@HomeFirstServices @HomeFirstServices_SCC @HomeFirstServices www.homefirstscc.org June 16, 2025
The Honorable Mayor & Council
200 E. Santa Clara St.
San José, CA 95113
RE: Support Memorandum from Councilmembers Campos, Cohen, Ortiz, and Candelas related to the Final Adoption of Ordinances
Honorable City of San Jose Mayor & Council,
On behalf of HomeFirst, I am writing in support of the June 13, 2025 memo authored by Councilmembers Campos, Cohen, Ortiz, and Candelas related to the Final Adoption of Ordinances—including Ordinance No. 31218 and No. 31223.
HomeFirst is a leading provider of shelter, services, and housing opportunities for residents of the Northern California Bay Area who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. We impact more than 10,000 individuals each year through a person-centered continuum of services, which includes prevention, outreach, shelter, interim and permanent housing, behavioral health, and systems management.
As written, these ordinances pose significant risks to our neighbors experiencing homelessness and to our collective effort toward ending homelessness.
Ordinance 31223 - A blanket prohibition against using “any recreational vehicle for living or sleeping quarters on any str
eet, alley, or city-owned premises within the city, between the hours of 9 P.M. and 6 A.M” will inevitably lead to increased instances of relocation, service disruption, negative health outcomes, and literal street-based homelessness.
Vehicles can offer critical protection during inclement weather. For those with pre-existing medical conditions, exposure to extreme heat, cold, or damp conditions can severely worsen their health—and in some cases, lead to hospitalization or death. The negative impact of this ordinance on vulnerable members of our community cannot be overstated.
Ordinance 31218 - Enforcement-based approaches erode trust with outreach services. Citations, arrests, and vehicle impoundments can be traumatizing and life-altering. Such experiences impede people’s path toward permanent housing and make it far more difficult for outreach teams to build rapport and support long-term stability.
The recommended clarification to this ordinance provides much needed focus that diminishes some of the harm associated with overly broad enforcement-based approaches to street-based homelessness.
To ensure the efficacy of our crisis response system and to protect the people we serve, we urge the Council to support the recommendations put forward in this memo.
@HomeFirstServices @HomeFirstServices_SCC @HomeFirstServices www.homefirstscc.org Sincerely,
Kell
Chief Operating Officer
Los Angeles/Long Beach
Orange County
San Diego County
San Jose/Santa Clara County
Santa Barbara/Central Coast
www.epath.org
June 16, 2025
The Honorable Councilmember Pamela Campos
City of San José
200 E Santa Clara Street
San José, CA 95113
Re: Council Agenda Item #2.2
Dear Councilmember Campos:
On behalf of PATH, I would like to convey our concern about the so-called “vanlording” ordinance in item #2.2, which we find to be broad and punitive. We appreciate and support the practical and compassionate amendment being proposed by you, Councilmember Cohen, Councilmember Candelas and Councilmember Ortiz.
While we understand the rationale behind the “vanlording” ordinance, this proposal would unfairly target vulnerable people who have nearly nothing, except their vehicle. With the current dearth of afford able housing and shelter options, many people choose to stick to the relative safety of their vehicle.
At the end of the day, PATH doesn’t want to see people living on the street or in their vehicles, but the current system does not have the capacity to help these individuals. We should not be penalizing the m for the failure of the system. On any given day, over 90% of the unhoused individuals we interact with cannot access shelter, despite a desire to accept that or other lifesaving solutions.
We appreciate the amendment that you and the aforementioned Councilmembers have put forward on this ordinance, and remain eager to work with you and City staff to ensure its success, if passed.
If there is an opportunity to continue this conversation, please reach out to our Senior Director of Public Policy, Zach Schlagel at or via phone at .
Respectfully,
Jennifer Hark Dietz
Chief Executive Officer
PATH