Extended operation for Mountain View cold weather shelter

SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County’s Cold Weather Shelter in Mountain View will stay open for an additional two weeks this spring amid continuing rain, wind, and cold weather challenges facing the region.

“It’s a cold, wet hell out there for homeless folks in our area,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who spearheaded development of the County’s cold weather shelter in Mountain View (and the year-round shelter in Sunnyvale).

Located at the United Methodist Church’s Mountain View campus on the corner of Hope and Mercy Streets, the shelter offers up to 30 beds and a warm place to stay nightly from 3 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following morning for women and families during the cold weather season. The shelter, which was scheduled to be open through the end of March 2023, will now continue to provide services through the morning of Friday, April 14.

Simitian, who first proposed the Mountain View shelter in 2017, thanked County staff, the City of Mountain View, the Los Altos United Methodist Church, and the shelter’s nonprofit operator HomeFirst for their efforts to extend shelter services, noting that, “The cold and the wet have been just relentless this season. People need a place to go, a place that’s safe, warm, and dry. It’s just that simple,” he said.

“It’s critical that our residents are sheltered and safe while we weather these storms,” said Simitian.

The Mountain View Cold Weather Shelter has been in operation every winter since 2017 and provides sleeping accommodations, breakfast and dinner, access to showers and restrooms, and case management.

Last year, the shelter hours extended to 3 p.m. to 9 a.m. in recognition of the need for women, families and children staying at the shelter to have a safe and warm place to go after school ends in the afternoon and before buses and other resources start operating in the morning. The shelter previously operated between 5 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

Simitian said he pushed for the extra hours, “because the need is clear, and I worried, frankly, that some people either couldn’t or wouldn’t come into the shelter with the more limited hours.”

“Mountain View strives to be a ‘Community for All’ and extending the Cold Weather Shelter’s operations for two additional weeks supports these efforts, especially given the heavy rains and windy conditions that have plagued this area,” said Mountain View Mayor Alison Hicks.

“On behalf of the City Council, I appreciate County Supervisor Joe Simitian’s ongoing efforts for supporting services like this one for our most vulnerable residents here in Mountain View. We also recognize HomeFirst and Trinity United Methodist Church for their willingness to adapt to changing conditions, and provide for local women and families in need of shelter during colder weather.”  

“We have a responsibility to provide shelter and support for our most vulnerable members, especially during inclement weather,” said Lori Smith, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for HomeFirst. “Keeping the Mountain View shelter open during this next round of wet weather is not just a moral imperative but a practical necessity for the well-being of our neighbors.”

Residents seeking shelter in Mountain View or at other shelter locations can contact the County's Here4You Hotline (408-385-2400), which matches people to emergency shelters and provides referrals to other community resources. The hotline call center operates seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and extends to 8:30 p.m. during periods of bad weather.