Homelessness is preventable, but only if we act now. Every day, more families are pushed into homelessness by rising housing costs and worsening economic conditions. Our systems are stretched thin, reacting to crisis instead of stopping it at the source. And recently proposed federal cuts threaten to push tens of thousands more households, especially those with extremely low incomes, into homelessness in our community alone.
The good news is that we have seen that it is possible to prevent homelessness before it begins. Homelessness prevention programs that combine rapid financial assistance with supportive services are among the most powerful tools we have to solve this crisis with lasting results.
Unfortunately, at a time when we should be scaling this proven strategy, we may be forced to reduce capacity in our local Homelessness Prevention System. In fact, we are currently facing a $2.3 million funding gap that would result in 600 fewer people receiving assistance next year.
We cannot afford to lose ground on a strategy that has been proven to work. Without increased funding, more families will fall into homelessness, and the cost of inaction will only grow.
A proven solution
Destination: Home launched the Homelessness Prevention System in 2017 to stop the cycle of homelessness before it begins and tackle this crisis proactively. The program has grown significantly since then, now serving as our County’s leading homelessness prevention strategy and being held up as the evidence-based model to replicate nationwide.
The system has helped stabilize over 33,000 at-risk people, with measurable results. Two years after receiving assistance, more than 90% of these households remained housed, proving a significant reduction in homelessness risk. This program has been a lifeline for thousands of people, providing stability and hope during some of the most challenging times.
Now reaching more than 2,500 households a year, this coordinated prevention effort is helping reduce inflow into homelessness and bringing us closer to our goal of housing more people than are pushed outside.
The unmet need is greater than ever
While the program’s impact is clear and substantial, the scale of need continues to far exceed current capacity. Due to limited resources, only one-third of eligible households assessed in the last six months received assistance—leaving many at the highest risk of homelessness without the help they urgently need.
And our system is now facing a critical funding gap of over $2 million due to local budget cuts, meaning approximately 600 additional people would not receive the support they desperately need in the next fiscal year.
To sustain and scale this proven system, we need everyone from local government to the private sector to philanthropic institutions to help close this gap and meet the urgent needs of our community. We all have a role to play.
This work is only possible when bold solutions are backed by bold investment. The County of Santa Clara, the cities of San José, Campbell, and Santa Clara, and philanthropic leaders like the David and Lucile Packard Foundation have shown what’s possible when we act together.
In our latest Partner Spotlight, Ellen Clear, California Communities Director at the Packard Foundation, spoke to the community impact of these solutions:
The impacts of homelessness touch every corner of our communities. But the same is true for innovative solutions to it – stable and affordable housing helps families put down roots and be actively engaged in their communities, benefitting all of us. Destination: Home’s bold vision for ending homelessness in Silicon Valley has great potential for ensuring our communities are strong, resilient places where everyone can thrive.
Ellen Clear, California Communities Director at The Packard Foundation
This is a defining moment for our community. Together, we’ve built the foundation. Now we need community leadership to sustain it and rise to meet the growing need.
Let’s work together to ensure that no one in our community is pushed into homelessness when it can be prevented.