Homeless Helpline: 408.510.7600. This phone number has a 24 hour voicemail.
Please click on link below to e-mail the Downtown San Jose Outreach Program.
The goal of the Downtown Street Outreach and Engagement Program is to provide targeted outreach to homeless individuals living in the City of San José’s downtown core, as well as homeless encampments immediately adjacent to downtown. The program strives to build trust and provide supportive services to homeless residents in the downtown core, with the goal of permanent housing and stability. The Team consists of a senior case manager and two part time peer- outreach workers who have had personal experiences with homelessness in San Jose.
In the past year, the Downtown Street Outreach and Engagement program has placed 46 chronically homeless individuals in permanent housing. Over 3,000 connections have been made in the last year. Case management has been provided on a first and last name basis to over 243 chronically homeless individuals and 93 of these individuals have have received supportive services in the past 90 days.
On the street, the Outreach Team offers basic needs such as food, clothing, hygiene, and safe sex materials; along with transportation help for obtaining identification; referrals to various county resources; and temporary shelter. The Outreach program has 5 beds set aside for individuals interested in more intensive assistance with getting into permanent housing (more details below). The Outreach Team also operates a homeless helpline to assist community members in the downtown core with any issues related to homelessness.
The program connects homeless individuals who currently do not access, or do not know about emergency shelter and supportive services that are available to them, to services. Outreach services are geared toward linking homeless individuals to services such as shelters, public benefits, medical services, and housing assistance.
The program connects homeless individuals in the core of San Jose with services including:
- Emergency housing
- Food
- Case management
- Legal assistance
- housing search
- Education enrollment
- Medical care
- Rental assistance
- Employment programs
During outreach sessions, case managers, and outreach workers provide outreach case management to homeless clients and basic needs assessments are conducted. Senior Case Managers and Peer Outreach Workers act as liaisons between homeless clients and other service and homeless providers. On a case-by-case basis the program provides transportation assistance to assist clients in accessing services at the Boccardo Reception Center.
As mentioned above, the Downtown San Jose Outreach Program also provides clients who are willing to move off the streets with emergency shelter. The program has a 5-bed capacity reserved at EHC LifeBuilders’ Boccardo Reception Center emergency shelter site. Clients housed at the shelter receive two hot meals per day in addition to the supportive services they receive on site. Clients can have direct access to additional supportive services that link them to permanent housing, such as intensive case management, housing search assistance, transportation, job search assistance, medical care, mental health care, shelter, meals, and various other types of assistance. Moreover, Downtown Outreach clients housed in emergency shelter can receive additional case management from Downtown Outreach staff.
The program provides a hotline for the community to request assistance for the homeless on the streets. Project staff will provide assistance and response to calls for assistance within one business day.
In addition to the services provided by EHC and the Outreach Team, the progam collaborates with The County, Momentum Mental Health, Bill Wilson Center, Innvision, Downtown Streets Team, Catholic Charities, Groundwerx, and the Housing 1,000 campaign. We have used our reputation to locate and connect Housing 1000 caseworkers with clients in downtown San Jose.
The Outreach team can be found in the core of downtown San Jose Monday through Friday, 9am-12pm.
Click here to download the Downtown San Jose Outreach Program flyer.
Contact
Homeless Helpline: 408.510.7600. This phone number has a 24 hour voicemail.
Please click on link below to e-mail the Downtown San Jose Outreach Program.
