REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Study Session on the City Activity to Address an Unhoused Population: California Department of Housing and Community Development's (HCD) Project HomeKey and Provision of Basic Services for the City's Unhoused
Report
COUNCIL PILLAR
Promote and Enhance Economic, Housing and Transportation Development
BACKGROUND
The City Council held a study session on August 24, 2021 to discuss issues related to the unhoused population in Santa Clara, including homeless encampments and vehicle dwellings. The City Council provided feedback to staff, requested additional information regarding potential short-term, basic services that the City could provide to the unhoused, and inquired about the potential formation of a community Taskforce to provide input on these issues. Later at the same Council meeting, the Council deferred action on an ordinance to formally establish a Housing Commission that had been brought forward to the Council based on direction from the December 2020 Council Governance and Ethics Committee. The City Council deferred the discussion of a Homeless Taskforce to a later date to address commission membership criteria and to evaluate the duties for both the Housing Commission and Housing Taskforce to see if there would be overlap. The City Council also requested that staff return with further analysis and a potential proposal for a transitional housing project in Santa Clara, utilizing Project HomeKey, and next steps to deliver basic services to the unhoused.
DISCUSSION
The goal of the November 9 study session is to address two separate but interrelated discussion topics: 1) Updates on Project HomeKey proposals, and 2) next steps for providing short-term basic services to Santa Clara's unhoused populations. Discussion about the formation of a Housing Taskforce will occur under a separate item on the same Council agenda which will introduce an ordinance to amend Chapter 2.120, entitled Boards and Commissions, to create the Cit...
Click here for full text