San Jose launched a new program Tuesday in hopes of helping to address the city’s homeless issue. Ian Cull reports.
San Jose launched a new program Tuesday in hopes of helping to address the city's homeless issue.
San Jose leaders said of the 5,000 unhoused residents in the city, about 20% said that they came to Santa Clara County from somewhere else.
Now, to help clear the streets, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said they’re offering those folks a train or bus ticket home, if there’s a family member or friend willing to help them.
“Whether they live down the block, or they live in another part of the state, or even out of state, and through a conversation with them really come to understand that they are in fact ready to take this person on,” he said.
The pilot program is called “Homeward Bound." It’s a $200k reunification program prioritized in the budget. Mahan said it’s voluntary and he explained that families are sometimes already looking for their loved one, who they can’t get ahold of on the streets.
“The Homeward Bound program will be offered alongside shelter, alongside tiny homes, alongside permanent supportive housing. A part of the above all strategy,” said Erik Soliván, San Jose Director of Housing.
“Our unhoused neighbors face many barriers in their extremely unique journeys out of homelessness, so we are grateful to the city of San Jose for providing resources to help those reunite with their support system,” said Kama Fletcher, Director of Development at Neighborhood Hands.
Some other homeless advocates argue it's a hollow solution. Essentially just passing the problem to another city. And the idea isn't new.
Similar programs have been used in some U.S. cities since the 1980s with varying degrees of success and controversy.
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Last year, San Francisco expanded its “Journey Home” program as then-mayor London Breed ordered staff to offer homeless people bus tickets out of town before any other services.
This was after data found 40% of the city’s unhoused residents came from another county in California.
In San Jose, Mahan admits it’s not perfect but hopes it’s another tool for fixing a very complex problem.
“We cannot let perfect be the enemy of good,” he said. “It’s going to take many different strategies, many different tools. We’re going to have to acknowledge that folks who are out there did not all become homeless for the same reason and may not need the exact same thing to get off of our streets.”
