After years of meager wage increases, thousands of home aid workers in Santa Clara County will receive a bump in their hourly pay amid a tight budget cycle — a move advocates said is necessary but falls short to cover rapidly rising costs of living.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a new two-year contract for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) workers that includes a $2 hourly wage incremental increase over the next year. By July 2027, more than 36,000 workers will be making $22.44 an hour. The contract was secured through negotiations with SEIU Local 2015, a union with more than 21,200 long-term care workers who are members in the county.