San Jose, San Francisco Mayors Announce Plans to Bolster Homelessness Efforts

The Bay Area Council joined a spirited San José City Council meeting last night (Mar 18) to support Mayor Matt Mahan’s proposal requiring unsheltered homeless residents to accept shelter offers. This initiative aims to help San José achieve “functional zero” unsheltered homelessness, where homelessness becomes a rare and short-term occurrence rather than the persistent crisis it is today. About one-third of unsheltered residents, often those grappling with mental health and substance use disorders, repeatedly decline shelter offers, even when new non-congregate housing is available.

San José is aggressively expanding its interim housing capacity, supported by Bay Area Council-sponsored legislation like SB 1395 (Becker). Under Mayor Mahan’s “Responsibility to Shelter” policy, which was approved in a 7-4 vote, individuals who refuse three shelter offers within 18 months may face misdemeanor trespassing charges, enabling the city to better connect high-needs individuals with life-saving care provided by the county. This decision was part of a broader budget action allocating $225 million in capital funding and $234 million in annual operating expenses to combat homelessness through expanded housing options and streamlined permitting for new developments.

Read the Council’s support letter here >>

The action came just a day after San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie signed an executive order to reform the city’s homelessness, drug addiction and mental health services, a move the Council wholeheartedly supports. The reforms seek to consolidate unwieldy, fragmented and ineffectual bureaucracies and bring greater accountability for how funding is deployed.

The Bay Area Council is also collaborating with Senator Becker, Mayor Mahan, and other partners on statewide legislation to establish “functional zero unsheltered homelessness” as a policy goal. Stay tuned for more updates on this effort. Public officials have a responsibility to safeguard public health and safety—including for those facing immense personal challenges. We commend Mayor Mahan and the San José City Council for taking this bold and necessary step forward.