Civil Grand Jury report calls for more homeless shelter funds

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Just a week after San Benito County supervisors froze additional funding for the county’s only homeless shelter, the county’s Civil Grand Jury released a report recommending almost doubling its annual support. 

In its latest report, the 19-member grand jury, which investigates government operations in the county, found that while the shelter fulfills a critical role by providing temporary housing and meals, it’s insufficient as a meaningful solution to homelessness in the county.

The shelter “falls short in addressing the complex needs of the unhoused population, many of whom face mental health challenges or substance use disorders,” reads the report released on June 17. “Transitioning to stable housing often requires repeated efforts and consistent support.”

Homelessness has been steadily rising in San Benito County. The most recent point-in-time count, conducted in January 2024, recorded 621 people living either on the streets or in the county’s shelter. That shelter, the H.O.M.E. Resource Center, has 44 beds and operates near full capacity year-round. 

Run by the Monterey-based nonprofit Community Homeless Solutions under a $500,000 contract, it’s open 24 hours a day from November to April, and on a limited schedule—from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m.—from May to October.

The Civil Grand Jury found that reducing shelter hours during the warmer months of the year leads to staff turnover and a decline in services for the unhoused.

“Each May, full-time operations cease due to budget constraints, resulting in staff layoffs and disrupted client services,” the report states. “Clients who were working with housing navigators and case managers no longer have regular access to those services. Their progress is hindered or falls apart altogether.”

To address this, the Civil Grand Jury report recommends that both the city of Hollister and San Benito County increase their funding by $400,000 so that the shelter could run on a year-round, full-time basis. The proposal is based on input from shelter staff and suggests using federal or state grants, which the report suggests should be available in the 2026–27 fiscal year.

The report also recommends several improvements, including modifying part of the shelter within 45 days to accommodate individuals during the day, expanding regular outreach efforts, increasing engagement with private donors, and strengthening the process for tracking complaints and records.

However, the recommended changes now seem unlikely.

A week before the report was issued, the San Benito County Board of Supervisors on June 10 halted an expansion of the shelter that had been in the works for months. Facing a budget shortfall, the board scrapped a $20,000 proposal to convert its computer room into a space for 12 additional beds, and canceled a $185,000 increase to the shelter’s contract, which would have brought the total to nearly $685,000.

The supervisors unanimously agreed that there were no available funds in the general fund account, which is used to pay for daily operations, to cover the expansion.

Beyond the shelter, the Civil Grand Jury report also raises concerns about the county’s staffing, recruitment and retention efforts. It found that many job descriptions posted on the county’s web portal are outdated, that the Human Resources Department is overwhelmed by the volume of recruitment tasks, and that hiring is often delayed—or canceled altogether—due to budget constraints.

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