Home Together 2026

Community Plan

Home Together 2026 Community Plan – Key Takeaways

Building from the Centering Racial Equity in Homeless System Design report (released in 2021), the Home Together 2026 Community Plan calls for promoting racial equity through focused work to reduce the racial disparities that shape homelessness in Alameda County, including adding housing resources that more equitably address the conditions leading to higher rates of homelessness among Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC).
Increased investment in prevention and the addition of more than 24,000 housing opportunities in a variety of program models are needed to reach a point within five years at which the number of people who become homeless in a year and the number who are able to leave homelessness in that time are in balance. These 24,000+ interventions include everything from short-term support to prevent homelessness to ongoing rental subsidies and supportive housing with services.
The total cost of increasing homelessness response system operations for shelter and housing inventory over five years would be approximately $2.5 billion.
Taken together, a significant increase in investment and the creation of new program models and pathways out of homelessness will lead to decreases in new homelessness, improved racial equity in outcomes, shorter lengths of time being homeless, and a reduced rate at which people return to homelessness.

See how the Home Together 2026 Community Plan is discussed in the new documentary film “A Rising Tide”, which looks at the homelessness crisis in Alameda County.

Annual Home Together Progress Updates

Progress on the implementation of the Home Together Plan will be reported annually. Data will be collected annually in the following areas to analyze progress towards the Home Together goals and to inform strategic planning for Alameda County’s homelessness response system:

Funding and investments
System inventory
Home Together strategies and activities
Key service and outcome measures

Home Together Year 1 Progress Update

Overall, progress during the first year of the Home Together Plan was nearly on track with what was projected as needed in terms of investments and inventory growth. However, the simultaneous growth in new homelessness, and a lack of sustainable resources makes the prospect of continued progress uncertain and leaves several key strategies awaiting funding to launch or expand to the level needed.

The following are key takeaways from data from the Home Together Plan’s first year:

Takeaway #1. System Capacity has Expanded. Alameda County’s homelessness response system has expanded capacity, serving 25% more people during FY21-22 compared to FY20-21. In FY21-22 $576 million was allocated towards system inventory and operations, and close to 1,900 permanent housing opportunities and 1,500+ crisis response units were added to the system.
Takeaway #2. New Homelessness Outpaces Housing Placement Rates. People becoming homeless in FY21-22 (4,033 people) outpaces the rate at which people moved from homelessness to housing (3,010).
Takeaway #3. Racial Disparities Persist. Homelessness continues to disproportionately impact people of color in Alameda County, especially Black/African Americans.
Takeaway #4. Lack of Funding is Stalling Key Activities. This includes adding subsidies for people with fixed incomes, expansion of dedicated affordable housing for people who do not need intensive services, and increasing capacity for service providers.
Takeaway #5. Sustainable Resources are Needed. More than half of the homelessness response system’s funding for key programs is nonrecurring. Reliable funding is needed to maintain existing inventory and to significantly grow system inventory over time.

Home Together Year 1 Progress Update Report