Encampment fire behind family residences, picture taken by resident of Lyndale Drive, San Jose, CA

Today San Jose and Santa Clara East Foothills are experiencing a growing increase of poverty and homeless encampments. This poses risk to Santa Clara County and San Jose Community safety, assurance and sustainability. 

There is a growing population of under privileged residences throughout Santa Clara County that require food, assistance and/or shelter.  Unsafe homeless encampments are on the rise, posing risk to homeowners and family residences throughout Santa Clara County and San Jose.   

This rise in poverty and homelessness has initially started before the COVID pandemic, due to California Bay Area high cost of living, problematic employment development services, lack of social services availability to all City, County and State taxpaying and non-taxpaying residences.   Taxpayers are getting concerned due to safety, assurance, and sustainability during this pandemic.  

The public understands that the pandemic has evolved into an even higher growth of public safety and sustainability issues.  The public also can easily recognize that even the current reduced income Federal and State programs provide e.g., Employment Development Department, Federal Covid Relief, State Relief are not resolving this safety, assurance and sustainability wide-spread problem.  

Actions needed from Santa Clara County Auditor, District Attorney of Santa Clara County and San Jose City Mayor Sam Liccardo for public safety,  assurance and sustainability are:

1. A complete and timely thorough audit of Santa Clara County and San Jose City Leadership programs and budget that address public safety, assurance and sustainability.   This audit should be focused on all current programs required to resolve safety, assurance and sustainability addressing the growing poverty, homelessness, and risks to community.  The audit should show statistics on County and City programmatic current requirements that pass or fail to meet community safety, assurance, sustainability, policies, and laws; along with statistics and recommendations on current problem reporting and resolutions.  Santa Clara County Auditor should ensure that Santa Clara County DA and San Jose City Mayor timely accept or reject findings and ensure a timely public release of all findings (In other words not thrown under a large stack of political audit preferences).
2. A joint County of Santa Clara County and City transparent programmatic plan meeting accepted audit recommendations timely released to the public (with concise and clear address of roll out of solutions).
3. A timely joint County of Santa Clara County and City verified, validated and approved implementation meeting all community safety and assurance.  
4. Santa Clara Auditor to follow-up with a final audit within 24 months, verifying and validating that the joint County and City implementation meets all requirements and risk mitigations.  Final audit should be timely released to the community of Santa Clara County and San Jose City.