City Council Meeting
Draft Minutes
Study Session
Regional Partnership, Local Action
A Holistic Study Session About the Homelessness
Crisis in San José
Thursday, March 28, 2024
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM
LOCATION:
Council Chambers - 200 E. Santa Clara Street
MATT MAHAN, MAYOR
ROSEMARY KAMEI, DISTRICT 1
SERGIO JIMENEZ, DISTRICT 2
OMAR TORRES, DISTRICT 3
DAVID COHEN, DISTRICT 4
PETER ORTIZ, DISTRICT 5
DEV DAVIS, DISTRICT 6
BIEN DOAN, DISTRICT 7
DOMINGO CANDELAS, DISTRICT 8
PAM FOLEY, DISTRICT 9
ARJUN BATRA, DISTRICT 10
• Call to Order and Roll Call
1:44 p.m. – Study Session - Regional Partnership, Local Action – A Holistic Study Session About the Homelessness Crisis in San José
Present: Council Members - Mahan, Kamei, Torres, Cohen, Ortiz, Doan, Candelas, Foley, Batra.
Absent: Council Members - Jimenez, Davis.
Staff: City Manager, Jennifer Maguire; City Attorney, Nora Frimann; City Clerk, Toni Taber; and Deputy City Clerk, Daniel Aguilar.
CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSIONS
Purpose: To provide the Mayor and City Council with insights about the range of local and regional efforts to address the homelessness crisis in San José, describe successes and challenges, hear directly from people with lived experience of homelessness, and provide information about initiatives and future planning.
Outcome: The Mayor and City Council will have a holistic view of the homelessness crisis and future initiatives to prevent and end homelessness and the management of its impacts.
1. Introduction
Jennifer Maguire, City Manager, City Manager's Office; Jennifer Loving, Chief Executive Officer of Destination Home; and Rosalynn Hughey, Deputy City Manager, City Manager's Office offered a brief overview, introduction, and purpose of the study session.
The Community Plan to End Homelessness was presented, including key initiatives since 2020.
2. Regional and County of Santa Clara Context – The Role of Key Regional Partners
Jennifer Loving, Chief Executive Officer of Destination Home; Consuelo Hernandez, Director, Santa Clara County’s Office of Supportive Housing; and Preston Prince, Executive Director, Santa Clara County Housing Authority offered this portion of the presentation and responded to Council questions.
3. City of San José Housing Department - Understanding our Service and Advice Role
Ragan Henninger, Deputy Director, Housing Department offered this portion of the presentation and responded to Council questions.
4. Service Providers – Understanding Success and Reality:
Paul Simpson, Chief Financial Officer of LifeMoves offered this portion of the presentation and responded to Council questions.
• Vignette #1 – Working with Heart: Service provider staff in the community will share a story from their life serving unhoused members of the community
Gabriel Lopez, Outreach Program Manager at HomeFirst; and Jessie Lachuga, Services Outreach Program at HomeFirst spoke to the services provided, their understanding of success, and realities.
5. The Breadth and Value of Lived Experience – Hear My Voice:
• Vignette #2 – A Short Story from a Vehicle Resident
Amanda Hampton and Thomas Knight spoke to this portion of the study session regarding their lived experience.
6. City of San José Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department - Addressing Impacts on People
Jon Cicirelli, Director, Parks, Recreation, & Neighborhood Services offered this presentation and responded to Council questions.
Abatements by Council District since 2022 were presented, statistics on street trash and waterways trash service, and the changing legal landscape around abatements.
7. Closing Remarks
Omar Passons, Deputy City Manager, City Manager's Office offered the closing remarks for the study session.
Councilmember Peter Ortiz acknowledged the importance of hearing Lived Experience testimony.
Councilmember Arjun Batra expressed concerns over crime in local encampments.
Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei addressed the challenges staff face with solving the housing crisis,
Councilmember Domingo Candelas raised questions regarding working partners, including Valley Water.
Mayor Matt Mahan opened the floor for public comments.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Public Comment: Tyler West and Christopher West offered public testimony pertaining to the study session.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Matt Mahan adjourned the Study Session at 4:33 p.m.
Minutes Recorded, Prepared and Respectfully Submitted by, ____________________________________
Daniel Aguilar
Deputy City Clerk, City of San José
Approved at Council on:
# of Actions: 0
Attest by:
____________________________________
Toni J. Taber, CMC
City Clerk, City of San José
yj:ssmin2024032
8/19/2025