This past Affordable Housing Month, we partnered with United Way Bay Area to bring our community together for a special screening of Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness—a powerful documentary that shows us what’s possible when evidence-based solutions meet courageous public leadership. Across cities nationwide, the film spotlights real progress in reducing homelessness, reminding us that this crisis is solvable, and the tools are already in our hands.
Beyond the Bridge takes viewers on a journey through real-life stories of those affected by the intertwined housing and homelessness crises and the changemakers working toward solutions. As communities across the country grapple with housing affordability and increasing threats to funding at the federal level, this film and the filmmakers behind it call on all of us to think boldly, act compassionately, and work together to make a meaningful difference.
Collaboration in Action
One of the film’s most resonant themes is the importance of collaboration. Whether it’s nonprofits joining forces with local electeds, or business leaders advocating alongside community organizers, the message is clear: lasting solutions are built together.
Solving homelessness is a community effort.
Don Sawyer, Filmmaker
Our post-screening panel was a local reflection of that spirit, bringing together leaders from the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing, the San José Housing Department, the Santa Clara County Housing Authority, and key nonprofit partners. These organizations are showing what’s possible when we align strategies and collectively support the solutions we know are proven to work.
We have seen how successful we can be when everyone is at the table supporting the proven solutions we know work. In 2016 we collectively passed the Measure A housing bond that is on track to fund more than 5,800 units, exceeding its initial goal. Over 6,000 people are home now thanks to our Measure A funded developments. We have to keep going.
Ray Bramson, Destination: Home COO
Leadership that Makes a Difference
The film also makes it clear that while collaboration is essential, it must be matched with strong public leadership that looks beyond political wins. Lasting change requires elected officials who are willing to act decisively, invest in proven solutions, and prioritize the needs of their most vulnerable constituents.
Marc Eichenbaum, Special Assistant to the Mayor of Houston for Homeless Initiatives, highlights this balance in the film:
The secret sauce in Houston: data-driven best practices of Housing First, working together as a collaborative system, having a really strong lead agency, and community partners willing to be at the table.
Government leaders in Houston didn’t just endorse the Housing First approach; they restructured systems to support it, aligning funding streams and performance metrics to prioritize long-term housing stability over temporary fixes. With persistent leadership and strong organizational support, the city was able to reduce homelessness by 63% over the past decade. The film also highlights similarly bold leadership from the Mayor of Milwaukee, who demonstrated a willingness to do whatever it takes to end chronic homelessness in their city.
A Call to Keep Going
The scale of the homelessness crisis is daunting, but Beyond the Bridge reminds us that progress is not only possible—it’s already happening. Cities that have embraced data-driven approaches and sustained investment in permanent, supportive housing are seeing results.
Here in Santa Clara County we have demonstrated the tremendous impact we can have when we invest in proven housing solutions. We’re getting closer to housing more people than are pushed into homelessness, thanks in part to our collective drive to create the housing we need:
We left the screening inspired, reminded that while no single group or policy can fix the homelessness crisis, together, we can build the bridge to something better.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this important event, and to the filmmakers for creating such a powerful and timely documentary. If you haven’t seen Beyond the Bridge yet, we encourage you to watch it and bring others with you.