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Tombstone Project marks unhoused deaths in Santa Clara County, even as number of annual deaths declines
The number of unhoused residents who died in Santa Clara County in 2025 is down from previous years, as advocates prepare to mark each death with a display of tombstones.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Homeless advocates in Santa Clara County on Tuesday prepared for the annual tombstone display, a visual reminder of the human toll of the homelessness crisis.
This year’s event comes as the county coroner’s office reports a decline in deaths among unhoused residents, a trend the City of San Jose attributes to expanded outreach and shelter efforts.
San Jose expands shelter capacity
San Jose has more than doubled its shelter and safe-parking capacity in 2025. The year began with 910 beds and spaces, and the city added another 1,119, according to Mayor Matt Mahan’s office. An additional 200 beds are expected to open in early 2026, bringing total capacity to more than 2,200.
Despite the increase, both advocates and city officials say the number of deaths remains unacceptably high and underscores the difficulty of addressing homelessness in the region.
In Sunnyvale, advocate Rose Gregorio helped paint the tombstones. She said the display serves as a reminder that those who died were members of the community.
"I want them to be heard so our city officials can help more. And I feel like it is an honor for me to be doing this," Gregario said.
New data shows massive surge in Bay Area poverty
The Bay Area’s poverty rate rose from 12.2% in early 2023 to 16.3% by the end of the same year.
Deaths decline but concerns persist
The Santa Clara County Coroner-Medical Examiner’s Office has reported 146 unhoused deaths so far this year, down from 200 in 2024, 214 in 2023 and 244 in 2022.
"This year we have seen a glimmer of hope. We have seen a 23% reduction in the number of people who have died outside. Now even one is too many," Mahan said. He added, "The reason I am committed to ending unsheltered homelessness is to protect our most vulnerable neighbors."
But advocate Shaunn Cartwright, one of the tombstone project organizers, said the lower numbers may reflect mild weather more than policy changes.
"I think the person who can take the most credit for this is Mother Nature," Cartwright said. "Because the majority of this year has been tepid. There hasn’t been a big heatwave, there hasn’t been a cold snap until very recently."
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Stories behind the statistics
Among the names honored this year is 60-year-old Susie Beouchan, who was struck and killed by a car just outside the Columbus Park encampment cleared last summer.
Her son, David Olegario, learned after her death that she had been helping others in the unhoused community even while experiencing homelessness herself.
"To know that other people are going through it, and you are going through it, just to give back to the community while you are struggling shows in my eyes a lot," Olegario said in an earlier interview with KTVU. "It shows you want better for your people."
At its final meeting of the year on Tuesday, the San Jose City Council approved another $14 million to maintain expanded homelessness programs through the next budget cycle. City leaders say the next phase will shift from expansion to optimization as San Jose works to further reduce homelessness.
Tombstone display opens to public on Monday
The annual tombstone project will be open to the public on Monday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, at 1100 Shasta Avenue.