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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06.27.25 Board Correspondence; FW_ D4 June Newsletter.ATTENTION: This message originated from outside Butte County. Please exercise judgment before opening attachments, clicking on links, or replying. . From:Clerk of the Board To:Clerk of the Board; Connelly, Bill; Cook, Holly; Cook, Robin; Durfee, Peter; Jessee, Meegan; Kimmelshue, Tod; Kitts, Melissa; Krater, Sharleen; Little, Melissa; Pickett, Andy; Ritter, Tami; Stephens, Brad J.; Sweeney, Kathleen; Teeter, Doug Subject:Board Correspondence; FW: D4 June Newsletter Date:Friday, June 27, 2025 2:52:29 PM Attachments:image002.png Please see Board Correspondence From: Office of Supervisor Susan Ellenberg <supervisor.ellenberg@bos.sccgov.org> Sent: Friday, June 27, 2025 11:11 AM To: Clerk of the Board <clerkoftheboard@buttecounty.net> Subject: D4 June Newsletter Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg banner image Greetings friends and neighbors, There is no better way to commemorate the month of June than by wishing everyone a happy Pride Month, particularly members of the LGBTQ+ community and their families, allies and loved ones. Even as we approach the end of June, know that your County government works all year long to ensure the rights of this community are protected and their needs are addressed. The beginning of the new month marks my office’s annual participation in the San Jose’s annual Rose, White and Blue Parade on the Fourth of July. Be sure to look for us in the parade, and don’t hesitate to drop by our booth! Budget Meetings This year's budget process has been one of the most difficult in which I have participated—complex, exhausting, and shaped by a bleak financial outlook. It’s easy to feel discouraged when looking at the numbers, but I believe the County executive brought forward the most responsible proposals that are possible in our current climate. A particular bright spot for me was that, even in the midst of myriad challenges, Santa Clara County maintains our unwavering commitment to the well-being of children and families. Despite significant anticipated state and federal funding cuts, we have taken deliberate steps to protect critical services, including: · Preserving Family Housing: We’re backfilling nearly $25 million in General Funds to sustain housing programs that support families at risk of homelessness. This investment ensures that family housing services—and the broader Continuum of Care system—remain strong and accessible for those who need them most. · Maintaining Child Welfare Services: We’ve protected staffing levels for Social Workers in the Department of Family and Children’s Services and are continuing key initiatives like the Families First Prevention Services Act, the Child Welfare Systems Improvement Plan, and the State’s Corrective Action Plan. These efforts are foundational to keeping children safe and supported. · Ensuring Access to Benefits: The Department of Employment and Benefit Services is bolstering staff and increasing capacity to ensure families continue to get timely access to CalFresh and Medi-Cal. Enrollment in these programs has grown steadily since the end of the COVID Public Health Emergency, and we are meeting that need head- on. Even in a hard budget year, we are holding the line—and in many ways, pushing forward—on the programs that offer children and families the stability, safety, and support they need to thrive. I will continue to provide budget updates over the next few weeks to shed some light on the process. Board Meetings June 3- Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring Annual Report Now in its fifth year of service, the Office of Correction and Law Enforcement Monitoring (OCLEM) has significantly expanded its ability to oversee and engage with the core functions of the Sheriff’s Office. Beginning in late 2023 and continuing into this year, OCLEM has gained full access to internal affairs and use-of-force review meetings, confidential investigative materials, and key departmental policy discussions—delivering on its original vision of meaningful oversight. The Board has consistently received reports from OCLEM urging stronger internal accountability, particularly around timely, management-level review of critical incidents. In response, the Sheriff has committed to aligning policies with best practices and has brought on additional staff to address a backlog of internal investigations. OCLEM continues to commend the Internal Affairs Unit for its rigorous and thorough investigations. June 17- Community Plan to End Homelessness At our June 17 Board meeting, we received a detailed update on the Community Plan to End Homelessness. I want to extend my appreciation to staff for their thoughtful presentation and for the clarity it brought to both the progress we’ve made and the challenges we still face. The report reminded me that while we’ve expanded housing and shelter resources over the years, we cannot out-build a crisis if more people are falling into homelessness than we can house. One section of the report highlighted that growing "inflow"—the number of people newly experiencing homelessness— remains our most pressing challenge. When families are losing their homes faster than we can build new housing, we are always working from behind. That’s why homelessness prevention must be central to our strategy. Emergency rental assistance and Guaranteed Income programs are proven, fast-acting tools that keep people housed—without waiting for permits, construction timelines, or tax credit approvals. These interventions are not only more humane, but also more cost-effective than emergency shelters or new builds. I hope to see more of our 15 cities partner with us on these efforts, particularly when housing production is slow to ramp up. The County’s prevention efforts are working. We’ve increased our prevention system’s capacity by 65%, reaching 2,500 households this year—a goal we’ve already met. And we’ve helped over 17,000 homeless households return to safe, permanent housing—87% of the way toward our goal of housing 20,000 people by the end of 2025. But we won’t reach all of our targets. We won’t meet our goal of doubling shelter and interim housing options this year, even though we’ve increased capacity by 47% and have over 1,000 new units in the pipeline. And with state and federal funds potentially decreasing, our ability to meet the need could be further strained. We can’t lose sight of what works. Prevention works. Guaranteed Income works. And collaborative, transparent partnerships work. We must continue advocating for aligned investments that prioritize long-term, proven solutions—and we must help our cities see that these are not just moral investments, but fiscally sound ones too. Know Your Rights Everyone in Santa Clara County, regardless of immigration status, deserves to feel safe, respected, and protected. It is of utmost importance to understand your rights and be aware of support resources available to you, especially when interacting with law enforcement or immigration authorities. Whether at home, at work, or in public, immigrants have legal protections, including the constitutional right to not open the door if an immigration agent is knocking, not answer any questions from an immigration agent, and not sign anything without first speaking to a lawyer, to name a few. The Immigration Legal Resource Center (ILRC) has printable red cards that can help residents assert their rights during interactions with immigration enforcement. Additionally, Santa Clara County has a Rapid Response Network (RRN,) a community defense project developed to protect immigrant families from deportation threats and to provide accompaniment support during and after a community member’s arrest or deportation. You can call the 24/7 RRN Hotline at (408) 290-1144 to report ICE activity in our county and get connected with trained responders to receive help in real time. Vermont House On June 12, I attended the grand opening of the Vermont House, a new residential treatment facility in San Jose that will provide transitional housing and a variety of treatment and services for its residents. The program promotes independent living, building crucial skills and working to find permanent housing opportunities for residents. This milestone reflects our continued efforts to expand Santa Clara County’s capacity to support those in need. To be clear, only stable housing can end homelessness, but with correlations between those experiencing mental health crises and the housing issue, the Vermont House is definitely a step in the right direction. This is what a true continuum of care looks like—from crisis stabilization through residential care and back into the community. And through it all, Santa Clara County is leading—not just in words, but in action, in investment, and in impact. Supply Bank As a former teacher and trustee of the San Jose Unified School District, I know that every child’s success depends on more than just access to education. Without stable housing, quality healthcare, secure relationships with caring adults, and basic necessities, a child is not prepared to learn or thrive. That is why our collaboration with Supply Bank and First 5 Santa Clara County is so meaningful, since it allows us to meet some of the most basic needs for young families. In Santa Clara County, we are continuing to prioritize the needs of children and families. Our Office of Supportive Housing is expanding efforts to prevent homelessness and reduce the number of families without stable shelter. We are increasing access to childcare, funding wellness centers on school campuses, and strengthening emergency shelter services. I am honored to stand with our partners at Supply Bank and First 5 in this work. Child Passenger Safety Program Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children under 15 — but the right car seat can save lives. Santa Clara County’s Public Health Departments Child Passenger Safety Program helps ensure every child has a properly fitted car seat that meets safety standards. Who can get help? Eligible families include Santa Clara County residents with young children who receive services from: Medi-Cal WIC Cash Aid Head Start To see if you qualify or to get more information, call toll-free: 1 (800) 310-2332. Rose, White and Blue Parade After weeks of budget workshops and meetings, I hope you’ll join me for a well- earned day of summer joy at the Rose, White & Blue Parade on Friday, July 4! We’ll start the morning with light refreshments and mingling at a private location (rsvp below to walk with us), then walk together in the parade. This is one of San José’s most beloved traditions, attracting thousands of residents, and I’d love to have you be part of my group. Whether you join the march or just cheer us on, I hope you’ll come celebrate with us. RSVP to walk with me: https://forms.gle/ewPVa3eD1fWzzdyT8 When: Thursday, July 4 from 9 - 11am Please contact Victor.Santiago@bos.sccgov.org with any questions Podcast Series: And Just One More Thing This month, I released the newest episode of my podcast And Just One More Thing on interim housing. I visited Willow Glen Studios to talk with Katie Fantin, the Vice President of Services at Adobe Services, on housing, homelessness, and the County’s critical role in helping people find stability. We were also joined Louie, a resident of Willow Glen Studios, who shared his experiences with me. As for the blog(https://medium.com/p/8336c0d9b315/edit), I humbly offer some insight to our budget meetings and the road ahead during the upcoming fiscal year. Finally, please note that my office winds down a bit during the July recess. Responses to calls or emails may be a bit slower than you’ve come to expect, but someone will get back to you and we appreciate your patience. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if I or my team may be of use to you in any way. Warmly, Susan Video Video Sourcewise Second Harvest of Silicon Valley Child Advocates of Silicon Valley Silicon Valley Strong County Boards and Commissions Mental Health Services Health Services Older Adult Services Housing Assistance LGBTQ+ Resources Food and Financial Support Video 70 West Hedding East Wing, 10th Floor San Jose, CA 95110 (408) 299-5040 Email Supervisor Ellenberg District 4 Website Unsubscribe from future messages.