Data & Technology Initiatives
Improving the efficacy and service quality of our supportive housing system is key to our efforts to end homelessness, and in partnership with local government, non-profit service providers and individuals with lived homelessness experience, we’ve identified opportunities to leverage data and technology to strengthen the system of care in Santa Clara County.
Several technology-focused projects are currently underway, including:
Ensuring service participants have direct access to their information and services with MyConnectSV, a first-in-the-nation client-facing information management portal
Installing free internet access at supportive housing sites & community service hubs across Santa Clara County, with 8 projects complete and others underway
Providing individuals with lived experience of homelessness and nonprofit organizations within our Supportive Housing System with technology to support their work and stability through the TECHquity Fund
Identifying Needs & Opportunities
Access to technology is now a basic need in our society, but for our neighbors experiencing homelessness, it can be hard to come by. In partnership with Homebase, we embarked on an assessment of our Supportive Housing System’s data and technology needs to identify steps we can take to improve service and build efficiencies.
Recognizing the new urgency surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, we revisited the needs and opportunities identified, to bolster our system’s service in a remote working environment.
Current Priorities & Projects Underway
Responding to these needs and challenges, we are currently investing in actionable solutions to strengthen the supportive housing system.
Supporting Client Engagement & Expanding Access to Technology
- Empowering applicants with direct access to their information and the status of their request for housing assistance through MyConnectSV. Voices of lived experience informed the development of this resource, and more than 1000 users are currently enrolled.
- Providing service-seekers increased access to computers, the internet and charged cell phones throughout the community, including high-speed Wi-Fi access at: PATH’s Villas on the Park, Amigos de Guadalupe’s Casitas de Esperanza community, Bella Vista Interim Housing/Clara Gardens Permanent Housing and a flagship technology hub at Sacred Heart Community Service, the coordinating organization of the Homelessness Prevention System. (View more wifi installs here.)
Bolstering Provider Capacity & Infrastructure
- Awarding nonprofit organizations working within our Supportive Housing System TECHquity Fund grants to provide technology to support their work.
- Offering the support, training, and coordination necessary to integrate new data and technology initiatives across the system.
Enhancing Reporting, Analytics & Data sharing
- Seizing opportunities to better utilize data to improve services and initiatives like funding a new research and evaluation role within the Office of Supportive Housing, to improve data analysis and utilization across the system. This role is now permanent and being funded by the County.
- Integrating data from outside the supportive housing system to enable richer analysis and improved coordination among social services.
- Training service providers on how to optimize use of MyConnectSV to meet their specific reporting needs, improving efficiency and reducing a time-consuming burden.
Key Partners
Destination: Home welcomes additional partners in increasing the efficiency of our supportive housing system. To contribute to our data & technology initiatives, please contact Maureen@destinationhomesv.org.