"A startling trend has hit Santa Clara County over the past two years - more people have fallen into homeless for the first time and can't find a way out. Santa Clara County's 2025 point-in-time count found 4,650 people have been homeless for a year or longer, known as chronic homelessness. That's a 21% increase from 2023, when there were 3,833 chronically homeless residents county-wide."
"The county surveyed 1,534 people as part of the report to better understand their circumstances. The loss of a job or income is the primary reason people report becoming homeless, at 27%. Divorce or breakups are also contributors at 17%, and 12% of people report becoming homeless due to an eviction or rent increase. The county's homeless population has risen to 10,711 in the past two years, up 8.1% from 2023, while chronic homelessness has gone up 53% during that two-year period."
"Over the past decade, the county's total homelessness has gone up 63.3%. Experts and advocates have warned that Silicon Valley's high cost of living makes it difficult to find an affordable apartment or retain housing. The rise in chronic homelessness further emphasizes the problem. San Jose, the county's largest city with just under 1 million residents, had a homeless population increase of 3.8% in the past two years, going from 6,266 people in 2023 to 6,503 this year."
Santa Clara County recorded 4,650 chronically homeless people in 2025, a 21% increase from 2023 and part of a reported 53% two-year rise in chronic homelessness. The county's overall homeless population reached 10,711, up 8.1% from 2023, and has increased 63.3% over the past decade. A survey of 1,534 people found loss of a job or income accounted for 27% of homelessness, with divorce or breakups at 17% and eviction or rent increases at 12%. City-level changes include San Jose rising to 6,503, Cupertino more than doubling, and several West Valley jurisdictions expanding support efforts amid few local resources.
Read at San Jose Spotlight
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