To resolve homelessness, it's time for creative permanent housing solutions to supplement temporary housing projects.

KQED’s recent article, “California’s $20 Billion Effort to Combat Homelessness Fails to Curb Rising Unhoused Population”, illustrates how the unhoused population in California continues to grow despite efforts to address homelessness. In addition to this article's message about the lack of accountability as a core cause of the problem, a key reason we continue to see increased amounts of homelessness despite federal, state and local funding efforts is because too many interim solutions are being prioritized over permanent solutions. Integrating a mosaic of temporary and permanent housing solutions is the best way to address homelessness and care for our homeless neighbors.

According to Senator Roger Niello (R-Fair Oaks), Vice Chair of the Senate Budget Committee, “California is facing a concerning paradox: despite an exorbitant amount of dollars spent, the state’s homeless population is not slowing down… These audit results [that prove inefficiencies] are a wake-up call for a shift toward solutions that prioritize self-sufficiency and cost-effectiveness.” It is difficult, if not impossible, for temporary housing solutions to encourage self-sufficiency and cost-effectiveness. We believe our housing model is a creative approach to building thriving communities in Silicon Valley. 

In addition, many of the interim housing solutions are taking as much time to develop as permanent solutions.  If cities and counties would have prioritized the SoHSV model five years ago when first proposed, there would be additional permanent housing for hundreds, maybe thousands, of chronically homeless people in Silicon Valley today. Interim housing creates a revolving door of homelessness, where people leave shelters and build new encampments over again (and the cycle repeats itself). Stopping the revolving door of homelessness is one of the reasons why permanent solutions need to supplement temporary housing projects. 

According to The 2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, over 181,000 people in California experienced homelessness in January 2023 (an uptick of nearly 20% since 2019). This number - which is 28% of the total population of people experiencing homelessness across the United States - indicates how urgent California’s homelessness crisis is and why permanent solutions to addressing housing are critical.

SoHSV has an ambitious goal to help permanently resolve homelessness in Silicon Valley for 1,000+ people. Our model is based on Community! First Village, a permanent housing community for people experiencing homelessness in Austin, Texas. 

We are committed to building a permanent housing solution for homeless community members in the Bay Area because we believe that everyone deserves to live in a dignified environment.