Larry Klein
Mayor
Murali Srinivasan
Vice Mayor
Russ Melton
Councilmember
Alysa Cisneros
Councilmember
Omar Din
Councilmember
Richard Mehlinger
Councilmember
Linda Sell
Councilmember
August 13, 2024
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
70 W. Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110
VIA Email: [email protected]
RE: North County Shelter Stakeholder
Outreach Plan (Meeting Date 8/13/2024,
Agenda Item #26, #120574) - REQUEST
Dear Board of Supervisors:
On behalf of the City of Sunnyvale, we respectfully request the Board to direct the Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) to continue to conduct stakeholder engagement beyond the end of the calendar year. The ongoing effort will be to gather feedback from North County cities, interested groups, organizations, and individuals regarding the impacts relating to the transition of the shelter to families with minor children and loss of adult shelter beds in North County. County staff would then return to the Board in mid-2025 with options for consideration regarding collaboration with partner agencies.
Additionally, we request the Board provide direction to staff aimed at minimizing the impacts of the transition on the current occupants of the shelter and the surrounding communities. This could include the provision of supportive services to help individuals in securing new shelter and housing opportunities.
Consistent with our previous request, this dialogue should be informed by clearly presented data regarding the population currently being served, including information about where current and previous clients are from, and where they go once they have left the shelter. Such data is critical to ensure that transition plans appropriately address regional shelter needs.
The City of Sunnyvale places a high priority on supporting our unhoused community through our participation in the Santa Clara County Continuum of Care, our continued support of local homeless service providers, and our City Council’s prioritization of unhoused study issues year after year (Policy HE-5.6). The City also continues to Attachment 1
Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors
August 13, 2024
implement various policies and programs aimed at providing housing at a variety of affordability levels for residents of all incomes.
We are genuinely concerned about the reduction in adult shelter beds in North County, and its potential impact on North County cities and are eager to coordinate with the County on this critical issue. We encourage the Board to direct staff to report back to the Board in mid-2025, with options for consideration regarding collaboration with partner agencies to achieve a net zero reduction in shelter beds for single adults in North County to Agenda Item 26. North County Shelter Stakeholder Outreach Plan.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or Trudi Ryan, Director of Community Development, at [email protected], if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Larry Klein
Mayor
cc: James R. Williams, Santa Clara County Executive
Sunnyvale City Council
Tim Kirby, Interim City Manager
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Connie Verceles, Deputy City Manager
Trudi Ryan, Director of Community Development
Attachment 1