Dear Neighbor,

We have work to do. Work to make San Jose safe. Work to bring our homeless neighbors indoors. Work to make our city clean and beautiful. Work to ensure our kids, and our kids’ kids, have a thriving place to call home. 

But my mom used to say, many hands make light work. 

And at Saturday's State of the City, we showed San Jose is home to hundreds of people who aren’t afraid of a little hard work. People who are dedicated to helping create the city we all aspire to be. And if you’re reading this right now, you’re one of them.

And it’s a good thing we have so many people ready to pitch in. Because over the next few weeks (and years), we will be facing some tough decisions. We’re going to have to think about what tradeoffs our community can live with. We’re going to have to get practical and creative to address the biggest crisis we face. 

This year, we are making the most significant investment in ending unsheltered homelessness in the history of our city. We are committing to move more people out of unmanaged encampments than we ever have before. 

Over the next year, we will be helping 500 people relocate out of our waterways. And if we don’t create basic, safe places for them to go – these 500 people will have nowhere to go but our neighborhoods and parks. 

To avoid this, we will need to try something new and double down on what’s already working. What’s new is our investment in safe sleeping sites. A model that has already shown results in San Diego and can here too. What’s already working is our quick-build communities made up of prefabricated, modular units deployed on public lands. Since 2020, these solutions have contributed to the first significant reductions in unsheltered homelessness in San Jose in almost a decade. 

Over the next year, we will more than double the number of these units, by opening 628 new quick-build rooms. We will open a new safe parking site with the capacity to move 100 lived-in vehicles off our streets.

All in all, over the next year, we will move over 1,000 additional people out of unsafe conditions who would otherwise continue to live on our streets and along waterways. We will offer them the supportive services needed to build a better life. That figure represents over 20% of the estimated 4,500 people living in unsheltered conditions in San Jose today. This is the kind of scale we will need to meet this moment. 

But it will only be possible if you speak out in support. Join us on June 10th at 6pm to tell the entire council that we need to do better. That we need to get pragmatic. That we need to get to work. 

I’ll see you there, 

Mayor Matt

San Jose has used state “Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention” (HHAP) funding to stand up 499 interim housing units that contributed to a 10% reduction in unsheltered homelessness last year—one of the largest reductions in the state. Which is why–when this year’s state budget cut dollars for this program–my fellow big city mayors and I got to work. 

And it paid off. Last week, the state legislature proposed restoring the $1B cut to these flexible homelessness reduction dollars that allow us to stand up and operate more cost-effective alternatives to the streets, clearly demonstrating their commitment to addressing the biggest crisis facing our community. I will continue to fight with CA’s Big City Mayors to urge Gov Newsom to include this critical funding in the final budget.

San Pedro St. between Santa Clara and St. John is now home to the largest mural in the South Bay! Over 1,000 volunteers joined forces with the San Jose Downtown Association, Local Color SJ, and artist Jimmy Paints to paint a 12,000 square foot mural on the road. We permanently closed the street to traffic earlier this year and now, bit by bit, we’ve created a space designed for pedestrians and enjoyment of our great weather and unique small businesses. The next time you’re in Downtown, stop by and visit the new mural!

Dia de Portugal Festival

Saturday, June 8th at 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM

History Park San Jose, 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, CA 95112

Immerse yourself in Portuguese culture and indulge in an afternoon of authentic food, wine, entertainment, and more in San Jose’s one-of-a-kind History Park. There are few better ways to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Learn more here.

Gordon Biersch Night Market

Thursday, June 13th at 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Gordon Biersch Brewery, 357 E. Taylor Street, San Jose, CA 95112

Enjoy an evening of BBQ, special release beers from the Gordon Biersch Brewery, live music from San Jose Jazz, family friendly games, and more! Learn more and stop by the weekly Gordon Biersch Night Market here. 

Downtown Block Party in SoFA District

Thursday, June 20th at 5:00PM

SoFA District, South 1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113

Join us at the next Downtown Block Party in the SoFA District! Celebrate the start of summer with food, live music, over 40 local vendors, and more Downtown San Jose fun. Learn more here. 

Creek Clean-Up with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful

Saturday, June 22nd at 9:00 AM

625 Wool Creek Drive, San Jose, CA 95112

Join Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and help restore one of San Jose’s waterways to its former beauty! Learn from experts on how to identify local insects and birds passing through the trail, beautify a surrounding neighborhood park, and build community around a shared sense of service! RSVP here.

De Anza Park is home to 5 new oak trees! We joined several Dartmouth neighbors and City arborists to replace decaying trees and revitalize the park. I can’t wait to see these trees grow over the coming years, providing shade to future generations of San Joseans! Join us at the next community clean-up and become part of the solution here.

Did you know the fastest animal in the world lives on the top of City Hall? Since 2007, our roof has been home to a Peregrine Falcon family. Each year, we have students and scientists from UC Santa Cruz visit to band the babies so they can be identified. This year, all four are female! You can take a peek at them anytime right here.