From Cash Checks to Shelter Mandates, The South Bay Is Betting Big on Homelessness Solutions
Homeless tents and homeless people are seen by the Polk Street near the City Hall during rainy day in San Francisco. (Anadolu via Getty Images)
Airdate: Thursday, August 5, 2026 9 AM
The Bay Area’s homelessness crisis is one of the most acute in the nation, and it has concentrated in the region’s biggest cities, like San Jose. Many communities have adopted new policies aimed at mitigating the crisis – from checks aimed at stabilizing vulnerable renters to making it illegal to refuse shelter beds. We examine the causes and potential solutions being implemented around the Bay Area, with a special look at a series of controversial new policies being implemented in the South Bay, including an effort to redirect funding from permanent housing projects to build more forms of temporary shelter.
Guests:
- Dr. Margot Kushel, director, Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative; professor of medicine, UCSF
- Luis Melecio-Zambrano, journalist covering Cupertino, Milpitas and Sunnyvale, Bay Area News Group
- Ethan Varian, housing reporter, Bay Area News Group. Luis and Ethan’s recent reporting examines why homelessness is so severe in the Bay Area, what sets the region apart and what could help.