County adds 95 temporary shelter beds as temperatures near freezing

Santa Clara County is opening inclement weather shelters Tuesday due to near-freezing temperatures expected in the region through Friday.

According to Michelle Covert, spokeswoman for the county’s Office of Supportive Housing, the county is increasing its shelter bed supply by 95 during this week’s inclement weather — raising the bed count from its usual 2,007 to 2,102.

Shelter space will open until Friday, including on Thanksgiving Day, in Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Saratoga and San Jose.

The National Weather service expects nighttime low temperatures through Saturday to reach close to freezing in the mid 30s, and daytime temperatures to not exceed the low 50s.

The San Jose City Council in October voted to operate two of the city’s shelters daily through the winter months, beginning Nov. 1 and ending as late as April 30 next year.

The two daily shelters operate at Bascom Community Center and Library at 1000 S. Bascom Ave., and Roosevelt Community Center at 901 E. Santa Clara St.

More than 9,700 individuals were unhoused during this year’s biennial census, which was an increase from the nearly 7,400 unhoused individuals counted in 2017. According to the census, about 82 percent of the county’s homeless people, or 7,922 people, are unsheltered.

A full list of the county’s available shelters and beds can be found online.