With the city preparing to commit more resources to building interim housing, some elected leaders want to make sure that San Jose does not lose sight of the importance of investing in homelessness prevention as a greater number of families, including children, become unhoused every day.
Despite the city’s plans to add more than 1,400 placements to its shelter system this year, District 2 Councilmember Pamela Campos, who represents several neighborhoods in South San Jose, said its efforts have often overlooked the impact on families with children. Only one of the city’s interim housing communities serves that dynamic at a time when at least 2,200 local students are experiencing homelessness and 30% of people living along city waterways are single mothers with children.
But along with providing more housing for families, Campos has argued for more resources toward homelessness prevention.She noted it has proven to be a more cost-effective method for keeping residents on their feet and off the streets, and could be more critical as funding cuts to housing and social welfare programs threaten to add to the city and region’s homeless epidemic…