REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Adopt a Resolution to Endorse Destination:Home Community Plan to End Homelessness in Santa Clara County 2015-2020
Report
BACKGROUND
Destination:Home (D:H) is a public-private partnership created in 2008 by the City of San Jose, the County of Santa Clara, and other partners to implement the 2007 recommendations of the former Blue Ribbon Commission on Affordable Housing and Homelessness, a task force of county, city, and other agency representatives, including the late former Vice Mayor Swegles (see County press release in Attachment 1). The Blue Ribbon Commission developed a "Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness" which was adopted by the County, the City of San Jose, and various partner agencies in 2005. Such 10-year plans were widely promulgated in the early 2000's by national homeless advocacy groups and federal agencies to help local communities develop effective strategies to end homelessness (see "Fact Sheet on Ten Year Plans" in Attachment 2).
D:H developed the Community Plan to End Homelessness 2015-2020 (D:H Plan, Attachment 3) in 2014 to continue and improve upon the efforts begun under the prior plan. D:H coordinated the participation of more than 200 local stakeholders from the public and private sectors in a six-month planning process to develop the plan. Housing staff participated in several of the planning events, including two of the "summit" meetings.
The D:H Board also serves as the governing body of the county-wide "Continuum of Care" (CoC), which is a county-wide entity required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to enable local housing and services providers to apply for HUD grants for various homeless assistance programs. Last fiscal year, these HUD grants to the CoC amounted to nearly $16 million for various non-profit agencies within Santa Clara County. The new D:H Plan is consistent with ongoing CoC efforts and will assist in supporting the CoC's applications for futur...
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