West Valley Eyes Safe Overnight Parking Expansion

Five West Valley jurisdictions are moving from study to public debate over whether to add more legal overnight parking for people living in cars and RVs. Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga have been reviewing a regional homelessness feasibility study that examined shared responses, including parking-based programs, after a needs analysis found homelessness in the area had grown and often looks different from street homelessness in larger cities. The discussion has centered on residents who sleep in vehicles rather than in tents, a pattern local officials and service providers have said is more common in the West Valley than in other parts of Santa Clara County. A May 17 Mercury News report said city leaders discussed safe parking last month as one option for a coordinated regional response. San Jose has emerged as the closest local example. (campbellca.gov) The city says more than 1,000 people sleep in vehicles on any given night in San Jose and that it now contracts for two safe parking sites, one at Santa Teresa light rail station and one on Berryessa Road in north San Jose. ### Which cities are involved in the West Valley effort? Campbell, Cupertino, Monte Sereno, Saratoga and the Town of Los Gatos joined the West Valley Homeless Services study effort through a regional memorandum of understanding in spring 2025, according to a staff report posted in Los Gatos meeting materials. (mercurynews.com) Campbell said the work began in 2024 and was designed to identify collaborative approaches to homelessness across the subregion. (sanjoseca.gov) The January 26, 2026 feasibility study was prepared with support from Santa Clara County’s Office of Supportive Housing and Destination: Home, and followed an earlier needs analysis dated July 24, 2025. The participating cities have posted the study materials on their housing pages for public review. ### Why is safe parking part of this conversation? The 2025 Point-in-Time Count showed homelessness across the five jurisdictions rose 13% between 2023 and 2025, according to city summaries of the study. (losgatos-ca.municodemeetings.com) Those same summaries said the West Valley unhoused population includes first-time homelessness, long-term homelessness, and a notable presence of families and youth. Cupertino’s housing page describes the West Valley Rotating Safe Car Park as temporary overnight parking for homeless individuals or families living out of their cars, paired with hospitality and case management services. (saratoga.ca.us) That description aligns with the broader regional focus on vehicle dwellers as a distinct group needing a legal place to stay while connecting to housing help. (saratoga.ca.us) ### What does San Jose’s program look like now? San Jose says its safe parking program is designed to provide a safer place to park overnight and link participants to case management, employment search help, housing locator assistance, health care referrals and behavioral health services. The city says participants also receive two meals a day. April 10, 2025 marked the opening of San Jose’s Berryessa supportive parking site, which the city said has 86 spaces for residents and their RVs and reached capacity after a phased move-in. (cupertino.gov) The city said the site prioritized people living in vehicles within a 1.5-mile radius. San Jose also allows organizations to host safe parking on private lots through a city registration process. The city says nonprofits, businesses, faith organizations and service clubs can seek guidance from the Housing Department on how to comply with the ordinance. (sanjoseca.gov) ### What happens next in the West Valley? February 4, 2026 was the date Campbell formally released the West Valley Homeless Services Feasibility Study for public review. (sanjoseca.gov) Campbell City Manager Brian Loventhal said at the time that the report gives the jurisdictions “a shared understanding of the challenges” and a basis for future collaboration. The next step is not a single regional vote but a series of local policy discussions in the five jurisdictions, according to city summaries accompanying the study. (sanjoseca.gov) Those materials say the findings are intended to inform decision-making and possible collaborative actions among Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno and Saratoga. (saratoga.ca.us) (campbellca.gov)