santa-clara-university – The Unhoused Initiative at SCU

January 6, 2026January 12, 2026 SCU Unhoused Initiative

Winter Newsletter – 2026

Students Inform Local Response to Homelessness

This fall, courses led by UI faculty and partners immersed students in the local response to homelessness. Students in Long Le’s Microfinance for Entrepreneurial Development, Sonja Mackenzie’s Senior Public Health Capstone, and Brie Mendoza’s Unhoused Advocacy Clinic worked directly with our unhoused neighbors and researched opportunities for local change.

A student speaks to a resident of a homeless encampment adjacent to railroad tracks. — _{Credit: S. Mackenzie}

Capstone students took on two projects. Utilizing a “Wellness Audit,” one group examined the impacts of displacement while unhoused, collecting surveys at a variety of community sites. In partnership with the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley and the Gilroy Union of the Homeless, their findings will inform local advocacy addressing encampment sweeps. A second group of Capstone students assisted people with claims for lost, damaged or destroyed property arising out of abatements, supporting the Unhoused Advocacy Clinic’s work. A recorded presentation of each group’s findings is available here.

Management students developed a “Zero Interest Microfinance” program for people experiencing homelessness which includes microloans and financial literacy training. People experiencing homelessness are also invited to invest in the program. A ZiM pilot is expected to launch this winter.

A law student meets with a client in a room with multiple tables. — _{Credit: B. Mendoza}

Through the Unhoused Advocacy Clinic, law students assisted clients with court fines and fees, property claims and record clearance matters. The students staffed six legal clinics in the community during fall semester, serving nearly 60 people who have been impacted by the criminalization of homelessness.

Of note, the three courses worked collaboratively, increasing their projects’ impact and bolstering community connections. People who needed assistance with a property claim, for example, could also respond to the Wellness Audit and learn about the ZiM program. Students also supported the work of community partners with service hours, research contributions and community education.

Campus education and community partnership are pillars of the Unhoused Initiative’s work. We congratulate the students’ on their commitment and impact this fall!

Join us this winter

Watch for upcoming details about these events and projects …

Mobile Showers – Join us for a monthly service event at the showers on the 4th Thursday of the month. Open to all of the SCU Community. Click here to sign-up or email unhousedinitiative@scu.edu for more info!
Winter Supply Drive: Jan. 21 – Jan. 30. Click here for drop-off locations, suggested items, & info for a service event Jan 30! Items will be delivered to guests and clients or local homeless service providers.
HEART Talk – SCU Alum, Jose Lujano, ‘14, joins us on February 04 at 4:30pm to discuss his career in advocacy for, and development of, affordable housing in Santa Clara County.

Did you know?

Quick facts about housing & homelessness in Silicon Valley

two people pictured in their encampment adjacent to railroad tracks. — _{Credit: S. Mackenzie}

According to the latest count, 10,711 Santa Clara County residents are experiencing homelessness.
Economic reasons, such as increasing costs of housing and loss of employment, are the primary causes and drivers of homelessness in Santa Clara County.
Participants in Santa Clara County Permanent Supportive Housing programs have a 95% success rate in maintaining housing.

You can learn more on Destination: Home’s website.

Basic Needs on Campus

Nearly one-quarter of SCU students experience housing insecurity according to the annual Basic Needs Survey. If you need support to maintain your housing, access food, obtain health insurance or meet a transportation or technology need, help is available. Use this form to contact SCU’s Basic Needs Office for assistance.

More information on January events …

April 21, 2025April 18, 2025 SCU Unhoused Initiative

Go ALL OUT for the Unhoused Initiative – April 23rd!

SCU’s Day of Giving is coming up on Wednesday, April 23rd! The Day of Giving is an annual twenty-four hour fundraiser dedicating to supporting the student experience. This year, the Unhoused Initiative is raising funds for undergraduate and law school experiential learning courses, student internships at local non-profit organizations, service oriented opportunities, and campus events highlighting how the homelessness crisis impacts our community.

In a few short years, the UI has grown into a year-round coordinated effort to harness the myriad resources within our SCU community to forge meaningful improvements in the local response to the homelessness crisis. The UI offers campus events, course work and service opportunities centered on homelessness and rooted in community partnerships. Through an internal grant program, we support faculty research that is informing local policy and advocacy. In partnership with student researchers and organizations, we are reducing stigma and misinformation related to homelessness. By collaborating with administrators and staff focused on campus life, we are advocating for ways to address student housing insecurity. Because of our faculty’s dedication to promoting the dignity and humanity of our unhoused neighbors, students have access to experiential learning opportunities – Senior Capstone, ELSJ, and an upcoming legal clinic course – centered on service and advocacy.

We hope you will support the Unhoused Initiative and our commitment to building a more humane, just and sustainable world for our unhoused neighbors, our community and all Broncos.

If you would like to support the Unhoused Initiative and social justice in action, please visit the UI’s Day of Giving website. Thank you!

November 20, 2024 SCU Unhoused Initiative

Honoring Our Unhoused Neighbors

On November 18 and 19, the Unhoused Initiative hosted an outdoor art display of the Tombstone Memorial for our unhoused neighbors who died on the street in Santa Clara County this year. Each year, local activist, Shaunn Cartwright, makes a tombstone for each person who died while homeless in the County. A representative sample of the current 195 deaths this year (as of Nov. 18, 2024) were on the Kenna/Benson lawn to raise awareness on campus about homelessness and homeless mortality. It was also an opportunity to acknowledge the 10th anniversary of the sweep of The Jungle in San Jose – one of the largest encampments in the country at the time.

A noontime panel complemented the tombstone display. The panel discussed homeless mortality and the health and safety impacts of encampment sweeps. It was also a reflection on the sweep of the Jungle in 2014 and the community that resided there. Panelists included Shaunn Cartwright, creator of the Tombstone Memorial project, Robert Aguirre, member of the Gilroy Homeless Union, Todd Langton, Executive Director of Agape Silicon Valley, and Unhoused Initiative faculty member, Professor Boo Riley. The panel was the first in a year-long series examining encampment sweeps, past, present and future.

Click here for more information about the Tombstone Memorial, the Jungle, and our panelists.

September 19, 2024 SCU Unhoused Initiative

UI Affiliates Honored at CAS Convocation

On Tuesday, September 17th, SCU’s College of Arts & Sciences held their Convocation and Awards to kick-off the 2024-25 academic year. Two UI-affiliated faculty received College Awards at the event.

UI Faculty alum, Sarita Tamayo-Moraga, received the Prof. Francisco Jimenez Reaching Out Award in recognition of her dedication to the local community and serving society’s most disadvantaged and underserved members. In particular, Sarita was selected for her commitment to our unhoused neighbors and her collaboration with the mobile showers program through Catholic Charities, Santa Clara County. Sarita has dedicated countless hours to this partnership, providing students with the opportunity to serve at the mobile showers program which provides people experiencing homelessness with a hot shower, clean laundry and other hygiene necessities.

Additionally, current UI Faculty Grant recipient, Prof. CJ Gabbe, received the Dr. David E. Logothetti Teaching Award. The award is given in recognition of having established among colleagues and students a reputation for an energetic, engaging and effective teaching style. In his work with the UI, CJ is currently researching the impacts of the heat index on unhoused populations to inform a network of policies in Santa Clara County.

Congratulations to Sarita and CJ on these well-deserved awards!

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