Feb 4, 2007

Homeless problem 'very real'

Locals count homeless in county

By Kristen Munson / STAFF

Together with homeless men and women, about 200 volunteers visited creekside encampments, shelters and bridges this week to count transients as part of Santa Clara County's 10-year plan to end homelessness. The county must conduct a homeless count every two years to receive certain federal grants.

The last count was performed in 2004, when at least 7,646 homeless were tallied - most of whom were unsheltered and living on the streets. Santa Clara County received about $9 million in grants last year to be distributed among emergency and temporary housing agencies.

"Every city in the county has to realize there are homeless people in their city," said Margaret Gregg, homeless coordinator for the county's Homeless Concerns Office. "It's important that people know this is a countywide problem."

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors' 10-year plan aims to eliminate homelessness by 2015 by reducing emergency shelters and connecting homeless individuals with permanent housing and support services.

Volunteers swept through the region to count the homeless Monday and Tuesday. Final figures will not be available for several weeks, Gregg said. According to 2004 numbers, there were 101 homeless people in Cupertino, 71 in Campbell, 41 in Los Gatos and 28 in Saratoga.

Many residents of affluent communities don't realize they share their cities with the homeless, county officials said.

But Jo Greiner knows all too well that homelessness exists in Los Gatos.

"It's very real," she said. "(People) just have to open their eyes to it."

Greiner is the outreach director at Saint Luke's Episcopal Church in Los Gatos. Every Tuesday afternoon, about 20 to 25 homeless men and women gather at the food pantry there for a homemade meal.

"This does not include all the homeless (in town)," she said.

Thanks to collaboration among churches and civic groups, the homeless are connected to key services such as dental and eye care and temporary housing, Greiner said.

After the dot-com bust, businessmen financially devastated by the crash visited the food pantry on a weekly basis, Greiner said. Recently, she has seen a surge in the number of homeless women coming to the church.

Most of the homeless people she encounters live in vehicles or in encampments by the Los Gatos Creek. Some are mentally ill and some are victims of domestic violence.

Others suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Yet others have jobs and are students at West Valley College, Greiner said.

"Most of these people cannot go home again," she said. "So, we become a part of their extended family."


E-mail Kristen Munson at kmunson@dailynewsgroup.com.


IF YOU WANT TO HELP ...

To donate food, clothing, time or money to the homeless, contact Jo Greiner at 408-354-1010.