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How San Mateo County's Housing Crisis System Actually Works — and How to Get Help
Housing costs in San Mateo County rank among the highest in the country. For a family that has lost income or fallen behind on rent, the difference between housing stability and homelessness can close quickly. Below are details on how the homeless prevention programs work in the county and how to get help if facing eviction.
The county's response to people that are homeless or facing an eviction is a structured system of programs — run jointly by the county's Human Services Agency and a network of eight community organizations — designed to keep people housed when possible and move them back into housing fast when it isn't.
How to Get Started: Your Core Service Agency
The entry point to nearly every homelessness prevention and rehousing program in San Mateo County is a Core Service Agency (CSA). There are eight of them, each covering a specific part of the county. When you call, a case manager evaluates your situation, explains what help may be available, and connects you to the right program — whether that's emergency rental assistance, a shelter placement, or something else entirely. Contact the agency at https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/core-service-agencies-emergency-safety-net-assistance, or look below for details on the center that covers where you live
- Coastside Hope, call (650) 726-9071, covers Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Montara, and Moss Beach
- Daly City Community Services Center is at (650) 301-3300. The office is for Daly City, Colma, and Broadmoor
- Fair Oaks Community Center can be contacted at (650) 780-7500. It covers Redwood City, Atherton, North Fair Oaks, Portola Valley, and Woodside
- Pacifica Resource Center is at (650) 738-7470. The agency is for Pacifica only
- Puente de la Costa Sur phone is at (650) 879-1691. The agency covers Pescadero, La Honda, Loma Mar, San and Gregorio
- Samaritan House can be called at (650) 347-3648. They support San Mateo, Belmont, Burlingame, Foster City, Hillsborough, Millbrae, and San Carlos
- Samaritan House South contact is (650) 294-4312. CSA covers East Palo Alto, and Menlo Park
- YMCA Community Resource Center is at (650) 271-3850. It is for South San Francisco, Brisbane, and San Bruno
Call ahead to confirm current hours before visiting. Hours vary by location and day. If you're unsure which agency covers your address, dial 2-1-1, or text your zip code to 898211.
The Coordinated Entry System: How the County Decides Who Gets What
San Mateo County uses something called a Coordinated Entry System, or CES, to manage access to its limited housing resources. Samaritan House administers this system on behalf of the county.
Here's what that means: when you contact a Core Service Agency, a trained assessor goes through a standardized evaluation of your housing situation — your income, how you lost housing or are at risk of losing it, your household size, any health or disability factors. That information goes into a shared system that then matches you to available programs based on your level of need.
This isn't a first-come, first-served waitlist. The county prioritizes the people most at risk of long-term homelessness. That can feel frustrating if you're in crisis, but it also means people who have been on the street the longest or who face the greatest barriers to housing aren't pushed aside by people with more resources to advocate for themselves.
Diversion: Keeping You Out of the System Entirely
Before placing anyone in a shelter or formal program, the CES process includes a diversion step. Diversion workers — sometimes called housing problem-solvers — talk through whether there's a safe, immediate alternative to shelter that doesn't require tapping into limited program slots. That might mean reconnecting with family or friends who could temporarily house you, resolving a landlord dispute, or getting a small amount of financial assistance that stabilizes a situation that was about to collapse.
Diversion isn't always possible, but when it works it's faster and less disruptive than entering the formal shelter system. It's worth being honest about your full situation when you call your Core Service Agency — including any housing options you may have ruled out — because case managers are trained to find solutions that aren't obvious.
Homelessness Prevention: Emergency Help Before You Lose Your Housing
If you're still housed but facing eviction, the Core Service Agencies can connect you to emergency assistance funds that may cover back rent, utility arrears, or other costs that are putting your housing at risk. These funds come from multiple sources — including federal Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) dollars administered through the county, state Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) funding, and locally raised resources. This kind of help isn't guaranteed and is subject to availability - see the dedicated rental assistance programs for San Mateo County.
The Housing Industry Foundation also runs an Emergency Housing Fund that covers San Mateo County residents facing imminent loss of housing. It can pay rent, security deposits, or utility bills. There's a catch: you can't apply directly. A trained case manager at a partner agency has to submit the application on your behalf, which is another reason to contact your Core Service Agency first. Reach HIF at [email protected] if you have questions, but expect to work through a local agency for the actual application.
Rapid Rehousing: Getting Back into Housing Fast
If you've already lost housing, rapid rehousing is one of the most important tools in the county's system. Rapid rehousing programs provide short- to medium-term rental subsidies — meaning the program pays part or all of your rent for a defined period — combined with a housing locator who actively helps you find a unit and negotiate with landlords, plus case management to help stabilize your situation once you're housed.
The goal is to get people into a private market apartment or rental unit as quickly as possible, rather than cycling through shelter for months. The county has expanded its rapid rehousing inventory using federal, state, and local dollars, including recent HHAP-6 funding specifically targeting transitional age youth (18–24). Access to rapid rehousing is through the CES process, starting with your local Core Service Agency.
Emergency Housing Vouchers
Through the Continuum of Care, a limited number of federally funded Emergency Housing Vouchers (EHVs) are available for people who are literally homeless, recently homeless, or at risk of homelessness and fleeing domestic violence or other dangerous situations. These are administered by the Housing Authority of San Mateo County but cannot be applied for directly — referrals come through the CoC and CES. Your Core Service Agency is the right starting point.
Shelter as a Bridge
For people who need immediate shelter while the CES process works, the county has expanded its shelter capacity significantly in recent years. We have a list of other shelters for the homeless in San Mateo County. The Navigation Center of San Mateo County, a 240-unit non-congregate interim shelter, is one anchor of this system. Samaritan House operates additional shelters in South San Francisco and Redwood City. Shelter placements are coordinated through the CES — call your Core Service Agency for a referral.
Who Runs the System
The San Mateo County Human Services Agency, through its Center on Homelessness (website: https://www.smcgov.org/hsa/center-homelessness), serves as the lead agency for the county's Continuum of Care (CoC) — the federally recognized structure, funded by HUD, through which homeless services funding is allocated and coordinated. The CoC isn't a place you walk into; it's the governance and funding framework that ties together all of the programs described here. If you're a service provider or want to learn more about how the system is structured, contact the Center on Homelessness at [email protected]..
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