Santa Clara approves funding for shelter dedicated for homeless families

After years of negotiation, pushback and advocacy, Santa Clara has approved a deal to help fund a shelter project that will serve local families for decades.

“I really think this project represents an opportunity for our community and I think it really will become something that we can be proud of,” said Santa Clara Councilmember Kelly G. Cox, at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “Instead of being something to be feared, it’s something to be embraced.”

In 2022, local nonprofits and Santa Clara County first proposed converting a vacant, county-owned property towards the western edge of the city of Santa Clara into a shelter site. An earlier version of the project featured a four-story, 124 unit building that offered private shelter rooms for single adults and couples. But after community meetings drew hundreds of attendees, with many expressing concerns that the proposed shelter would bring crime and threaten public safety, the project was downsized to a three-story family-only shelter. In 2023, the city council narrowly approved negotiating an agreement with the county to help fund the operations of the shelter.

Instead of a traditional shelter with bunk beds in a common space, the approved project will host up to 36 families in private, apartment-style suites with their own kitchen, bathroom and locking door. It will also feature on-site services for the families to connect to resources such as mental healthcare, life-skills training and benefits and allow families to stay for several months if necessary.

The construction of the shelter is funded through a state program known as Homekey, and construction and operations will be managed by Santa Clara County and the homelessness nonprofit LifeMoves. In 2025, the state granted over $25 million for construction of the project, and the county entered negotiations with the city to help fund the operations of the site.

As part of the deal, the city is providing around $6.5 million over seven years to help fund shelter operations. In exchange, the county will prioritize homeless families – particularly those with children who are minors or in high school – and those families living in Santa Clara for the first 30 years of operation of the shelter. The county will also supply quarterly reports on the shelter’s performance and, along with the city and LifeMoves, host quarterly community meetings with the project.

Despite the support and the agreement, some councilmembers, particularly Councilmember Kevin Park, wanted further assurances that the site would be safe for those in and around it, remain geared toward families and that the community would have oversight of the project.

The site will have 24-hour security, prohibit outside guests and require all clients referred to the project to be checked against the sex offender registry. Additionally, staff clarified that community meetings on the project could continue beyond the terms of the agreement as long as they were deemed necessary.

Residents who spoke at the meeting overwhelmingly favored the new shelter.

“There is concern, but there is already a lot of support and a lot of need – The people who need this housing are already here,” said Santa Clara resident Betsy Megas. “Please work out the details and let’s … give families in need a place to stay.”

The shelter comes at a moment of record need for the city. The last homeless count in the city saw numbers jump from over 70% between 2023 and 2025, totaling 794 homeless individuals. At the same time, the county has over 300 homeless families on the waitlist for shelters, according to county officials.

“Behind every one of those numbers is a person, and for many, a family simply looking for a safe place to regain stability,” said Emily Ann Ramos of housing advocacy organization SV@Home. “The project … creates the stability parents need to focus on finding permanent housing, keeping a job, making sure their children can attend school, and rebuilding their lives.”

The council voted unanimously to fund the project, with all those who had initially voted against negotiating a potential agreement three years ago — Park, Mayor Lisa Gillmor and Raj Chahal — joining the council in supporting the decision.

The project is slated to break ground in late summer of this year, and expected to be ready to provide shelter for families in 2027.