DATE:
June 9, 2026
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
City Manager’s Office
TITLE: Annual Homeless Response Contracts
and Shelter Crisis Resolution
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Authorizing the City Manager or Designee to Execute Fiscal Year 202 6-27 Funding Agreement s with the Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills for Housing - Related Services in an Amount Not to Exceed One Hundred Seventy-Seven Thousand Dollars ($177,000), and for a Homeless Prevention Direct Financial Assistance Program in an Amount Not to Exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000), to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
2. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Amending Resolution No. 18301 to Extend the Declaration of a Shelter Crisis in the City of Mountain View Through June 30, 2035, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 2 to the Council report).
BACKGROUND
This Council report focuses on actions related to implementing the Pathways to Housing - Homeless Response Strategy Implementation and Expenditure Plan, which Council adopted on June 10, 2025.
Partnership with CSA
As the designated safety net provider and the City’s official resource hub for unhoused and unstably housed residents, the Community Services Agency of Mountain View, Los Altos, and Los Altos Hills ( CSA) has partnered with the City on a variety of programs and services to help residents in need of assistance, including, but not limited to, case management, housing information, problem-solving resources, referrals, outreach, and direct financial assistance.
Annual Homeless Response Contracts and Shelter Crisis Resolution June 9, 2026
Shelter Crisis Resolution
On March 19, 2019, the Council adopted Resolution No. 18301, which declared a shelter crisis.
The shelter crisis declaration was extended on June 9, 2020 by Resolution No. 18462, and further extended on June 30, 2022 by Resolution No. 18682 and June 30, 2024 by Resolution No. 18897, with an expiration of June 30, 2026. This declaration has provided the City more opportunity and flexibility to work with the County of Santa Clara (County) and community -based organizations to support individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly in creating safe parking lots for individuals and families living in vehicles. At the time , staff noted that an extension of the declaration would be considered given the ongoing nature of the regional homelessness crisis.
Since the original declaration in March 2019 and subsequent extensions, the City has funded, supported, and implemented several elements within the County of Santa Clara Supportive Housing System, including but not limited to basic needs, outreach and case management, safe parking, emergency shelter, interim housing, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. Nevertheless, the need for temporary sheltering remains great in Mountain View and the region.
ANALYSIS
Funding Agreement with CSA for Case Management, Focused Outreach and Assessments, and Providing a Portable Restroom for Service Delivery Needs
As the designated safety net provider and the City’s resource hub for unhoused and unstably housed residents, CSA provides outreach and homeless prevention services to unhoused and unstably housed residents, including case management, housing information and problem - solving resources, and referrals.
Starting in 2017, the City has contributed $60,000 each year, which the County has matched for a combined total of $120,000, to fund a portion of three case management staff salaries. Due to County procurement limitations, the $60,000 matching grant has not been available since Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23. In order to maintain service levels of housing problem-solving and referral and case management services, at the June 14, 2022, June 27, 2023, June 11, 2024, and June 24, 2025 City Council meetings, Counci l authorized annual funding agreements with CSA to include continued City funding of $60,000 with an additional $60,000 commitment from the City, funded from $120,000 in grants provided to the City by Destination: Home for housing problem -solving and referral and case management services.
For FY 2023-24, FY 2024-25, and FY 2025-26, Council authorized an additional $42,000 from the Destination: Home grants for focused outreach to individuals living in vehicles to help them enter the queue for supportive housing opportunities. This resulted in an agreement with CSA totaling $162,000 for Fiscal Year 2023-24.
Annual Homeless Response Contracts and Shelter Crisis Resolution June 9, 2026
For FY 2024-25 and FY 2025 -26, an additional $15,000 from limited -period Human Services Division funds was used to fund a portable restroom located at the CSA facility to support continued service delivery . This has resulted in an agreement with CSA in a total amount of $177,000 since FY 2024-25.
Staff recommends Council authorize the City Manager or designee to execute an agreement with CSA for housing problem -solving services, housing information, and referral case management services in the amount of $120,000, focused outreach and assessments fo r individuals living in vehicles in the amount of $42,000, and facilitation of a portable restroom for service delivery needs in the amount of $15,000, for a total agreement amount not to exceed $177,000 for FY 2026-27.
Grant Agreement with CSA for a Homeless Prevention Direct Financial Assistance Program
On June 10, 2025, the City Council adopted the Pathways to Housing, which includes Council’s direction to explore a new Homeless Prevention Emergency Direct Financial Assistance Program, with CSA as the Emergency Assistance Network provider, modeled after the successful programs during the COVID- 19 pandemic. The program is for extremely low-income households who are unable to pay for their housing by providing one-time discretionary funding, which can be utilized for, but is not limited to, maintaining housing (e.g. , rent, mortgage, utilities), assistance with vehicle repairs, transportation access, medical, dental and eye care , and other challenging costs due to unforeseen circumstances. A preliminary recommendation to develop the program is included at a cost of $100,000.
On February 24, 2026, as part of the FY 2025-26 midyear budget adjustments, Council adopted Resolution No. 19070, which approved an additional $50,000 for the program, for a total amount not to exceed $150,000.
Staff recommends Council authorize the City Manager or designee to execute an agreement with CSA for a homeless prevention direct financial assistance program in an amount not to exceed $150,000 for FY 2026-27.
Amendment for Extension of Shelter Crisis Resolution
A shelter crisis declaration authorizes the provision of emergency housing on City -owned or controlled property and suspends state and local housing, health, and safety standards to the extent that strict compliance would hinder mitigation of the shelter crisis. The City may, in place of such standards, enact municipal health and safety standards to apply during the shelter crisis, so long as those standards meet minimum public health and safety requirements . In addition, state law provides the City with immunity from ordinary negligence in the provision of emergency housing. Furthermore, continuing the declaration will enable the continuation of a streamlined process for the safe parking program, since when a shelter crisis is declared, an administrative Police Department permit is required, with an exemption from the Conditional Use Permit process.
Annual Homeless Response Contracts and Shelter Crisis Resolution June 9, 2026
According to the Santa Clara County 2025 Point -in-Time Count , there were 3,697 temporary housing beds in the county, despite the number of people experiencing homelessness being nearly three times that amount, at 10,711 individuals. Given the large gap between the number of available shelter beds and the number of unhoused individuals throughout the region, extending the shelter crisis declaration until June 30 , 2035, provides additional time to make progress in addressing the regional homelessness and affordable housing crises while aligning with both the seven to 10-year implementation timeline of the Pathways to Housing and the January 1, 2036 timeline for the State of California’s shelter crisis declaration.
Staff recommends Council authorize the City Manager or designee to extend the declaration of a shelter crisis until June 30, 2035.
FISCAL IMPACT
Funding in the amount of $177,000 for CSA is included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Recommended Budget, which is scheduled for City Council consideration as part of the budget adoption process on June 23, 2026.
The $177,000 agreement with CSA has historically been funded by one-time, limited-period funds. Consistent with the recommendations in the Pathways to Housing strategy, staff is transitioning existing homelessness -related initiatives to more sustainable ongoing funding sources as funding becomes available . This transition will occur incrementally and is consistent with Council's recent approval to fund ongoing safe parking program operations from the Shoreline Regional Park Community Fund.
For Fiscal Year 2025-26, funding in the amount of $150,000 was included in the Adopted Budget, consisting of $65,000 in unprogrammed General Housing Fund resources and $85,000 from the General Non -Operating Fund in the City Manager’s Office. Pathways to Housing includes a recommendation that the program be an ongoing new homeless initiative, funded with ongoing sources. New homelessness initiatives will also be phased in depending on budget availability.
No additional appropriations are being requested at this time.
LEVINE ACT
California Government Code Section 84308 (also known as the Levine Act) prohibits city officials from participating in any proceeding involving a “license, permit, or other entitlement for use” if the official has received a campaign contribution exceeding $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant within the last 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to- play-limits-and-prohibitions.html
Annual Homeless Response Contracts and Shelter Crisis Resolution June 9, 2026
Please see below for information about whether the recommended action for this agenda item is subject to or exempt from the Levine Act.
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
☒ Contract or franchise agreement
ALTERNATIVES
1. Modify or do not approve the funding for the housing-related services agreement with the CSA, which would impact the number of unhoused residents receiving the following existing services by CSA: housing problem -solving, referrals, case management, outreach services, and access to a portable restroom as of July 1, 2026.
2. Modify or do not approve the funding for the direct financial assistance agreement with the CSA, which would impact the amount of financial assistance for eligible extremely low - income households.
3. Do not approve the extension of the shelter crisis declaration, which could affect expedited access and use of new and future State homelessness resources, and increase the administrative burden on staff and the safe parking operator to apply for and receive approval for a Conditional Use Permit.
4. Provide other direction.
PUBLIC NOTICING
Agenda posting and a copy of the report was sent to Santa Clara County representatives, CSA, the Coordinating Together Network, and the Pathways to Housing Advisory Committee.
Prepared by:
Parneet Dhindsa
Human Services Manager
Reviewed by:
Kimberly S. Thomas
Deputy City Manager
Approved by:
Audrey D. Seymour
Assistant City Manager
Attachments: 1. Resolution – Funding Agreements with CSA
2. Resolution – Extend Declaration of Shelter Crisis