San José Mayor and Council Unanimously Pass Budget with Most Significant Investment in Ending Unsheltered Homelessness in City’s History
City will more than double temporary housing solutions, pilot safe sleeping sites and speed safety cameras, and better enforce illegal dumping and graffiti
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2024
Media Contact:
Tasha Dean, Chief Communications Officer, Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; [email protected]
SAN JOSÉ, CA - At yesterday’s Council meeting, San José Mayor Matt Mahan and his colleagues on the City Council voted on a budget with historic investments into the substantial efforts necessary to maintain the City’s stormwater permit and come into compliance with the Clean Water Act. The approval of the city’s spending plan for the coming fiscal year will see San José more than double its supply of temporary housing solutions and move an additional 1,200 people out of unmanaged places while maintaining a commitment to affordable housing.
“For years, we’ve been calling homelessness a crisis,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “This year, we’re acting like it. I am grateful to my colleagues for supporting the investments required to move over 1000 people off the streets and out of our creeks.”
“I'm grateful to all my Council colleagues for digging into the details of the budget and coming together to provide for both immediate and longer term needs of our City,” said Councilmember Dev Davis (D6).
“I am proud of the collaboration from my City Council colleagues and the leadership of Mayor Mahan. While we were tasked with many challenges, we were able to craft a budget that addresses the utmost priorities of our residents; addressing the humanitarian crisis of unsheltered homelessness and its impacts, while continuing our commitment to affordable housing,” said Councilmember Pam Foley (D9). “Additionally, we invest in impactful programs, such as TRUST, Viva Calle/Parks, and our Community Fitness Rooms, that protect, uplift, and connect vulnerable San José communities.”
“I am proud of our collective work on this year's budget. Despite a challenging financial environment, we are significantly investing in addressing street homelessness and cleaning our waterways while continuing to build permanent affordable housing,” said Councilmember David Cohen (D4). “Additionally, I am pleased we preserved park activations, fitness centers, and library services, and reaffirmed our commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.”
“During this budget session, we faced challenges with meeting the Storm Water Permit obligations and funding affordable housing. This budget continues to invest in our arts and small businesses ensuring our city's prosperity,” said Councilmember Omar Torres (D3). “The Mayor’s budget gives our city a chance to move people out of unmanaged encampments and its conditions, especially those in and around our creeks and into spaces where they can receive resources and thrive! This budget proved that it takes all of us to end this humanitarian crisis.”
In addition to unprecedented investments in ending the era of encampments, the budget prioritizes funding in key focus areas that residents care about most:
Reducing Unsheltered Homelessness and Increasing Housing
Invests in the interim housing pipeline to bring 628 additional tiny homes online before July 2025
Funds the Emmanuel House Shelter Redevelopment which will be operated by the Salvation Army, adding 74 temporary housing units
Increases sanitation services and outreach at encampments
Continues funding for Homelessness Prevention services
Continues Rent Stabilization and Eviction Prevention Staffing to keep San Jose residents in their home
Adds funding to develop a citywide adaptive reuse ordinance to facilitate converting vacant office and commercial buildings into housing
Creates the Homeward Bound Pilot Program to reunite unhoused residents with their relatives and loved ones
Increases enforcement of the Framework for Shared Public Spaces which limits encampment footprints to increase safety and well being at and around encampments
Increases enforcement of a Pedestrian Facilitation Zone, keeping busy pedestrian corridors clear of unmanaged encampments in our downtown and vital commercial areas
Enhances enforcement for Oversized Vehicle Regulations such as RV Buyback, establishing a 150 ft setback, and addressing public right of way
Expands the RV Pollution Prevention Program (RVP3) from 150 to 600 vehicles being serviced every two weeks
Stormwater Plan
Establishes Safe Sleeping Sites with the capacity to move 500 people out of the waterways
Allocates funding for Trash Capture Devices Maintenance to support our Stormwater Permit Compliance
Develops Municipal Regional Stormwater Permit Inspection Programs
Improves South Bay Water Recycling System
Increasing Community Safety
Creates a Police Department Cadet Program to strengthen our sworn officer pipeline
Invests further in Sworn and Non-Sworn Backgrounding and Recruiting
Creates a Police Women’s Bootcamp to better prepare female candidates for sworn officer positions
Doubles the budget allocation for Lateral hiring bonuses to encourage additional lateral transfers into San Jose Police Department
Creates an Automated Speed Enforcement Pilot with up to 33 Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPRs) deployed in accordance with AB 645 to improve road safety
Enhances Emergency Preparedness and Response by providing culturally informed Communication and Community Recovery through Listos California Program and professional services
Replaces 35 Fire Station Network Switches to ensure continued safety during various operations and the maintenance of cybersecurity integrity
Replaces vital technological equipment in the Police and Fire Departments
Continues temporary staffing to manage the implementation and evaluation of a red-light running camera enforcement system
Establishes an Ambulance Transport and User Fee Program to assist the City in recovering costs associated with providing authorized ambulance transport services
Cleaning Up San Jose
Add funding for illegal Dumping and Graffiti Response to engage enforcement activities in coordination with Beautify San Jose
Adds 14 new positions and capital to support the Beautify San Jose’s Stormwater Permit Implementation strategy by focusing on key areas such as waterways abatement, and mitigating impact on neighborhoods
Increases ongoing funding for Creek Clean-up Partners to support efforts such as Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful, South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition and Trash Punx
Establishes the Oversized Vehicle Regulation Reserve which will provide funding to allow the City to begin implementation of regulatory programs to address the impacts of these vehicles
Continues efforts within the Vehicle Abatement Program and makes permanent 1 Parking Traffic Control Officer position to better address abandoned vehicles
Attracting Investments in Jobs and Housing
Continues the Downtown Pop Up Program to support local businesses in our downtown core and reduce commercial vacancies
Provides funding to improve downtown San Jose by beautifying Santa Clara Street and upgrading the San Pedro Street pedestrian mall
Provides funding to support Team San Jose and local businesses as they generate Destination Marketing to assist in positive commercial activity
Provides one time funding for arts and cultural grants to supplement allocations from TOT revenues
Allocates funding for the Neighborhood Economic Grants that can enable and encourage business corridors with active business associations to tackle challenges, create more jobs and attract business
Creates an incentive program to attract companies focused on Artificial Intelligence and manufacturing to San Jose to expand their operations
Continues the East San José Small Business Corridor Support Manager position through June 30,2025 that is responsible for supporting the creation and growth of business associations in San Jose’s Eastside
Adds funding for a Microbusiness Startup Grants project that is focused on supporting immigrant and low income entrepreneurs through small sums of low interest startup capital
As the City faces deficits projected in the year’s ahead, this year's budget will help San José realign its limited resources with the stormwater mandate, and make the most strategic investment in ending unsheltered homelessness in the history of the city.
###
About the City of San José
With nearly one million residents, San José is the largest city in the Bay Area and one of the nation's most diverse and creative. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world's greatest concentration of technology talent and development.