A large homeless shelter in Sunnyvale is getting a new operator after the nonprofit currently in charge decided to pull out of the site amid allegations it discriminated against the facility’s Black employees and residents. HomeFirst, one of Santa Clara County’s largest homeless service providers, announced in March that it would cease operating the county-owned shelter, saying that continuing to run the 145-bed site “ ” would be a distraction from its other work in cities including San Jose and Mountain View. In response, the county Board of Supervisors last month unanimously agreed to hand over the shelter to the Santa Clara-based Bill Wilson Center in July.
The nonprofit is set to receive a two-year contract worth up to $5 million. Once the new provider takes over, the facility at 999 Hamlin Court will transition from sheltering single adults to homeless families. County officials said they couldn’t find a qualified operator willing to serve homeless adults in a group shelter.
Officials said most established local service providers now prefer to operate shelters with private rooms that offer residents more privacy and stability than traditional congregate sites like Hamlin. However, officials said the Bill Wilson Center is prepared to continue sheltering some single adults through June 2025 as the county works to move current residents at the site to other shelters or housing. Officials estimate there will be around 70 to 80 residents still living there by the ti.
