State Bill Could Put Silicon Valley Homeless Shelters Under Scrutiny

San Jose Spotlight

September 29, 2025

A new state bill could bring more accountability to homeless shelters in Santa Clara County.

Assembly Bill 750 aims to provide more oversight of homeless shelters across the state by requiring local governments to inspect facilities and produce yearly reports on their conditions. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, could also see California withhold funding if cities and counties fail to follow the rules. AB 750 has passed the Assembly and is waiting for review in the state Senate.

Santa Clara County homeless shelters have been rife with violence, theft, mistreatment of residents by workers and unsanitary living conditions for years, according to advocates and residents living in shelters.

“I think it’s a good idea to (require regular inspections and reports), because then maybe it will allow (operators) to start doing more assessments that are needed,” formerly homeless resident Keanna Ward, who lived in a shelter, told San José Spotlight.

The bill would strengthen a law passed in 2021 that requires local governments to inspect shelters, give violation notices to operators and produce yearly reports on shelter conditions — only when a complaint is received. AB 750 requires inspections and yearly reports regardless of if a complaint has been received.

Neither Santa Clara County nor San Jose — where most local homeless shelters are located — have filed any yearly reports, based on a 2024 CalMatters investigation. County and city representatives previously told San José Spotlight they either did not receive shelter complaints or that received complaints were unfounded, therefore relieving them from filing yearly reports.

Ward, who is Black, said she encountered discriminatory practices and unequal treatment by her case manager while living at a San Jose shelter run by nonprofit LifeMoves last year. When she requested an extension while waiting for construction to finish on an apartment she planned to move into, she said her case manager wouldn’t approve it. Meanwhile, she said other people who weren’t working as arduously toward finding housing or employment received extensions.

“They were okay with putting me back on the street — and that’s a problem,” Ward said.

A LifeMoves spokesperson said the nonprofit takes allegations of discrimination “extremely seriously.”

“Our priority is to ensure that every client is treated with dignity, fairness and respect,” spokesperson Maria Prato told San José Spotlight.

Ward said she filed multiple written complaints with LifeMoves regarding her mistreatment, but nothing was done to address it. Ward did not file a complaint directly with San Jose. Grievances filed at the shelter are often kept internally.

“Unfortunately, many shelters have developed internal complaint systems that target residents who speak up, rather than resolving the issues raised,” Ward said. “These complaints are often used against residents instead of improving conditions.”

Prato said residents can bring up their concerns through feedback forms or directly with staff.

“We have procedures in place to promptly review and address such concerns,” Prato said.

Sarah Fields, a San Jose housing department spokesperson, said the department has a shelter inspections team made up of three full-time employees. The department is working with the city attorney’s office on how to meet the proposed obligations under the bill. She did not answer questions about whether the city will ask operators to share complaints from shelter residents with them in light of AB 750, but said additional information will be shared in the coming weeks as they interpret new state laws.

“We track bills that may impact our operations, policies and procedures every legislative cycle, and the inspections detailed within AB 750 are no different,” Fields told San José Spotlight.

Although the county owns and maintains nearly half of the 43 shelters within its borders, it only inspects shelters that are in unincorporated areas. That includes the veterans facility at 10 Kirk Ave. in East San Jose and a family cold weather shelter in Gilroy.

“As part of our contract-monitoring processes, staff conduct shelter site visits and meet with shelter providers regularly to address any programmatic or facility issues,” Kathryn Kaminski, director of the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing, told San José Spotlight. “For shelters owned by nonprofit organizations, county staff work with the shelter provider to address issues that are identified.”Last fiscal year, the county invested roughly $47.5 million into shelters and temporary housing programs, which include a mix of state and local funds, according to county data.

There are 10,711 homeless people living in Santa Clara County, an all-time high according to a point-in-time count conducted in January. Only one in three homeless residents have access to one of the 3,454 shelter beds across the county, according to San José Spotlight’s exclusive compilation of data.

“It’s important to establish greater accountability in shelters, as they serve as the foundation for a new beginning for people who have lost everything or are experiencing hardships,” Ward said. “By enforcing accountability, we can better identify areas in need of improvement.”

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