loading . . . Silicon Valley lawmakers speak out against homeless housing cuts Santa Clara County leaders have gathered to denounce President Donald Trump’s actions to cut funding for permanent housing programs.
Congressmembers Sam Liccardo and Zoe Lofgren and others are calling for a reversal of these cuts, which would cap federal funds for permanent housing at 30% and shift the rest to temporary housing programs. The county receives millions of dollars in Continuum of Care grants to provide rental subsidies and supportive services to vulnerable populations. Without these grants, more than 1,000 households could lose their housing in the near future, officials said.
“That is a huge constraint on the county of Santa Clara and many other counties throughout the state,” Liccardo said at a news conference Monday held at The Charles, a new 100% affordable housing development with 99 apartments at 585 Keyes St. in San Jose.
Continuum of Care grants are keeping 2,500 county residents stably housed, according to data provided by the county. Of the $48 million awarded in January, $44 million or about 92% goes to permanent housing programs. The 30% cap will restrict the county to house only 750 people in future permanent support housing or rapid rehousing programs, which provides rental subsidies for two years — with the understanding that recipients will become self-sufficient after the subsidies end.
Kaytanna Alvarido, Alberto Barragan and their 1-year-old son walked into their apartment for the first time after being homeless for two years, thanks to the rapid rehousing program. Photo by Joyce Chu.
These programs help families such as Kaytanna Alvarido, Alberto Barragan and their 1-year-old son get off the streets sooner. The family walked into their apartment Monday, overwhelmed with joy, for the first time after being homeless for two years.
“It’s exciting and stress relieving, like a weight off our shoulders,” Barragan told San José Spotlight.
They were able to obtain rapid rehousing, only paying $218 every month for the next two years while Santa Clara County covers the remaining $1,009 until they can get back on their feet.
Barragan lost his job at a clinic and said it became difficult to keep up with the bills. The family lost their housing and stayed at the Casitas de Esperanza tiny home village until they received a call about an opening at The Charles.
“(These subsidies are) very important because our main concern when we were trying to find housing was that we wouldn’t be able to afford first month’s rent and deposit on our own,” Alvarido told San José Spotlight. “To scrape that together is very difficult. I’ve seen rooms that cost $1,200 to $1,500.”
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Trump promised to make everything more affordable when he ran for office, but his policies have only made it harder for middle- and low-income families, Lofgren said at the event.
“Health care costs have gone up, the price of food is going up for the families, the cost of housing is going up, and we’ve done little to address this,” she said. “In fact, we’re not only not addressing it, we’re going backwards.”
Trump signed an executive order in July calling for an end to the “housing first” model, which prioritizes funding for affordable housing with no requirements attached to obtaining housing. The model’s premise is that getting housing first then enables individuals to address other problems like drug use and more.
Trump is pushing for a return to previous models like “treatment first,” which requires sobriety or employment before obtaining permanent housing.
Housing projects will be graded on a point system under the federal government’s new Continuum of Care guidelines. The more points a project scores, the more likely it will receive funding. But if projects don’t meet a certain threshold, they will be rejected from funding altogether. One criteria is a requirement for participants to engage in supportive services, whether it be case management, substance use treatment or employment training.Vivian Wan, CEO of nonprofit Abode Services, said ending the housing first model and imposing requirements is a decision that sets back progress. Abode serves 18,000 people in the greater Bay Area — a majority through rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing programs.
“Could you imagine, saying, ‘Oh, you’re going to lose your housing because you didn’t get a case management session.’ It’s actually not legal,” Wan told San José Spotlight. “Yes, we all want people to get the services they need, but doing that with the housing as the carrot and the stick doesn’t make any sense.”
_Contact Joyce Chu at[email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X._
*[November 23, 2025]: November 23, 2025
*[November 17, 2025]: November 17, 2025
*[November 13, 2025]: November 13, 2025 https://sanjosespotlight.com/silicon-valley-lawmakers-speak-out-against-homeless-housing-cuts/
