Chronic homelessness grows in San José

San Jose’s homeless population isn’t as large as initially reported, but the number of chronic homeless continues to rise, new county data shows.

A report released last month shows San Jose with 6,650 homeless people in 2022, a drop of about 100 people. as preliminary data was released in May. Despite the decline, the city’s current homeless population remains the largest San Jose has seen in 13 years. The change in San Jose did not affect Santa Clara County’s overall tally, which stands at 10,028 homeless people, the highest number in the region since 2007.

Peter Connery, vice president of Applied Survey Research, said the discrepancy was due to a small number of incorrect count entries. Applied Survey Research, which leads survey and census efforts to count the local homeless population, verified and corrected the data.

“General admissions hasn’t changed, but only some venues and jurisdictional assignments have changed slightly,” Connery told the San José Spotlight.

The report, which also includes the results of surveys of nearly 1,000 homeless people, comes nearly a year after volunteers completed their “point-in-time” tally last February. The two-year account is required by the federal government. The report is vital for officials, nonprofits and advocates to understand the homelessness crisis and identify the needs of people living on the streets.

The findings, which are often underreported and statistical estimates, reveal how San Jose and Santa Clara County are struggling to help some of its most vulnerable residents. The number of homeless people without shelter, defined as people living in tents, makeshift shelters or vehicles, decreased in San Jose from 84% in 2019 to 75% last year.

But South Bay is reporting more cases of chronic homelessness or people who have been homeless for more than a year. In 2022, 1,906 people were chronically homeless in San Jose, up from 1,553 people in 2019.

Advocates said the decline in homelessness is not enough.

“It’s not really a decline, because regardless of their status, they’re still homeless,” Ray Bramson, director of impact for Destination: Home and San José Spotlight Columnist, told the San José Spotlight. “We need permanent solutions if we are to end their homelessness.”

The homeless population cited high rents, lack of jobs or income, and lack of housing as the top hurdles in Santa Clara County, according to the report.

Geneva Strickland, a former homeless woman, said the findings aren’t surprising. She was among dozens of people who took part in the 2022 survey.

“We have inflation on top of the incredibly high rents around here,” Strickland told the San José Spotlight. “People assume that everyone can go back to work, but that’s not the case.”

According to county data, about one-third of the homeless population is unable to work, while 41 percent are looking for work. About 28% are not looking for work.

San Jose has spent the last year racing to build more transitional housing, including small houses, to get residents off the streets. The city has helped about 700 people find housing, city officials said. With hundreds of temporary homes under construction and in the works, Strickland hopes San Jose can keep up the momentum.

“I’m not crazy about tiny houses, but it’s good that these projects are helping,” he said. “It’s better than the streets.”

The report also shows how nearby cities are seeing spikes in their homeless populations.

Santa Clara saw a 35% increase from 326 people in 2019 to 440 people in 2022. Campbell’s homeless population increased from 74 to 216 during the same period, a 191% increase. Milpitas, another South Bay city grappling with its growing homeless crisis, saw a 119 percent increase from 125 homeless people to 274 during the same period.

Milpitas Councilman Anthony Phan said the ongoing housing crisis, the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, and the previous mayor’s obstruction of homeless solutions have contributed to the city’s rising homeless population. Now the city is providing rent and mortgage relief, building hundreds of affordable homes, and exploring options like tiny homes.

“We must prioritize solutions and every city should work proactively to fight homelessness,” Phan told the San José Spotlight. “I expect the number to go down a lot (this year).”