The Cost of Homelessness in Silicon Valley

Our friends at Destination Home took an unprecedented in-depth look at the cost of homelessness in Santa Clara County. Their cost study, Home Not Found: The Cost of Homelessness in Silicon Valley, found that while a homeless person costs the county on average $62,473/year while homeless, the average post-housing cost is just $19,767 – over $42.5k in cost reduction. Home Not Found points to myriad possibilities that can move us towards ending homelessness while saving the community money.

It is the largest and most comprehensive body of information that has been assembled in the United States to analyze the public costs of homelessness, combining diverse data streams to analyze the population that experienced homelessness in Santa Clara County between 2007 and 2012. It includes demographic and medical attributes, justice system history, health and human services provided, and the cost of services. This data shows the realities of the true cost to public and safety net systems of homelessness in Silicon Valley.