Homelessness & temporary housing top priorities in San Jose budget plan

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose City Council voted to approve Mayor Matt Mahan’s budget message on Tuesday. Mahan says the new budget is a multi-tiered approach to addressing the housing crisis and homelessness. Still, there is some opposition to his proposals, which include arresting people who refuse shelter. The vote was approved 7 to 4. 

Earlier in the day, a protest against the mayor’s budget plans was held outside city hall. During Tuesday’s council meeting, hundreds of people also expressed how they believe the new budget will impact housing and homelessness.

"We will hold people accountable for coming indoors when we ask our voters to spend tens of millions of dollars to build safe and dignified shelters and housing," said Mahan. 

Mahan’s 2025-2026 budget proposes multiple ways to deal with the housing and homelessness crises in San Jose. The plan includes reallocating Measure E permanent housing funds toward temporary shelter and citing or arresting anyone living on the streets that refuses shelter three times within 18 months.

"There’s a shortage of 3,064 shelter beds. So, there’s no choice here. People are forced out onto the streets in San Jose by the failure of San Jose City Council and San Jose’s Mayor to provide housing," said Sandy Perry, board vice president of the South Bay Community Land Trust.

What we know:

In 2023, there were 6,340 unhoused people in San Jose. With frustration continuing to rise regarding homelessness and affordable housing, others said they support the budget message and believe a new approach is necessary.

"I’m here to support the mayor’s budget message for March. I’ve seen the heartbreaking reality of homelessness along Coyote Creek near my neighborhood. People are dying from extreme weather and being ravaged by addiction," said a San Jose resident during the meeting. 

The city council also recently extended its sleeping ban from 8 a.m. to midnight, which prohibits people from sleeping on the sidewalk downtown during those hours. 

Dig deeper:

Last week, a video captured by a resident showed an unhoused man accused of indecent exposure and trespassing being arrested. Advocates in San Jose called the arrest a symptom of the city’s overall crackdown on homelessness.

"When you have police coming, and you have six or more officers responding to one unhoused person, you complain about not having enough police officers. I say the way you’re deploying them is why you have a problem," said a San Jose resident to the city council.   

Mahan’s budget message also called on Santa Clara County to improve social services. County officials pushed back, saying they spent $90 million tackling homelessness last year. 

The city council will take its final vote on the budget in June.