A Message from Mayor Matt

• Support Responsibility to Shelter initiative
• Require acceptance of shelter when offered
• Centralize outreach services in Housing Department
• Create Neighborhood Quality of Life Unit in police

• Responsibility to Shelter initiative
• Code of Conduct update
• Neighborhood Quality of Life Unit creation
• Public Safety Budget Study Session

• Public Safety Budget Study Session
• City Council vote on implementation plan

The goal of the Responsibility to Shelter initiative is to get our most vulnerable neighbors into treatment. Dear Neighbor, Like every Sunday, I’m spending the morning with my kids—but today is extra special. We’re making breakfast together to surprise Silvia for Mother’s Day. And this morning, I realized something: Nina and Luke are almost old enough to make me the sous chef! I hope all the moms reading this feel loved and appreciated today and every day. You all do so much that often doesn’t get recognized. I was reminded of that yesterday when my team let me know they saw my mom on the RSVP list for our State of the City next weekend (you can join her by clicking here !). She’s going to drive two hours to support me. Even though I’m a husband, father and mayor, my mom still finds ways to show up for me. And we need to do the same for the most vulnerable amongst us. The people who fall through the cracks because we dismantled the mental health system in this state and didn’t rebuild an adequate system in its place. The people too deep in the throes of mental illness and addiction to make a rational decision about their own well-being. That’s why in March I proposed – and the Council voted to move forward, our Responsibility to Shelter initiative. There has been a lot of talk about this proposal because it’s bold. Because it’s a break from the status quo. And because frankly — it’s going to require something long missing in our approach to homelessness: accountability. But with lots of talk, comes lots of misinformation. Let’s separate the myths from the facts. - MYTH: This proposal criminalizes poverty and homelessness. - FACT: It’s the exact opposite – this proposal holds people accountable for getting out of homelessness. It’s focused on engaging and intervening when people repeatedly show that they are unwilling or unable to accept a hand up and out of homelessness. - MYTH: This proposal will put homeless people in jail. - FACT: In Santa Clara County, people do not serve jail sentences for trespassing or most other low-level misdemeanors, which our Sheriff recently confirmed. But we can use repeat, non-violent misdemeanor charges to work with the Mental Health and Drug Courts to help compel people to engage in treatment. - MYTH: Our shelters are dangerous, chaotic places that have lots of arbitrary rules and are places where no one wants to be. - FACT: We’ve specifically designed our interim housing sites to be low-barrier. They are safe and dignified, with mostly private rooms with doors that lock and en-suite bathrooms. We allow people to bring their partner, pets, and possessions. We don’t have a curfew and we don’t kick people out after a predetermined number of days or months. We have separate sites for families with children. There's a reason our sites run at nearly 95% occupancy and are effective at graduating people into more permanent housing solutions. People are much safer when they choose to come indoors than when they decide to stay on the streets. The goal of the Responsibility to Shelter initiative is to get our most vulnerable neighbors – the people who are too deep in the throes of mental illness or addiction to make a rational decision about their own well-being – into treatment. Today, I want to share with you our current thinking. As many of you know, I’m all about outcomes, so when I proposed this reform last month, we asked city staff to come up with the best plan for implementation. They’ll be sharing more on Monday at our budget study session but I wanted to give you an overview of what is currently a four-part plan — the steps aren’t sequential but rather simultaneous: - Step one is updating our Code of Conduct to reflect that when shelter is offered, we expect people to accept it. We know there is a portion of our homeless population that is service-resistant. The percentage fluctuates by encampment, but we often find one-fifth to one-third of people who reject offers of shelter. And to these folks, we’re making it clear: if there is a place available, we expect it to be used. This is about compassion paired with accountability — recognizing that a path off the streets is both a right and a responsibility. - Step two is about bringing our outreach teams in house. By centralizing these services within our Housing Department, we can improve efficiency, lower costs, and ensure that each person has a detailed case file. This means better data monitoring, more effective follow-up, and a stronger ability to track individual progress. Outreach will be smarter, more connected, and more accountable. - Step three is the creation of a Neighborhood Quality of Life Unit within the San José Police Department, which was a proposal in the March Budget Message. This dedicated team will work hand-in-hand with our Housing Department to prioritize enforcement of the muni code based on real-time data. Their role will be to maintain public safety and enforce the updated Code of Conduct and quality of life crimes, whether committed by housed or unhoused residents. - Step four is working with the County to find places where our officers can bring people directly to access support services after three refusals of shelter – like the Mission St Recovery Center. We know that many of our homeless neighbors are struggling with addiction or mental health challenges that make it harder for them to make a rational decision about their own well-being. This partnership would allow us to connect them with treatment faster and more effectively. And for those who continue to refuse shelter even after time at the recovery center, we will work with the City Attorney’s Office to petition the Behavioral Courts to mandate treatment. This isn’t about punishment — it’s about getting people the help they need to get back on their feet and off our streets for good. Our Chief, City Attorney and Housing Director will be sharing more about this plan at the Public Safety Budget Study Session on Monday before the City Council votes on the implementation plan in June. We need to step up and try something new. The status quo approach is not serving our most vulnerable neighbors or the broader community. People are dying on our streets and it’s our responsibility to intervene. This is part of our plan to do just that. Sincerely, Mayor Matt It’s not just the people on our streets who we are failing by refusing to intervene when homelessness becomes a choice. In just the past week, a San Jose police officer and a San Jose kid have been the unfortunate victims of our status quo approach to homelessness that puts a misconstrued interpretation of civil liberty above safety. My thoughts are with both of their families. Incidents like this will continue unless we expand our mental health and addiction treatment system and get every single level of government to do their part to end the era of encampments. Even more frustratingly, in the case of our 15-year-old victim, the suspect who was arrested for assault was immediately returned to the streets by the Santa Clara County court system. This is unacceptable. Incidents like these will continue unless we expand our mental health and addiction treatment system, require that people come indoors, and hold every level of government accountable. Hear from the family here: Our city has always been a place that embraces innovation — from creating the computer to harnessing AI to find smarter, faster ways to serve our residents. We’re proud to show how that same Silicon Valley spirit is making San José safer than ever before. This month, we launched San José Police Department’s new Real-Time Intelligence Center — or RTIC — fundamentally changing how we prevent crime, respond to emergencies, and protect our community. By combining real-time data analysis, integrated camera systems like Fusus, and cutting-edge platforms like Peregrine, we’re giving our officers faster, better information when it matters most — in the field, during an incident, when seconds can save lives. We’re connecting existing city traffic cameras, private security cameras, and with consent, even residential video feeds to create a faster, more complete picture of what’s happening across San José. Through Connect San José, we’re inviting residents and businesses to partner with us in building a stronger network of community safety. At the same time, with Peregrine, our officers and analysts can now compile and examine critical information — like body camera footage and police reports — in seconds, not days. That means smarter decisions, quicker investigations, and more effective policing — all while using fewer resources and lowering costs. We’re already seeing results. Just last week, RTIC played a key role in helping detectives identify and apprehend one of the suspects responsible for a major graffiti vandalism spree across our city. It’s a clear example of how real-time data, better coordination, and community partnerships are helping us solve crimes faster and protect our public spaces. In San José, we’re proving that government can move at the speed of innovation — and that by working smarter and partnering with our community, we can deliver faster response times, safer streets, and stronger neighborhoods. This is what a 21st-century city looks like. Thank you to Chief Joseph, to all the officers, detectives, analysts, and technologists who have worked to make today possible. And thank you to every San José resident willing to be part of this partnership for a safer, stronger city. All of our interim housing sites are low-barrier — homeless neighbors don’t have to leave their pets (like Bear here!), partners or possessions behind when they come indoors. And once they move indoors, we often offer services like vaccination clinics to make sure everyone is happy and healthy. Earlier this week Councilmember Casey and I joined Animal Care and Services for a visit to our newly opened Via Del Oro housing site to offer vaccines, make appointments for spay/neuter services and bring some donations from Chewy for the shelter’s new furry residents! Thanks to all involved for making it happen. San Jose State of the City 2025 Saturday, May 17th at 10:00 AM Arena Green East, 340 W St John Street, San Jose, CA 95110 This year, for State of the City, we’re going bigger than ever before. There’ll be more service projects, more food, more games, and some exciting announcements! Come celebrate everything that makes our city special at our annual State of the City on May 17th. Tickets are going fast — RSVP today here ! Levitt Pavilion Concert Series: Celebrating Africa Day Sunday, May 25th at 3:30 PM to 7:00 PM St. James Park, N 2nd St &, E St James St, San Jose, CA 95112 Levitt Pavilion is turning up the volume this summer with free live music! They’re kicking off their concert series with Riddim Exchange, a collective of vibrant Afrobeats musicians. Enjoy food trucks and drink concessions while discovering your next favorite artist! Learn more here . San Jose Half Marathon & 8K Sunday, June 1st at 7:30 AM Race Start at Stevens Creek Ready to run San Jose? The Half Marathon & 8K, presented by Kaiser Permanente, is a flat, fast course that takes runners through San Jose’s historic landmarks and neighborhoods. After crossing the finish line at Santana Row, you can keep the celebration going with exclusive post-race specials at the Row’s restaurants and bars! Secure your spot here . You can also get 15% off on registration with code MAYORMATT. 42nd Fountain Blue & Brews Festival Saturday, June 14th to Sunday, June 15th Plaza de Cesar Chavez, 1 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, CA 95113 Get ready for a weekend of music, flavor, and fun — right in the heart of San Jose! The 42nd Fountain Blues & Brews Festival, Northern California’s longest-running blues festival, features 16 incredible musical acts (including headliners Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Walter Trout!), craft beers, great food, and more. Grab your tickets here ! Calling all teachers! The San José Public Library is hiring credentialed teachers to lead the Summer Digital Discovery Workshops 2025 — a hands-on, interactive experience for children ages 6–12. Help create a fun, engaging, and inclusive environment for students learning about robotics, coding, and more! If you or someone you know is interested, you can learn more about the stipend, training schedule, and more here . Applications are due May 16th! ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo! There’s no better way to celebrate than cruising in lowriders down King & Story. Thanks to the United Lowrider Council and the District 5 office for hosting San Jose’s second annual Cinco de Mayo celebration — here’s to many more! Thank you to CalTrans and all of the volunteers who joined our Saturday Service project on the King Road off-ramp from 280. We cut back vegetation, spread mulch, painted a mural, picked up litter to make this entrance to San José cleaner and safer, and supported the Caltrans and CHP teams who work out here every day. You can join us at State of the City here: qrco.de/SOTC2025 Visit our Website! Copyright © 2025 Office Of San José Mayor Matt Mahan, All rights reserved. | 200 E Santa Clara St # 18 | San José, CA 95113-1903 US | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice