CITY COUNCIL ACTION REQUEST
DEPARTMENT(S)
Housing
CEQA
Mitigated Negative
Declaration for the
Emergency Interim
Housing Programs
project (Resolution
No. RES2023-380),
File No. ER22-198.
COORDINATION
City Attorney’s Office;
City Manager’s Budget
Office; Departments of
Parks, Recreation,
and Neighborhood
Services; Planning,
Building, and Code
Enforcement; and
Public Works.
Director Approval
/s/
Erik L. Soliván
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S)
Citywide
CMO Approval
1/13/26
SUBJECT: Extension of the Declaration and Proclamation of a Local Emergency for the Homeless Shelter Crisis in the City of San José
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution, effective retroactively as of December 15, 2025, finding the continued existence of a homeless shelter crisis in the City of San José pursuant to, and in accordance with, the provisions of the California Government Code section 8698 et seq., and renewing the proclamation of a local emergency pursuant to, and in accordance with the provisions of California Government Code sections 8558 and 8630, the San José City Charter, and San José Municipal Code caused by conditions and threatened conditions of homelessness in the City of San José.
BASIS FOR RECOMMENDATION
Original Homeless Shelter Crisis Declaration and Proclamation
On December 8, 2015, City Council first declared a shelter crisis pursuant to California Government Code section 8698 et seq. In recognition of the ongoing impacts of homelessness, City Council subsequently declared the continuation of the shelter crisis on October 24, 2023, and, for the first time, proclaimed a local emergency caused by homelessness.
Since that time, City Council has reaffirmed the continued existence of a shelter crisis through successive actions on June 18, 2024, December 17, 2024, and most recently on June 17, 2025, each time approving extensions of the shelter crisis declaration and local emergency proclamation.
These actions reflect City Council’s determination that conditions giving rise to the shelter crisis persist and continue to warrant emergency measures.
Under the current resolution, City staff are required to return to City Council every six months with recommendations to extend the shelter crisis declaration and the proclamation of a local emergency, as necessary, to ensure that the City continues to respond effectively to the ongoing homelessness emergency.
Request to Extend the Homeless Shelter Crisis Declaration and Proclamation
The staff recommendation in this memorandum continues the homeless shelter crisis declaration and proclamation of local emergency to allow the City to use its emergency powers under state law, the City Charter, and the San José Municipal Code to streamline and expedite regulatory and procurement processes and reduce costs and timelines for developing emergency shelter and interim housing, hotel leasing, and supportive parking under the above all strategy to address the shelter crisis.
Over the past six months, the City has made significant strides in expanding supply in the shelter management system, including the following:
COUNCIL AGENDA: 1/27/26
FILE: 26-067
ITEM: 2.11
• Standing up emergency interim housing to support planned abatements. Activated the Taylor Street Navigation Hub using emergency procurement authority (56 supportive outdoor shelter spaces) and opened the Motel Program, providing 251 motel units (331 beds) across five sites. Both efforts supported 387 individuals in advance of the Columbus Park abatement. • Coordinating outreach and placements to support encampment resolution. Leveraged internal and contracted outreach teams to support encampment resolution activities at Columbus Park, Cherry Avenue, and Los Gatos Creek, resulting in hundreds of unsheltered individuals accepting interim housing placements.
• Expanding interim housing capacity. Delivered the Rue Ferrari Emergency Interim Housing site expansion and the Cherry Emergency Interim Housing site, adding 238 interim housing units with capacity to shelter up to 280 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Collectively, these efforts significantly increased emergency shelter and interim housing capacity to advance the City’s goals for addressing homelessness.
Priorities During the Extended Homeless Shelter Crisis Declaration and Proclamation
If the staff recommendation in this memorandum is approved, this will allow the City to sustain progress and overcome ongoing barriers to implementation, including focusing continued efforts to accelerate and expand the development of emergency shelter and interim housing, and supportive parking opportunities, targeting an increase in shelter bed availability and housing options specific to those exiting the waterways. Key priorities include:
• Opening remaining shelter and safe parking capacity. Bring all planned sites online to meet the City’s 705-unit target, ensuring new capacity is fully utilized and supports progress toward functional zero unsheltered homelessness.
• Stabilizing and standardizing shelter operations. Implement consistent operational, budgeting, and performance practices across all 24 interim housing sites to improve efficiency, increase utilization, and reduce costs by up to 20%.
• Strengthening outreach and engagement to increase shelter and housing placements.
Expand standardized engagement and referral tracking to improve accountability and increase placements into shelter, housing, and services. The Housing Department will continue prioritizing outreach in areas experiencing displacement pressures. • Improving forecasting, data integration, and performance oversight. Strengthen the Homeless Management Information System integration to improve inflow-outflow visibility and system-wide planning, and advance cross-departmental data integration to support standardized, site-level reporting and performance oversight of contracted shelter operators, ensuring alignment with contractual capacity expectations and tracking shelter and housing placements and system outcomes.
By prioritizing these efforts, the Housing Department will ensure that emergency shelter solutions remain central to the City's strategy for mitigating the impacts of homelessness, aligning with broader goals to achieve functional zero unsheltered homelessness while leveraging new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.
Additionally, current federal budget adjustments may also result in reduced federal and state resource allocations. This homeless shelter crisis extension enables the City to maintain flexibility in providing the necessary solutions to address any potential budget or policy shifts.
COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT
No commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.
COST AND FUNDING SOURCE
There are no costs associated with the recommended action in this memorandum.
FOR QUESTIONS CONTACT: Cupid Alexander, Deputy Director, Housing Department, at [email protected].