a uniquely important role in the north County region. Increasing both safe parking and commuter vehicle parking capacity ensures that overall safe parking capacity remains despite the upcoming closure of the Docusign Envelope ID: 000AAA59-CA80-4193-865C-36FB1C56370F Attachment 5
Evelyn safe parking site for affordable housing development. While participants regularly transition into and out of Safe Parking, utilization in Mountain View has remained consistently high, with more than 90% of available safe parking spaces at Mountain View sites occupied on any given day. The proposed increase in safe parking capacity at Shoreline Lot B reflects nearly a decade of lessons learned. It incorporates thoughtful operational planning for safety, security, and services, while recognizing the importance of accommodating commuter vehicles to support participants’ access to employment and education. It is a well ‑ considered approach that both the County and the City can be proud of. Pending funding availability, the County remains committed to continuing to manage operations, including contracting with qualified service providers, as we have throughout the lifespan of this program. We look forward to sustaining this partnership and ensuring that Mountain View residents in need continue to have access to safe, stable, and supportive parking options. Thank you for your continued partnership and thoughtful consideration of this capacity increase.
Sincerely,
Kathryn (KJ) Kaminski
Director, County of Santa Clara Office of Supportive Housing Docusign Envelope ID: 000AAA59-CA80-4193-865C-36FB1C56370F