TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Erik L. Soliván
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: April 27, 2026
Approved
Date:
5/5/26
COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide
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 June 15, 2026, declaring the continued existence of a homeless shelter crisis in the City of San José pursuant to California Government Code section 8698 et seq., and renewing for a 12‑month period the proclamation of a local emergency pursuant to California Government Code sections 8558 and 8630, the San José City Charter, and the San José Municipal Code, due to conditions and threatened conditions of homelessness within the City of San José.
SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
The staff recommendation continues both the homeless shelter crisis declaration and the proclamation of a local emergency, enabling the City to exercise emergency powers under state law, the City Charter, and the San José Municipal Code. These authorities allow the City to streamline regulatory and procurement processes, reducing costs and timelines for developing emergency shelter, interim housing, hotel leasing, and supportive parking as part of the City’s comprehensive strategy to address the shelter crisis.
Over the past six months, the City has made significant progress in expanding capacity within the shelter management system while beginning to shift toward long-term sustainability and program optimization. Key accomplishments include:
• Expanding emergency interim housing to support planned abatements. The City activated 22 shelter sites, providing 2,150 beds during the period of this COUNCIL AGENDA: 5/19/26
FILE: 26-580
ITEM: 2.14
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 27, 2026
Subject: Extension of the Declaration and Proclamation of a Local Emergency for the Homeless Shelter Crisis in the City of San José
declaration, including a Motel Program that now provides 251 motel units (331 beds) across five sites.
• Coordinating outreach and connecting individuals to placements that support successful encampment resolution. Internal and contracted outreach teams supported encampment resolution efforts, helping connect unsheltered individuals to interim housing and advancing the City’s ongoing work to reduce unsheltered homelessness.
• Expanding and strengthening interim housing capacity. The City most recently opened Cerone Interim Housing Community, adding 400 interim housing units with capacity to shelter up to 480 individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Collectively, these efforts have significantly increased emergency shelter and interim housing capacity, advancing the City’s goals for addressing homelessness.
BACKGROUND
On December 8, 2015, the City Council declared a shelter crisis pursuant to California Government Code section 8698 et seq. In response to the ongoing impacts of homelessness, the City Council reaffirmed the shelter crisis on October 24, 2023, and, for the first time, proclaimed a local emergency caused by homelessness.
Since then, the City Council has continued to affirm the existence of a shelter crisis through subsequent actions on June 18, 2024; December 17, 2024; June 17, 2025; and most recently on December 15, 2025. Each action extended both the shelter crisis declaration and the local emergency proclamation, reflecting the City Council’s determination that the conditions giving rise to the crisis persist and continue to require emergency measures.
Under the current resolution, City staff must return to the City Council every six months with recommendations to extend the shelter crisis declaration and the local emergency proclamation. Given the ongoing nature of the homelessness emergency and the operational efficiencies gained through longer planning horizons, staff recommends that the City Council authorize a 12‑month extension period in lieu of the current six‑month cadence to ensure continuity and support more effective implementation of emergency response efforts.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 27, 2026
Subject: Extension of the Declaration and Proclamation of a Local Emergency for the Homeless Shelter Crisis in the City of San José
ANALYSIS
Priorities During the Extended Homeless Shelter Crisis Declaration and Proclamation
If the staff recommendation in this memorandum is approved, the City will be able to sustain its progress and address ongoing implementation challenges. Approval will allow staff to continue accelerating the provision of:
• 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.
As part of its continued 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. In addition, recent federal budget adjustments may result in reduced federal and state resource allocations. Extending the homeless shelter crisis declaration will allow the City to maintain the flexibility needed to respond effectively to potential budgetary or policy shifts and to continue delivering essential solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
No additional follow-up action with the City Council is expected at this time.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 27, 2026
Subject: Extension of the Declaration and Proclamation of a Local Emergency for the Homeless Shelter Crisis in the City of San José
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, City Manager’s Budget Office, Parks, Recreation, and Neighborhood Services Department, Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement Department, and Public Works Department.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City Council Agenda website for May 19, 2026 City Council meeting.
BOARD, COMMISSION, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT
No board, commission, or committee recommendation or input is associated with this action.
CEQA
Mitigated Negative Declaration for the Emergency Interim Housing Programs project and Addenda thereto, adopted October 24, 2023 (Resolution No. RES2023-380), File No. ER22-198.
PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING
This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution.
/s/
Erik L. Soliván
Housing Director
For questions, please contact Vanessa Butera, Interim Division Manager, Housing Department, at [email protected].