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April has been filled
with enormous energy,
events, and critical meetings, making it one of the busiest and most impactful months (yet!) of 2025 .
From policy discussions to community gatherings, April has had it all. I ha ve had opportunit ies to advocate to state and federal legislators to protect County interests and time to connect with residents across the district . One such moment of connection was the Bunnies
and Bonnets Parade in downtown Campbell. A big thank you to the organizers of this special event
Board
of Supervisors Meetings
April 8 Meeting
New Jail Plan Updates
The Jail Facility Transformation
Process is moving forward, with recent developments reflecting a focus on community engagement and stakeholder input. The draft workplan for community engagement is expected to be finalized in May, with
special emphasis on safety-by-design, as well as alternatives to incarceration (ATI) efforts and, for those whom the Court deems cannot be safely diverted, rehabilitation efforts from the moment of entry
The process includes an
in-depth technical assessment of current facilities, an analysis of best practices for facility design, and the completion of a custodial population projection study. I expressed c oncerns about the current draft’s lack of stakeholder engagement in assessing facility spaces like visitation areas and classroom spaces and directed administration to identify clear intersection points where community input will directly inform the design and functionality of future facilities.
Looking Ahead: The community
engagement phase is critical in addressing how current facilities impact both those incarcerated and those working within the system.
A study session on the
potential reinstatement of a zero-bail schedule is scheduled for June 25, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce jail populations.
We applaud the collective
progress in various jail reform initiatives and continue to encourage meaningful involvement from all community stakeholders. As we move through the transformation process, we remain committed to ensuring
that the needs and voices of those directly affected are central to the conversation.
Independent
Living Homes (ILH) and Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) funds
ounty
Administration and the Independent Living Homes (ILH) Workgroup provided an update on the progress made since the Board’s May 21, 2024 approval of $2 million in Bringing Housing to Behavioral Health (BHBH) funding.
This investment should improve conditions in and expand access to shared housing environments for individuals with serious mental illness and/or substance
use disorders. Since the
funding was approved, the ILH Workgrou p has worked closely with Administration to shape program guidelines, eligibility criteria, and a funding award process.
Heading
Home Quarterly Report
Heading Home describes the County’s central strategy to prevent and end family homelessness. T o
date, approximately 2,100 families—including 4,100 children—have secured permanent housing since the campaign’s launch. Prevention efforts have grown significantly,
now assisting more than
2,300 families annually, with 95% exiting to permanent destinations and only 7% returning to homelessness within two years.
One very concerning situation we are currently facing is that the emergency vouchers that have made this work possible were originally set to expire in 2035, but the County Housing Authority recently received notice
from the federal government that they will expire at the end of 2026, nine years earlier than expected. While the County and the Housing Authority will look for ways to backfill these dollars, actions like this deeply undermine our efforts to end family homelessness.
April 22
Meeting
Every month, the Board
receives a report from our Valley Homeless HealthCare Team (VHHP – because everything must have an acronym). VHHP is a program that serves the health needs of our County’s unhoused population. rom pediatric to adult care, VHHP has over 50 staff members including physicians , nurses and community o utreach specialists With an annual budget of over $11M, VHHP utilizes fixed clinics, mobile health centers and a street medicine team to deliver care. S inc e its creation in 2003, VHHP has received grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)- a federal agenc
Black
Maternal Health Week – Events & Action
April marked Black Maternal Health Week ,
and Santa Clara County t ook advantage of the spotlight to further rais awareness of the dangerous disparities in outcomes for black moms & infants, and highlight work being done to address those disparities. We held multiple impactful events to reflect
on the challenges facing Black mothers and babies and the urgent need for systemic change.
Perinatal
Equity Conference (April 11)
On April 11, I welcomed over 400 attendees to the third annual Perinatal Equity Conference hosted by Black Infant Health (BIH) and the Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEI). These programs have made significant strides in reducing disparities in maternal health, providing vital services and interventions to families across the county.
2024 data shows that BIH
participants had lower rates of maternal hypertension and higher screening rates for critical health conditions. Yet, Black mothers and infants still face disproportionate risks when it comes to preterm birth, infant mortality, and maternal complications.
We must continue to push for progress.
The County’s purchase
of Regional Medical Center, where labor and delivery services will soon be restored, is a critical step in our work. We will continue to focus on expanding resources and improving care to ensure equity in our healthcare system.
Black
Motherhood Through the Lens Screening
& Panel (April 17)
We concluded Black Maternal
Health Week with
a screening of Black Motherhood
Through the Lens ,
a documentary created by Dr. Adeiyewunmi Osinubi while she was still in
medical school !!) . The
film offers an intimate look at the barriers Black women face throughout pregnancy and childbirth. The screening was followed by a panel discussion with local healthcare professionals from Santa Clara County hospitals. I am very proud of the
work my office has done over the past several years to increase participation of the private hospitals across our County in this work.
CSAC
Legislative Conference
This month, I attended
the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) Legislative Conference ,
where leaders from across the state came together to discuss pressing issues affecting the state’s 58 counties.
One point of discussion
focused on the past 20 years of the state legislature “realigning” their responsibilities to the Counties – which means t hat Counties are told to provide services formerly undertaken at a state level – and often those mandates do not come with funding. CSAC has created an excellent resource to track the history of those mandates and the cumulative effec t
of 2 decades of realignments (which is a fancy way of saying a shi ft in who administers and pays for a particular service).
CALMatters hosted an excellent panel discussion with Tomiquia Moss, the Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency ,
Riverside Mayor Patrica Lock Dawson and LA County Supervisor
Holly Mitchell to highlight some best practices of cities & counties that are partnering successfully alleviate homelessness in their communities. I am always proud to share that our region was the very first in the state to create a Community Plan to End Homelessness that includes the County, the Housing Authority, our cities, and (https://go.sparkpostmail.com/f/a/mEHfQwbF9tj_c-ma0onoUQ~~/AAS2yhA~/ZhQW8URC8OojtvsBu_8rrWLr-2fQFc-dvYvxou30fvXcXdUIY5YvG2cHaZx0G7wCm2bsfBxFe8A_eq5z9WTzhOCAMruK224CjdyHuA46Pj7bYZ2vwtsUyCngJFeNs_EKIkYAtp3P5WVfc1yj6HON3ilTyA0dkXOQdu596u5_aZemVTj8GvyJuVEr5l0r7fySNYdi-ITB-6OzT_z_x7tgeA~~) a number of nonprofit organizations.
Santa Clara County is often on the cutting edge of innovative and impact ful programs and our outcomes are often looked to by other counties as a model of how they can achieve similar results
Counties across the state
are par tnering to initiate affirmative litigation
against the Trump administration to challenge unconstitutional and potentially illegal actions that harm residents and impede our ability to serve the people to whom we are responsible. Santa Clara County and San Francisco had a recent win in their lawsuit challenging the Trump administrations attempt to withhold federal funds
from so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, with the court ruling that the executive action was unconstitutional
I’m particularly excited that Santa Clara County will host the CSAC Annual Meeting this December , where I will be sworn in as the President of the association. The conference will offer an excellent
opportunity to showcase the great work our county is doing,
and I look forward to sharing our innovation and commitment to service with counties across the state.
Youth
Voice Coalition – Listening & Responding
Last Friday, I attended
my second quarterly meeting with the Youth Voice Coalition at
the Bill Wilson Center. This group brings together transitional aged (18-25) youth leaders from a variety of community organizations, including Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) , AACI , Youth Liberation Movement ,
and San Jose Conservation Corps .
The session was powerful, as youth shared their thoughts and concerns on issues ranging from mental health services to housing and justice system reform.
Participants s poke
about the insufficiency of services for justice-involved youth, the challenges of accessing reliable information, and the need for more comprehensive support. These
conversations are crucial as we work toward creating effective solutions that truly meet the needs of our youth.
Podcast:
The Power of TRUST ( Trusted Response Urgent Support Team – a m obile risis esponse team that does not include law enforcement
This month, we released
a new episode of our podcast focusing on the TRUST program, which is part of our County’s mobile crisis response team. I spoke with Elyse Malcolm , Program
Manager at Pacific Clinics ,
about how TRUST works to support indiv iduals in crisis and de-e scalate
many situations without involving law enforcement.
RUST is an essential part of the 988 system, which is a critical resource for mental health and substance use emergencies. The TRUST team provides immediate, community-based support for people in crisis, meeting them where they are and offering non-judgmental care. It’s a powerful model that
is changing lives in Santa Clara County.
Please listen to the full
episode and help spread the word about this essential resource.
▶️ YouTube 🎧 Spotify
Blog
Series: The Silicon Valley Index
This month, I took a deep
dive into the 2025 Silicon Valley Index ,
a comprehensive report that tracks economic, social, and demographic trends in the region. It’s a lot to digest, so I’ve broken it down into
a three-part blog series that examines key themes and reflects on what they mean for the work we do here in the county. I encourage you to take a look
Blog
1 :
Indexing the Data, Indexing the Humanity
Blog
2 :
The Care Economy is Broken—Do We Have the Will to Fix It?
Blog
3 :
The Thrill of Seeing Results
Thank you for your continued
engagement and support. The work we do together has a lasting impact, and I’m grateful for each of you who
contributes to making Santa Clara County a better place for all. I look forward to the progress we’ll make together in
the coming months.
As always, I and my team
are here to address your questions and concerns; please reach out anytime.
Warmly,
Supervisor Susan Ellenberg
Sourcewise Second
Harvest of Silicon Valley Child
Advocates of Silicon Valley Silicon
Valley Strong County
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Health Services Health
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and Financial Support
70 West Hedding East Wing, 10th Floor San Jose, CA 95110
(408) 299-5040 Email Supervisor Ellenberg (mailto:supervisor.ellenberg@bos.sccgov.org) District
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