Santa Clara Co. looks to scale up services, housing for foster youth

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

South Bay looks to scale up services, housing for foster youth

In the South Bay, additional services and housing for foster youth in Santa Clara County could be around the corner.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- In the South Bay, additional services and housing for foster youth in Santa Clara County could be around the corner. On Tuesday, county supervisors are expected to take action on this issue in an effort that could soon provide some much-needed relief for former and current foster youth between the ages of 15 and 24.

Across Santa Clara County, 764 young people are experiencing homelessness according to the 2023 Point-in-Time Count. Those numbers are behind an effort to provide added extensive services and housing to the county's foster youth.

VIDEO: Santa Clara County counts the unhoused: An up-close look at the HUD's Point-in-Time Count

Every two years, volunteers and workers visit counties and localities to get a snapshot of the homeless population. Here's what Santa Clara Co. found.

"Those children are our children. They're the community's children," Supervisor Cindy Chavez told ABC7 News. "They're children who don't have strong networks within their own families, they don't have parents. And so we really have an opportunity to step in and lift them up."

She continued, "Those are 700 children that belong to all of us."

Sup. Chavez has led the effort to build a new, comprehensive 17,000-square-foot center called The HUB. And come Tuesday, the board is expected to approve $12.6 million for Allied Housing to build out a community center, attached to housing. Plans include at least 40 apartments.

"Some of the housing will be available for former foster youth or current foster youth, then some of it will be for affordable family housing," Chavez detailed. "And then at the base of it is this community center, where young people could get services every day of the year."

Among the assistance expected, are mental health and therapeutic services, food and homework help, even support with college applications, and more.

"Here's what we know, if you're a current or former foster youth, your chances of becoming homeless are extremely high, your chances of going to prison are extremely high, your chances of not finishing college are extremely high," Chavez explained. "So what our objective is, is to create an opportunity to support young people and prepare them to launch into our community."

VIDEO: San Jose opens 6th quick-build emergency interim housing community since 2020