The COVID-19 pandemic has helped to get thousands of homeless residents off the streets in Silicon Valley, experts say.
In the past 18 months, 5,000 people are no longer homeless in Santa Clara County and the rate of people becoming homeless has dropped to just under 30%.
Jennifer Loving, CEO of Destination Homes, told KCBS Radio that there are two main reasons for this drop.
One, the nearly billion dollar measure A housing bond approved by county voters in 2016 has started to have an effect with over 30 projects opening or in development, and two, COVID-19 has freed up millions of state and federal dollars to keep people from becoming homeless.
"Using stimulus dollars, private dollars, rent relief - paying people’s rents, giving people cash aid with the eviction moratorium - we’ve been able to keep the worst at bay for now," she said.
Loving reports that the county is on track to meet its goal of 20,000 people in five years, however, she worries as housing programs expire, they won’t be able to sustain this progress.
In California, the eviction moratorium, which went into effect on March 24, 2020, is set to expire on September 30. This action may cause shock waves throughout the Bay Area housing crisis.
