(The Center Square) – The city of San Jose is doubling down on its efforts to end homelessness as budget documents show it will spend $137 million in 2023-24.
San Jose estimates that it has 6,340 homeless people in 2023, of which 4,411 are not in shelters.
The city also found $87 million of unspent revenue from a property tax that was passed by voters in 2019 to address affordable housing and homelessness. The city found that $87 million from 2020-21, 2021-2022 and 2022-23 that it now plans to spend in 2023-24.
Most of the funds earmarked to address homelessness come from Measure E, which raised $50 million in 2023. With the extra $87 million, that boosts the 2023-24 spending from Measure E to $137 million. But not all of that $137 million is spent on homeless initiatives. Some of that money goes to gender-based violence programs and rental assistance to prevent homelessness.
“Measure E has quickly become a critical source of funding for both the production of affordable housing, interim housing operations and funding for homeless prevention and rental assistance programs,” the city said in 2023 memo.
The spending plan was spelled out in the city’s annual audited budget for fiscal year 2023 that was included in the city council’s Dec. 12 agenda packet.
San Jose will spend $38 million in 2023-24 on homeless shelter construction and operations. The city has budgeted $18.9 million in 2023-24 for the construction and long-term maintenance costs of interim housing communities, operating motesl and safe parking sites for the homeless. It projects those costs could increase to $50 million by 2029-30.
