Santa Clara County, home to some of the wealthiest tech companies and priciest real estate in the nation, is seeing its homeless population grow, especially in smaller, more affluent cities in the northern part of the county.
The county’s latest Point-in-Time Count report shows an overall 8% increase in homelessness since 2023, with San Jose continuing to have the largest unhoused population. Workers counted 6,503 unhoused people in San Jose, a 4% jump compared to two years ago.
Cupertino recorded the steepest rise, with its homeless population more than doubling, up 110% compared to two years ago. Palo Alto saw a 103% increase, the city of Santa Clara was up 72%, and Mountain View recorded a 56% jump…