Mountain View, Calif. — The results for the 2025 Point-in-Time Count, released by the County of Santa Clara on Monday, Sept. 22, found that the number of people experiencing homelessness in Mountain View rose by 56% compared to the 2023 PIT count, going from 562 to 879 people. Like other cities in the northern part of Santa Clara County, Mountain View saw an increase in unsheltered homelessness due to more people residing in vehicles, especially in RVs. There was also a slight increase in shelter capacity in Mountain View.

The following factors have likely contributed to the significant rise in Mountain View’s sheltered and unsheltered populations:

• Lack of affordable housing and limited temporary shelters and programs in Santa Clara County and the greater Bay Area
• Terms of the Navarro settlement, which requires the City to provide a map online and via physical documents showing no less than three miles of street segments where oversized vehicles may park in Mountain View 
• Observed increase in vehicles from outside of Mountain View used for living, including commuters who have homes elsewhere and utilize oversized vehicles to live in while working in Mountain View temporarily
• Recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which cleared the way for cities and states to enforce ordinances and laws prohibiting camping in public outdoor spaces. Some cities in the region are banning encampments and/or oversized vehicle parking on their streets.

The City of Mountain View is a regional leader in implementing programs and services to help tackle the homelessness crisis.  Earlier this year, the City adopted a local response strategy called Pathways to Housing—Homeless Response Strategy Implementation and Expenditure Plan. The plan serves as a roadmap for addressing homelessness in Mountain View for the next seven to ten years through actionable goals, strategies, and a plan for expenditures and implementation.

The City continues to take a multifaceted approach to its homelessness response. These efforts have involved:

• Implementing the second-largest Safe Parking Program in the county, with 105 spaces available across four lots for oversized and other vehicles
• Collaborating with public and private partners to establish LifeMoves Mountain View, a 100-unit interim housing community, made possible through the State’s Homekey program
• Partnering with the County to convert the former Crestwood Hotel into the Heartwood Apartments, a 46-unit permanent supportive housing community 
• Facilitating a half-year emergency shelter program operated by the County
• Partnering with community-based organizations on homeless outreach and case management

The total number of people experiencing homelessness in Santa Clara County, including both sheltered and unsheltered individuals, increased by 8.2% compared to the 2023 PIT Count, from 9,903 to 10,711 people. More information about the 2025 PIT Count is available on the County website.

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