Benton Project is Approved!
MORE HOUSING WILL ADDRESS SYSTEMIC FAILURES
One facility will not be the solution to the entire homelessness crisis in our county. But every step is an important piece of the puzzle. Every person that gets housed is one step closer to attacking the systemic problems in our policy and social systems.
Although we are dealing with record inflation, wages are not keeping pace. Many workers in the county are making the same or less in comparison to 2000.
The 2022 Santa Clara County Point In Time count reports that 1/5 of respondents say they spent at least one night in jail in the past year. This isn't a reflection of morality, it's a reflection of the failure of the criminal justice system, which targets vulnerable people and releases them back onto the street with no support.
25% of unhoused people in our county report a history of physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Survivors that have been strong enough to leave their situations deserve support from their community.
The criminalization of homelessness has resulted in unhoused people with criminal records for things like sleeping outside, trespassing on public property, or other minor offenses that should not equate to jail time, fines, or a record. The result of these records is more difficulty in being approved for housing.
There is a significant lack of affordable housing in our county, making it even more difficult for lower income people to find a home to live in.
SOURCES
Reimagining Interim Housing: Stages and Action Areas for Transforming Approaches to Sheltering People Experiencing Homelessness
Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at Ages 23 and 24
Preventing and Removing Barriers to Housing Security for People With Criminal Convictions
A Longitudinal Study of Housing Status and Crime in a Homeless Population
Violations of the to Privacy for Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the United States
Study Data Show that Housing Chronically Homeless People Saves Money, Lives
Executive Order Safe Policing for Safe Communities: Addressing Mental Health, Homelessness, and Addiction Report
Preventing and Removing Barriers to Housing Security for People With Criminal Convictions
Homelessness in California: Causes and Policy Considerations
Emergency Calls, Complaints Are Down Near San José's Temporary Housing Sites. So Why Are They Still So Politically Risky?