REPORT TO COUNCIL & HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Potential Action to Adopt a 2026-2030 Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness
Report
REPORT IN BRIEF
This report provides an overview of the draft Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness (“Plan”), which serves as the City’s five-year plan (Fiscal Years 2026-2030) to address homelessness in Sunnyvale. This report summarizes the Plan’s major goals, strategies, costs, and recommendations for immediate next steps, and asks the City Council and Housing and Human Services Commission to adopt the draft Plan The Plan organizes the goals to address homelessness under five major themes:
1. Prevention strategies to keep people from becoming homeless.
2. Emergency strategies to shelter and rehouse households and improve health and safety on the street.
3. Creation of affordable, extremely low-income, and permanent supportive housing units prioritized for households experiencing homelessness.
4. Collaboration with other local jurisdictions.
5. Ensuring equity and lived experience are key to program development and implementation.
The Plan provides a funding plan and timeline for each goal and strategy to be implemented over the next five years.
BACKGROUND
The City’s focus, for many decades, was on supporting lower-income households and funding homelessness prevention programs. In recent years, the Council has acknowledged that the County cannot address the needs of homeless individuals alone and has therefore added City programs to support the unhoused.
In 2022, the City Council added Supporting the Unhoused Community as a Council Strategic Priority. Also in 2022, the Council authorized and funded street outreach services to augment other social service programs in the County and to assist unhoused individuals in learning about and accessing services. The contract for street outreach services with HomeFirst was extended three times through September 30, 2024.
In FY 2023/24, a new Homeless Services Manager position was added to the Community Development Department Housing and Human Services Division.
In August 2024, the City Council approved a one-year services agreement with WeHOPE for $909,780 for street outreach, a temporary hotel program, and Dignity on Wheels mobile hygiene services (RTC No. 24-0830). Shortly after, staff began conversations with WeHOPE to engage in how they could support the City during periods of inclement weather, and the hotel expansion proposal was evaluated as part of the Study Issue research.
In 2024, an Inclement Weather Hotel Pilot Program was approved as an addition to WeHope's services (RTC No. 24-0198).
The development of a Strategic Plan was incorporated into the Council’s 2025 Strategic Framework goals. Staff has titled the plan “Sunnyvale 2026-2030 Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness.”
EXISTING POLICY
HOUSING ELEMENT
Policy H-5.6. Emergency Rental Assistance. Provide emergency rental assistance for residents in greatest need as a strategy for preventing homelessness.
Policy H-5.11. Housing for Persons with Disabilities. Continue to address the special needs of persons with disabilities through the provision of supportive housing, accessibility grants, and procedures for reasonable accommodation.
Policy H-5.13. Housing and Services to Address Homelessness. Participate in the County Collaborative on Affordable Housing and Homeless Issues to support its efforts to prevent and end homelessness. Facilitate and sponsor the provision of permanent supportive housing for homeless people. Support local service providers that offer facilities and support services to homeless individuals and families, and persons at risk of homelessness.
Council Strategic Goal #4: A model to prevent homelessness, prioritize new housing and support the unhoused community.
Council Policy Manual (see Attachment 2 for full text of the following policies and 2025 Advocacy Positions):
• Policy 2.3.3 Strategies for Affordable Housing and the Use of Housing Mitigation Fees
• 5.0 Long-term Advocacy Positions - Socio-Economic
5.4 Health and Social Services:
(3) Support the Food Stamp Program, the School Breakfast and Lunch Program, the WIC Program, senior nutrition programs, and support services for homeless families.
• 5.6 Affordable Housing and Homelessness
• 2025 Priority Advocacy Issues: Affordable Housing, Homelessness, and Land Use
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15262 as the actions relate to the authorization of a feasibility and planning study for possible future actions that the City Council has not approved, adopted or funded. Should Council direct staff to move forward with an implementation plan, appropriate environmental review will be performed.
DISCUSSION
Staff identified the need to develop a strategic plan to address homelessness in order to prioritize the key programs and limited financial resources the City has dedicated to reducing homelessness. The development of the strategic plan has been incorporated into the Council’s strategic framework goals for 2025.
Public Outreach and Data Collection
Throughout FY 2024/25, staff researched the needs of the City’s most vulnerable residents and worked with consultants to prepare the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Consolidated Plan (Con Plan). The process started by gathering feedback for the five-year Con Plan. The stakeholder input from the Con Plan outreach process informed this Strategic Plan, as its focus is on housing, services, prevention and the needs of unhoused people in the City. The Con Plan public outreach process included two (2) virtual regional workshops, as well as Sunnyvale-specific outreach - three (3) public meetings, a community survey, and a pop-up event at the Sunnyvale farmers' market. The top five (5) responses specific to Sunnyvale housing needs were the following:
• Affordable housing (44%)
• Supportive housing for unhoused individuals and families (41%)
• Increased shelters for unhoused residents (41%)
• Better distribution of affordable housing (41%)
• More opportunities for home ownership (31%)
2025 Point in Time Count
The 2025 Point in Time (PIT) Count was conducted in January 2025 in partnership with the County and its consultant, Simtech Solutions. The County's full report was released in September 2025. While the City’s PIT Count data shows an overall reduction in homelessness (11% decrease from 2023), Sunnyvale’s unsheltered, unhoused percentage increased by 8%, and the sheltered, unhoused percentage decreased due to the North County shelter being changed to serve families.
The 2025 survey used a new methodology that incorporated new technology and placed greater emphasis on surveys, providing a more detailed picture of the various populations of people experiencing homelessness in the County and each of its 15 cities.
To successfully reduce, prevent, and end homelessness in Sunnyvale, it is critical to have a shared understanding of the drivers of homelessness. This year’s PIT Count data demonstrates that the main drivers of homelessness include eviction/rent increase, job loss, and family dissolution. The full PIT count data can be found in Appendix C of the Plan.
Overview of the Strategy to Address Homelessness
The Strategic Plan is comprised of five main components: vision, goals, strategies, a funding plan, and an implementation plan. The vision statement serves as a guiding principle, helping to align the efforts and actions of stakeholders involved in the Plan, and communicates the City’s purpose and the positive impact it seeks to make. The following is the proposed vision statement:
A City where homelessness continues to decline through equitable access to housing and supportive services, where every person is treated with dignity and respect, and where safety, health, and belonging are shared by all.
The goals and strategies recommended below form the core of the Plan and reflect the priorities in the City’s previously adopted plans. These strategies were also developed through evidence-based best practices and reflect current efforts that have shown results.
Goals & Strategy Recommendations
Goal 1: Strengthen Regional Collaboration and Coordination to develop and leverage more resources to support the housing development and service goals in this plan to address homelessness. There is no direct cost associated with this goal outside of City staff time.
• Strategy 1.1: Collaborate with the County, neighboring cities, and service providers through formal cross-jurisdictional partnerships to align housing strategies, coordinate funding, enhance service delivery, and share resources regionally.
• Strategy 1.2: Work with the County to identify future funding opportunities for supportive services which could prioritize interim housing units for Sunnyvale families experiencing homelessness.
Goal 2: Expand and Support Housing Service Areas and Shelter Capacity. These strategies would serve approximately 140 households a year and cost a total of $720,000.
• Strategy 2.1: Provide financial support to advance the delivery of four new affordable housing developments by the end of 2030 that will include 141 units of supportive housing.
• Strategy 2.2: Implement the expansion of the Non-Congregate Shelter Program by fall 2026.
• Strategy 2.3: Implement the Inclement Weather Hotel Program and integrate with the Non-Congregate Shelter Program on an ongoing basis starting in January 2026.
• Strategy 2.4: Implement one Safe Parking Program site in partnership with a nonprofit organization, community group, faith-based organization or charitable organization on private property.
• Strategy 2.5: Monitor success of Safe Parking Capital Grants Pilot Program in FY25-26; make adjustments as needed in future years as operating costs might be more needed than capital costs to realize this goal.
Goal 3: Prevent Homelessness and Displacement. The strategies for this goal are to provide tenant-based rental assistance (TBRA) to prevent homelessness and maintain support for the no-fault tenant protections.
• Strategy 3.1: Maintain the tenant-based rental assistance program
• Strategy 3.2: Maintain support for no fault tenant protections to reduce displacement risk.
Goal 4: Improve Quality of Life For Unsheltered People and the Community through ongoing street outreach and mobile hygiene services, ensuring culturally relevant and trauma-informed service delivery, engaging the community in volunteer opportunities, and ensuring accountability through annual updates to the Council on this Plan. These strategies are expected to serve 275 people annually and cost $635,000.
• Strategy 4.1: Provide street outreach to connect unsheltered people to shelter, services and housing.
• Strategy 4.2: Provide mobile hygiene services in two locations twice a week; includes restrooms, showers, laundry, and case management.
• Strategy 4.3: Develop and work with contractors to ensure materials and practices for services and outreach are culturally relevant and address trauma-informed care.
• Strategy 4.4: Continue with interdepartmental homeless response workgroup that determines necessary actions required to make respectful responses that help maintain clean, safe, and accessible public spaces for all.
• Strategy 4.5: Elevate community engagement through volunteer opportunities such as the Point in Time count and outreach partnerships to foster community involvement and awareness.
• Strategy 4.6: The Housing Division will provide an annual update to the Council on the status of this Strategic Plan and the City’s homeless services and programs.
Goal 5: Promote Equity and Systems Integration through ongoing data analysis and providing opportunities for those with lived experience to participate in the development of programs to address homelessness.
• Strategy 5.1: Use disaggregated data to identify disparities in homelessness outcomes and guide investments.
• Strategy 5.2: Include individuals with lived experience in program design, policy development, and evaluation.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no direct fiscal impact from the approval of the Plan; however, approval would create the expectation that its programs would be funded absent funding constraints or other barriers to implementation. The core direct services of this Plan come from already approved Sunnyvale General Fund dollars and the California Housing and Community Development Department’s (HCD) Permanent Local Housing Allocation program. No increase in Sunnyvale general funds is being requested for this plan at this time. If federal funding sources such as CDBG and HOME funds are discontinued, staff will return to Council with funding options.
The total cost to implement the Plan is estimated to be $2,705,000 as proposed.
Staff will need to return to Council with a budget modification to amend the existing WeHOPE Street Outreach and Essential Services contract with an additional $420,000 of PLHA funds for an expansion of the Temporary Hotel Shelter Program.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council meeting agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board at City Hall, at the Sunnyvale Public Library and in the Department of Public Safety Lobby. In addition, the agenda and this report are available at the City Hall reception desk located on the first floor of City Hall at 456 W. Olive Avenue (during normal business hours), and on the City's website.
ALTERNATIVES
1. Adopt the draft Five-Year Strategic Plan to End Homelessness and direct staff to return with an implementation plan.
2. Alternative 1 with modifications.
3. Do not adopt the Five-Year Strategic Plan to End Homelessness.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Housing and Human Service Commission
Recommend to City Council Alternative 1: Adopt the draft Five-Year Strategic Plan to End Homelessness and direct staff to return with an implementation plan.
City Council
Alternative 1: Adopt the draft Five-Year Strategic Plan to End Homelessness and direct staff to return with an implementation plan.
JUSTIFICATION FOR RECOMMENDATION
While the City of Sunnyvale has several plans that include homelessness-related efforts, there has not been a single, comprehensive plan to guide how the City can best utilize its limited resources to address homelessness. This Plan provides a clear roadmap of tangible actions the City can take over the next five years to address the root causes of homelessness. Importantly, implementation of this Plan does not require any additional General Fund at this time.
Data from the City’s human and homeless services programs demonstrate that these services are effective and well-utilized. However, as federal impacts to food security and housing programs continue to affect our community, it is increasingly important for Sunnyvale to have a stable and coordinated strategy in place to support its most vulnerable residents, including, but not limited to, seniors, veterans, families with minor children, individuals with disabilities, and members of the unhoused community.
Levine Act
LEVINE ACT
The Levine Act (Gov. Code Section 84308) prohibits city officials from participating in certain decisions regarding licenses, permits, and other entitlements for use if the official has received a campaign contribution of more than $500 from a party, participant, or agent of a party or participant in the previous 12 months. The Levine Act is intended to prevent financial influence on decisions that affect specific, identifiable persons or participants. For more information see the Fair Political Practices Commission website: www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html <http://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/pay-to-play-limits-and-prohibitions.html>
An ”X” in the checklist below indicates that the action being considered falls under a Levine Act category or exemption:
SUBJECT TO THE LEVINE ACT
___ Land development entitlements
___ Other permit, license, or entitlement for use
___ Contract or franchise
EXEMPT FROM THE LEVINE ACT
___ Competitively bid contract*
___ Labor or personal employment contract
___ Contracts under $50,000 or non-fiscal
___ Contracts between public entities
_X_ General policy and legislative actions
*“Competitively bid” means a contract that must be awarded to the lowest responsive and responsible bidder.
Staff
Prepared by: Amanda Sztoltz, Housing Officer
Reviewed by: Trudi Ryan, Director, Community Development
Reviewed by: Dennis Jaw, Assistant Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Matt Paulin, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Connie Verceles, Deputy City Manager
Reviewed by: Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Tim Kirby, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Draft Sunnyvale 2026-2030 Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness
2. Excerpts from Council Policy Manual Related to Homelessness