Housing & Mental Health

Mental Health Long-Term Group Housing Types

• Licensed Adult Residential Facilities (or Board & Care) homes are licensed by the state to provide long-term room and board (including meals and laundry services), 24-hour supervision of residents, assistance with medical and psychiatric needs and appointments, and dispensation of medications to residents. To determine if a facility is licensed (and to view complaints or violations), visit the state Community Care Licensing Facility Search site (click on Adult Residential and Daycare) or contact Community Care Licensing at (408) 324-2112.
• Unlicensed Adult Residential Group homes provide long-term shared or unshared rooms and access to home areas. They include “room and board” homes, which may offer services such as meals, laundry, transportation for appointments, shopping or social events, etc., and “independent living” homes, which may not provide meals or other daily living services. Note: these homes are NOT licensed and do not provide 24-hour supervision, medication management, medical or psychiatric assistance/transportation. Residents must be able to manage their medications and daily living activities on their own. If an unlicensed home is providing medications or medical care, you can make a complaint to Community Care Licensing at (408) 324-2112.  In these homes, you have the same rights given to all tenants in California.

Costs of Long-Term Group Housing – Charges vary based on type of income. If the person is on a federal fixed income such as Social Security (SSA) or SSI, the monthly rate amount is set by the State of California. If the person has his own means to pay, there is no fixed monthly rent, and costs can range from $3,000 to $7,000 per month.

State Licensed Adult Residential Facilities Search

Use the California DSS Community Care Licensing Facility Search to determine if an Adult Residential Facility (aka “board & care home”) has a current state license. Inspections, complaints and violations data are listed for each facility. Instructions:

1. Click on this link: https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/community-care-licensing/facility-search-welcome
2. At the bottom of the page, click on “Search for a Facility”
3. Select: “Adult Residential and Daycare”
4. Type County, City or Zip Code and press the “Search” button.
5. The next page displays the first page of facilities in that location, in alphabetical order.
6. Important Note: A majority of the Adult Residential Facilities only accept persons with developmental disabilities (such as Downs Syndrome, intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum). If you are seeking housing for someone with a mental illness, be sure to ask if the facility accepts people with “mental health disabilities.” 
7. Click on “view” to display the Facility Detail page, which contains information such as license Status (upper right corner), and tabs with Complaints, Inspections and Citations.

Note:  If a facility houses seniors only, they may be licensed as “Elderly Assisted Living” homes. Make that selection in step #3 above; then make sure “Assisted Living” is selected on the next page.

Useful Group Housing Documents

• Board and Care Home FAQs
• Residential Care Home Checklist
• Consumer’s Guide to Licensed Board and Care Homes – NAMI San Diego

Useful Residents Rights Documents

• Rights in Adult Residential Facilities – Disability Rights California
• Residents’ Rights Community Living Coalition presentation – July 2015
• The Unseen Housing Economy: A Road Map to the Independent Living Home Industry – 2025
• Renting Has Its Rights – City of San Jose web page on tenant rights

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Mental Health Short-Term Residential Treatment Types

• Short-Term Residential Treatment Facilities (aka Social Rehabilitation, Transitional Living or Crisis Residential Treatment) homes are licensed by the state to provide 24 hour a day non-medical care and supervision in a group setting to adults recovering from mental illnesses who temporarily need support, often after release from a psychiatric inpatient hospital. These facilities are normally managed through County mental health agencies. People can be admitted to these facilities in the following ways:
  1. Clients on Medi-Cal – are referred by County Behavioral Health Services via Residential Continuum of Care (if transitioning from psychiatric inpatient hospitals), or by case managers at County outpatient clinics or County contract FSP (Full Service Partnership) agencies. For assistance in obtaining County services, contact the Behavioral Health Call Center at 800-704-0900, option 2. 
  2. Private Insurance Clients – Some insurance providers will cover a stay in a residential treatment home. Contact your insurance provider customer service number. You can also contact La Selva Project in Palo Alto (650-617-1759), which is currently the only transitional living facility in the County that takes private insurance. 
  3. Private Pay Clients – transitional living (aka residential treatment) homes that take private pay are can be very expensive, and most are located out of Santa Clara County. The two transitional living facilities in the area are: 1) La Selva Project in Palo Alto (650-617-1759), and 2) Nueva Vista in Morgan Hill. (408-465-8280).
     
• Notes on 2. Private Insurance and 3. Private Pay options:
  * If you wish to conduct an internet search for residential treatment homes outside of Santa Clara County. Psychology Today has a Treatment Center Search web site, from which you can look for Treatment Centers in California, and filter by type, location, insurance, etc. 
  *To determine if a facility is licensed (and to view complaints or violations), visit the California state Community Care Licensing Facility Search site, and select “Social Rehabilitation Facilities,” or contact Community Care Licensing at (408) 324-2148.
• Sober Living Homes (also known as SLE’s) provide temporary shared rooms and access to home areas for persons in recovery from substance abuse (including those with dual diagnoses). All residents agrees to remain alcohol and drug-free, and some require that residents work, go to school, or volunteer during the day. Some have limits to how long a resident can stay. For people with mental illness, these homes require good independent living skills, but can also be more pleasant than “board and care homes” and more affordable than private or low-income housing. Note: these homes are NOT licensed and do not provide 24-hour supervision, medication management, medical or psychiatric assistance/transportation.
  To locate Sober Living Homes in your area, try a search engine such as Google or these internet search sites:
  • http://www.yelp.com: (search for “Sober Living” near “San Jose” or other local city.
  • If you have Medi-Cal or no insurance, you can contact Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Substance Abuse Treatment Services (SUTS) for information and referrals. Call 1-800-704-0900, option 2 and ask for SUTS

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Affordable Housing Definition: Housing is defined as affordable if it costs no more than 30% of one’s income. Most local low-income housing developments are built for families and individuals with incomes of 60% or less than the area median income (AMI). The County of Santa Clara has one of the highest annual AMIs in the country, at $168,500 for a family of four in 2022, which means rents are correspondingly high. Most in the Bay Area have long or even closed wait lists. It takes patience and persistence to secure an affordable housing unit. This type of housing may or may not be appropriate for someone living with mental illness. Rents are usually greater than SSI or SSDI payments, so renters may need an additional source of income. They must also be able to live independently and follow tenant rules. Occasionally, affordable housing units are reserved for special needs households, such as elderly or disabled tenants, and can be more accommodating to persons with a serious mental illness.

Affordable Housing Types

Common affordable-housing types in Santa Clara County include:

• Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8 / tenant-based vouchers) – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rental assistance payments for low-income households and/or disabled households, through the federal rental housing assistance program Housing Choice Voucher (also known as Section 8). In Santa Clara County, the HUD programs administrator is Housing Authority of Santa Clara County (HASCC) – Telephone: 408-275-8770. Address: 505 West Julian St., San Jose 95110. Use SCCHA’s Applicant Portal to sign up for these housing interest lists
• Project-based Affordable Housing – Affordable apartments tied to specific buildings, which you apply to via the property’s/manager’s process. Private developers often use federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) to build and make available a few “affordable units” in their buildings. Ways to find LIHTC units:
  • California’s Tax Credit Allocation Committee keeps a statewide database of tax credit projects, searchable by county
  • 211 Bay Area (call 2-1-1 or visit 211bayarea.org) keeps a regional housing resource list
  • Local nonprofit developers build and manage hundreds of affordable LIHTC units and post vacancies on their own sites:
    • Charities Housing – Telephone: 408-550-8300; Have a searchable database of available housing.
    • Mid-Peninsula Housing – Telephone: 650-356-2900; Have a searchable database of available housing.
    • Mid-Peninsula Housing Coalition  – Telephone: (Foster City Headquarters) 650-356-2900 (Monterey Bay Office) 831-707-2130  Email: info@midpen-housing.org. Build and manage affordable rental housing in Northern California.
    • Community Housing Developers – Telephone: 408-279-7657; Provides information about shared housing, senior housing, family housing, and the “below market program” for the cities of Los Altos and Santa Clara
• Supportive Housing – Housing connected to case management and other supports for homeless persons with special needs (including mental health outpatient treatment). Local supportive housing is provided by The Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing’s Continuum of Care (COC) program – Available to homeless County residents. For more information, see this page section “5. Local HOMELESS Housing Assistance.”
• Transitional Housing – These programs offer temporary housing for people who want to live on their own, but who do not have the financial resources or ability to do so. They usually provide supportive services to prepare them for independent living. Some programs assist people transitioning from an emergency shelter. Transitional housing usually offers more privacy than homeless shelters; may be no cost or low-cost and may cater to people with mental illness. Find information on transitional housing by:
  • Calling 211, or do an online search via the Santa Clara County 211 web site
  • Contacting Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services – California provides funding for temporary supportive housing for persons with disabling mental illnesses, via the Mental Health Services Act of 2004 (MHSA). People receiving County-based mental health services (via Medi-Cal) are eligible for these MHSA funded services. To obtain County mental health services, contact the Behavioral Health Call Center at 800-704-0900, option 2.
• Private Rental Housing – Some persons with mental health disabilities may be able to pay for market-rate housing. Also, some single-resident occupancy units, boarding houses, and other living arrangements may offer rents that are affordable to low-income residents. Private rental search sites include:
  • Craigslist Bay Area – It’s Housing section features listings mostly posted by smaller landlords and property managers. Not standardized or screened, so verify carefully.
  • Zillow – Large listings, good filtering (rent range, beds/baths, map view)
  • Apartments.com – Strong selection of managed buildings and apartment complexes.
  • Trulia – Good map browsing and neighborhood-level search.

Local Affordable Housing Support Resources:

• Santa Clara County 211 Housing Resources page, or call 211 – United Way of Silicon Valley’s 211 online information and resources database has a Housing resources page with relevant links.
• Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC)
  Main Branch – 408-894-9041; Email: info@svilc.org; Address: 2202 N. First St, San Jose, CA, 95131
  South County Branch – 408-843-9100; Email: info@svilc.org; Address: 7881 Church Street Suite C, Gilroy, CA, 95020
  SVILC supports people with disabilities, including those with mental health challenges. They provide group workshops and a chance to work with a Housing Specialist on the following:
  • Information and referrals to other community housing resources
  • Housing search strategies
  • Section 8 and other subsidized and low income housing
  • Understanding your housing rights as a person with a disability
  • Applying for emergency financial assistance for rent, security deposit, utilities, and other critical family needs
• The United Effort Organization – Provides comprehensive services to find affordable housing, public assistance programs, and other resources. Will mentor and work alongside clients, as needed, to help them set goals, find resources, develop job focus, set budgets and manage money. Has an excellent search tool to find affordable housing that is regularly updated. Also see their Housing Resources section.
• Doorway Housing Portal – Search for below-market-rate and affordable housing waitlists
• One Degree – National non-profit that helps low-income families access resources, including housing. Their searchable resource database can be accessed online, through the free One Degree App (Apple store or Google Play) or by texting (text 844-833-1334 with search phrase, like “food stamps” or “housing.”)
• .City of San Jose Housing Department  – Telephone: 408-535-3860  Serves lower- and moderate-income families by increasing, preserving, and improving housing that is affordable and livable. Provides some subsidized housing.

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These agencies provide financial and other assistance to people who have a place to live but are at risk of becoming homeless due to rent increases, loss of income, psychiatric and medical emergencies, etc. The assistance is usually for a limited time and eligibility is subject to each agency’s guidelines, which are usually based on address and income. Hint: Some agencies receive their funding on a monthly basis, so you are more likely to be accepted if you arrive early in the month. If you are refused, try applying again at the start of the following month.

Homelessness Prevention System (408) 516-5100 – If you’re a low-income household at risk of losing your housing, you may qualify for the following assistance through the Homelessness Prevention System (HPS) program:

• Temporary financial assistance
• Legal support
• Case management and related services

Guidelines for eligibility: resident of Santa Clara County, low income, at risk of losing housing within approximately 14 days, at high risk of homelessness. Call or email info@preventhomelessness.org for eligibility screening or call one of the participating agencies shown on the HPS website.

Emergency Assistance Network – United Way Silicon Valley and partner agencies have joined to create a safety net of essential services for Santa Clara County residents. The goal is to stabilize individuals and families during times of trouble and help them return to self-sufficiency. Which partner agency assists people depends upon their zip code. Emergency Assistance (EAN) agencies offer the following assistance to help families and individuals recover from emergency situations:

• Rent and Mortgage Assistance
• Food Assistance
• Utility Assistance
• Medical and Transportation Aid

To find the EAN agency for your zip code, you can call 211, or do an online search via the Santa Clara County 211 web site:

1. Go to the 211 Santa Clara County Housing page
2. Click on the kind of “Housing Expense Assistance” you need
3. Enter your zip code to find the agency that can assist you.

St Vincent De Paul (SVPD)  – Catholic charitable organization that helps persons in need with food, clothing and rent emergency services. Requests for these services are referred to local parish based “conferences.” Santa Clara County Council has 24 Conferences, which provide services such as food pantries, rental and utility assistance, clothing distribution, employment assistance, mentoring, and the traditional “home visit.” Visit the  SVPD website for a list of conference locations by zip code.

Silicon Valley Independent Living Center (SVILC) – Provides emergency financial assistance for rent, security deposit, utilities, and other critical family needs – RESTRICTIONS APPLY
Main Branch – Telephone: 408-894-9041  Address: 25 N 14th St, Suite 1000, San Jose, CA, 95112.
South County Branch – Telephone: 408-843-9100  Address: 7881 Church Street Suite C, Gilroy, CA, 95020

Domestic Violence Emergency Housing Assistance

Next Door Solutions to Domestic Violence  
24/7 Hotline: (408) 279-2962
Address: 234 E Gish Road, Suite 200, San Jose, CA 95112. Confidential counseling and emergency shelter placement for women and children   IF YOU ARE IN IMMEDIATE DANGER: CALL 911

YWCA Support Services – Telephone: 800-572-2782  Address: 375 S. Third Avenue, San Jose, CA 95112
For victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Offers crisis intervention, emergency shelter, legal services and community support.

Mental Health Crisis Housing

Momentum Crisis Stabilization Unit – Telephone (408) 207-0560, ext. 1, or ring doorbell at 101 Jose Figueres Avenue, San Jose. Individuals in crisis can stay up to 24 hours as a voluntary alternative to a locked treatment setting. Must be 18 years or older and have Medi-Cal or no insurance.

Momentum for Mental Health – Crisis Residential Treatment  
Mental health sub-acute residential housing and treatment at various facilities. Length of stay is about a month. Must have Medi-Cal or no insurance and be referred by Santa Clara County Behavioral Health (Call 800-704-0900, x1, or talk to your case manager).

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Office of Supportive Housing (OSH)
Telephone: 408-278-6400  Main Address: 150 W Tasman Dr, San Jose 95134
The Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing’s (OSH) role is help end and prevent homelessness by increasing the supply of affordable and supportive housing that is available to extremely low income and special needs households (including those with mental illness).

OSH oversees the Continuum of Care (COC) program, a group of County and other local housing agencies who work together to end and prevent homelessness in Santa Clara County. CoC manages “Coordinated Entry”: a community-wide coordinated assessment process that matches homeless people to permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing program and shelters and transitional housing programs. To participate in Coordinated Assessment, people must complete a standard assessment tool (the VI-SPDAT) that considers the person’s situation and identifies the best type of housing intervention. A “community queue” of eligible people is created from the assessment, which is then used to fill spaces in the County’s permanent housing programs. Currently, persons eligible for Coordinated Assessment services must meet the definition of “chronically homeless”: living on the streets or in a shelter for at least a year. Note: Chronically homeless individuals with mental illness often score as “high need” and may place higher on the queue list. 

Access points are locations where people who are homeless can complete the coordinated assessment intake (VI-SPDAT) and join the “community queue”. These locations include homeless shelters and other community agencies that provide housing information and homeless services. See the List of County Participating Agencies

Local Homeless Services

Here4You County Shelter Hotline – Call (408) 385-2400 9am to 7pm.
The Here4You call center hotline is the main referral for persons needing shelter in Santa Clara County.

HomeFirst Homeless Outreach Services Homeless HelpLine: 408-510-7600  
Address: 2011 Little Orchard Street, San Jose, CA 95121.  Email: outreach@homefirstscc.org – Call or come in if you are homeless and needing help, or if you are concerned about a homeless person(s). HomeFirst provides adult homeless services and shelter with beds for homeless adults and families. The phone number has 24-hour voicemail.

Homeless Services Brochure – Excellent pamphlet produced by the City of San Jose’s listing local housing and homeless services, including emergency shelters, drop-in service centers, rental and other financial assistance, food and clothing resources, help specific to women/families, youth, senior and veteran, and referrals for medical/mental health/recovery, legal, and employment services.

Homeless Shelter Directory for San Jose – Listings of homeless shelters and services for the needy in San Jose and surrounding cities.

San Jose City Homeless Concerns. Report a concern for homeless persons or encampments in San Jose, or persons living in vehicles. City Housing Department staff will outreach.

LifeMoves Opportunities Services Center
Telephone: 650-853-8672   Address: 33 Encina Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94301. Services for adults and families, including rent and utility assistance, case management and housing referrals, and medical and mental health outpatient treatment.

LifeMoves Julian Street Inn (for homeless with mental illness) (LifeMoves was formally known as InnVision)
Telephone: 408-271-0820   Address: 546 W. Julian Street, San Jose, CA 95110. Homeless shelter for seriously mentally ill persons for up to 90 days with rehabilitation, counseling, and housing referral services. Must be referred by a local mental health authority, such as Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services (800-704-0900).

Bill Wilson Center  
Telephone: 408-925-0231   Address: 693 S Second St, San Jose. Call for hours. Drop-in center for homeless youth ages 14-24. Services at the Drop-In Center include overnight respite and basic necessities such as food, personal care items and access to phone, computers and email. Showers and washer and dryer facilities are also available free of charge. Bill Wilson also operates a short-term shelter for young adults ages 18-24.

Useful Housing/Homeless Assistance Resources:

• Cold Weather Safety (Warming Centers) – Scroll down to “Find a Warming Center”
• Hot Weather Safety (Cooling Centers) – Scroll down to “Find a Cooling Center”
• Dignity on Wheels (shower and laundry services for homeless – click for schedule)

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Law Foundation of Silicon Valley – Housing Project 
Telephone: 408-280-2424  Phone intake hours: Monday 9-11:30AM. Walk-ins every Thursday 1pm until appointments are full. Free legal advice and representation on housing-related matters to low-income individuals in Santa Clara County. The Housing project can assist with:

• Defending eviction lawsuit
• Housing discrimination issues like reasonable accommodation requests for individuals with disabilities
• Enforcing the San Jose Tenant Protection Ordinance
• Enforcing the Santa Clara County Eviction Moratorium
• Legal outreach and support for renter organizing/campaigns
• Help with Housing Authority hearings
• Section 8 and other low-income housing issues like terminations and eligibility determinations
• Legal advice and information to tenants regarding notices for repairs/bad conditions

They cannot assist with:

• Evicting anyone from a household
• Providing financial assistance for renters
• Criminal cases
• Personal injury lawsuits

Law Foundation of Silicon Valley – Health/Mental Health Program
Telephone: 408-280-2420  Address: 4 N Second St, Suite 1300, San Jose, CA  95113. Phone intake: M-F 1PM-4PM. Walk-in: Tuesday and Thursday, 1PM-3PM. Health/Mental Program provides free legal services to any individual who lives in Santa Clara County and who identifies as having a mental health or a developmental disability, or are homeless. The Health Program cannot handle criminal cases, but can assist with:

• Medi-Cal, Medicare, CalWORKS, CalFresh (food stamps), CAPI, General Assistance (GA)

• Reasonable accommodation to access benefits programs

• Investigation of allegations of abuse or denial of rights at mental health facilities

• Advocacy for access to county mental health services

• Advocacy for access to mental health treatment in the county jails

• Assistance with name and gender marker to align with gender identity through Pro Bono Clinic

• Investigate sweeps of individuals’ property

• Limited counsel and advice for debtor’s rights issues/creditor harassments

California Department of Fair Employment and Housing
Telephone: (general information and complaints) 800-884-1684   TTY: 800-700-2320  Email: contact.center@calcivilrights.ca.gov. The mission of the Department of Fair Employment and Housing is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations, and from the perpetration of acts of hate violence.

Project Sentinel
Telephone: 800-339-6043  Address: 1490 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95050  Email: info@housing.org.  Project Sentinel offers fair housing investigation and enforcement in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Alameda, and San Joaquin Counties. Also offers tenant-landlord counseling and mediation services, first time homebuyer, and mortgage default counseling.

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Residents’ Rights Resources

In case of serious issues and/or violations (listed below) in unlicensed or licensed board and care/room and board homes, a person’s case manager, if they have one available, should be the first contact. If contact with the case manager is not possible or effective, the person should contact one or more of the agencies listed below, depending on the issue.

Abuse or Violation of Residents’ Rights

• Disability Rights California 1-800-776-5746
• Community Care Licensing 1-844-538-8766   For licensed facilities only
• Adult Protective Services 1-800-414-2002 or 408-975-4900   For dependent elders and adults
• Long Term Care Ombudsman 408-944-0567 (through Catholic Charities)   Advocates for people living in nursing homes and residential care facilities

Financial Abuse

• FAST (Financial Abuse Specialist Team) 408-975-4900 or 1-800-414-2002    For dependent elders and adults

Landlord/Tenant Issues (unlicensed residences)

• Project Sentinel 408-720-9888   For unlicensed facilities only

Unsafe building, bedbugs, cockroaches, vermin

• Code Enforcement 408-535-7770 (San Jose)
• Disability Rights California 1-800-776-5746
• Community Care Licensing 1-844-538-8766   For licensed facilities only

Useful Housing Rights Documents

• Your Rights in Residential Care Homes – Disability Rights California
• Residents’ Rights in Residential Care Facilities – Orange County Mental Health Systems – June 2020
• Residents’ Rights in Unlicensed Room & Board Homes – May 2014
• Residents’ Rights Community Living Coalition presentation – July 2015
• City of San Jose Rental Rights and Referrals Program – Rental Ordinance Mediation Arbitration