On Tuesday, Mayor Matt Mahan joined an outreach team off Coyote Creek.
"To see after the recent rains the amount of plastic, the metals, the shopping carts, the trash," Mahan said.
Mahan said the city has about 147 miles of waterways. Right now, they're concentrating on 12 miles that are most impacted by the homeless.
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The city has started counting how many people are there in preparation for next year when encampments along waterways will be cleared.
"This count was later in the day, people were awake going tent by tent talking to people and actually have them fill out a survey and individually surveying every single human being," Mahan said.
The city approved an unprecedented $27 million investment for this cleanup effort.
Mahan said the the funds will help add over 1,000 safe and managed places for people to stay.
"They come in different forms, this is safe parking and safe sleeping, prefabricated modular units, converted motels most of the units will be rooms with a door that locks," Mahan said.
PATH Santa Clara County is a statewide agency helping the city and Valley Water gather an accurate headcount.
"PATH leads with services and not enforcement," Regional Director Tamra Chavez told ABC7 News.
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Chavez says her team has the expertise to build trust with people over time.
"It might be hygiene kits, it might be food, water, it might be pet food for their animals that are living with them and part of their families," Chavez said.
It's about meeting people where they're at and what they need at the time.
"And being able to do that with humanity, and with a non-judgmental way of seeing folks predicament and listening to their stories listening to what happened," Chavez said.
Last month Valley Water approved an ordinance that prohibits homeless people from camping on its property.
Enforcement starts January 2nd which includes a warning, 72 hours to voluntarily relocate, or the next step would be a misdemeanor charge with a fine.