April 1, 2026April 1, 2026 SCU Unhoused Initiative

Spring Newsletter

Help us reach our $10,000 goal and support the Unhoused Initiative on April 8th –

SCU’s Day of Giving!

Faculty Research Grant News

Congratulations to Jesica Fernández, Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies, the 2026 recipient of the Unhoused Initiative’s Faculty Research Grant! Professor Fernández will use the funds to study youth perspectives of homelessness, focusing on a San Jose neighborhood that experiences persistent housing insecurity.

The project builds upon Jesica’s work with SCU’s Environmental Justice for the Common Good Initiative Youth for Justice Program. We look forward to seeing the results of the study.

We are also excited to share an update from previous UI grantee, Engineering Professor, Hashim Said. Professor Said’s paper, “Generative Design of Interim Housing for Homeless Communities” was selected for the 2026 Construction Research Congress in San Antonio, Texas. The paper is co-authored with Joanne Price of Dignity Moves, Hashim’s community partner on the project.

You can access Prof. Said’s paper, as well as publications from other grantees, on the UI’s Online Resource Bank to read and learn more.

Spring Events

We hope to see you at one of these upcoming opportunities!

Mobile Showers – Volunteer on the 4th Thursday of each month. Email unhousedinitiative@scu.edu for more info or click here to sign-up!

HEART Talk – SCU Alum, Jennifer Palmer, ‘94, joins us on April 20th at 1:00pm to discuss her path from an SCU Art Major to Director of Housing & Community Services for Napa County. Click here to learn more & register to attend!

Unhoused Initiative Student Fellowship

Addison Lewis, ‘26 (Biology & Environmental Science) will serve as the first Unhoused Initiative Student Fellow. Addison will devote 50 hours of service to UI community partner, Agape Silicon Valley during spring quarter. Addison will support Agape’s outreach and supply distribution to regional encampments. She will also help Agape build their online presence and develop organizational tools and systems.

Thanks to a Bannan Grant from the Ignatian Center, the UI will support additionanl fellows in placements with community partners. We are currently working with other organizations to establish opportunities.

If you are interested in a fellowship opportunity, please email us – unhousedinitiative@scu.edu

Did You Know?

Quick Facts About the Homelessness Crisis

Santa Clara County’s Homelessness Prevention System has helped more than 38,000 people avoid homelessness since 2020.
According to a study by Notre Dame’s Lab for Economic Opportunities, for every $1 spent on prevention in the County, $2.47 of benefits are realized.
Due to its successes, Santa Clara County’s Homelessness Prevention System is being replicated nationwide.

Check out this fact sheet to learn more!

Winter Donation Drive –

Thank You for Your Generosity!

Thanks to donations from our SCU community, we provided dozens of coats, ponchos, warm clothes, shoes, tarps, hygiene kits, and hand warmers to four local homeless service organizations for their clients.

Way to go, Broncos!

Further Reading …

Articles, podcasts and news related to the homelessness crisis publish nearly every day. These are stories we recommend.

Santa Clara Law Review – Vol. 66, Issue 1, articles focused on the Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson
ProPublica – Albuquerque’s Mayor Said Arrests Were “Not the Solution to Homelessness.” Yet Jail Bookings Have Skyrocketed.
NHCHC – April 29th Webinar: Hospital Experiences of Patients Without Housing & the Teams Who Care for Them

The Unhoused Initiative is supported by the Deans of the College of Arts & Sciences & School of Law, Destination: Home SV and private gift funds.

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.

April 6, 2024 SCU Unhoused Initiative

Amicus Brief filed in Grants Pass v. Johnson

Unhoused Initiative founding member and affiliated faculty, Jamie Chang, PhD, recently contributed to an Amicus Brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the upcoming Grants Pass v. Johnson case. The Brief is filed in support of Gloria Johnson and explains the harms of anti-homeless laws on people experiencing homelessness and on their ability to return to housing. It also argues the ineffectiveness of anti-homeless laws as they do not reduce homelessness, and that municipalities are not left without other options to address the homelessness crisis.

The case will examine whether a municipality can criminalize sleeping in public when alternate shelter is not available. The case could have major impacts on the criminalization of homelessness in the United States.

Arguments in the case will take place on April 22nd. The Unhoused Initiative is hosting a panel discussion on the case the week prior, April 16th, at Noon. You can find more information about and register for the event here.

Dr. Chang’s brief is available for viewing in the Articles & Research folder of the Unhoused Initiative’s Online Resource Bank.