Each year, more than 20,000 people have an episode of homelessness in Santa Clara County. Homelessness is an extreme manifestation of poverty characterized by not having a residence. Homelessness occurs for a variety of reasons and can last for short or long periods of time.

Anyone is at Risk

Homelessness has no set profile. Individuals, families and children are homeless. The homeless include those who hold jobs and those who are unemployed. The homeless can include those with drug and alcohol dependencies, the disabled and the mentally ill, but not all people experiencing homelessness live with these conditions.

Of the 20,000 people who experience homelessness annually in Silicon Valley, 25% are under the age of 18. Families make up 41% of the homeless population and are the fastest growing segment.

Individual Causes

Lack of affordable housing and financial instability are the two main causes of homelessness. However, many factors can contribute to each individual situation. These factors include unemployment, underemployment or loss of a job, flight from domestic violence, or illness.

People become homeless for a wide variety of reasons. Each person’s story is different, and we need a wide variety of flexible solutions to address those different situations. For some, a small intervention can quickly move them back into a stable position. People with serious disabilities or chronic conditions need a different, and sometimes longer-term, type of service.

Many Solutions are Needed

Neighborhoods succeed when everyone has a decent place to live. When people can put down roots in the community with confidence, our whole community benefits.

We need comprehensive solutions that match people with the right kind of help. Long-term supportive services, transitional housing, and permanently affordable homes are all important parts of the package.

Long-term supportive housing is cost effective. In California, affordable supportive housing could save more than $9,000 a year per person in health care, emergency and shelter resources.

Everyone deserves a decent place to live. A one-size-fits-all approach to homelessness cannot end the problem; we must tailor the solution to each individual’s situation to ensure that no member of our community ends up on the streets.

Learn more

These sites offer more information about homelessness, its affect on the community, and the work being done about homelessness from a variety of different perspectives.

Related Links

• National Alliance to End Homelessness
• National Coalition for the Homeless
• National Low Income Housing Coalition
• Corporation for Supportive Housing
• National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
• National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
• National Housing Institute
• HelpUSA
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness

“You can’t end homelessness with rhetoric. It takes collaboration, innovation…and imagination. Ending homelessness requires creation as well as commotion.”