San Jose expands temporary housing with 5 motels for homeless residents

San Jose approves plan to turn motels into housing

The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to add five more motels for temporary housing for those experiencing homelessness.

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a plan Tuesday to add five more motels for temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness.

However, some residents said they were not given enough notice and lack sufficient information to support the plan. Altogether, these motels will add 251 units to the city’s inventory for the unhoused.

Not a permanent solution

What they're saying:

The city says these motels will be used to connect the unhoused to services and permanent housing and will not be for long-term residents.

The Bristol Hotel, which has 47 rooms, is located on South Bascom Avenue on the border of San Jose and Campbell. While it is just one of five motels to be added to the city’s inventory, the nearby community has rallied due to what it says has been a lack of information.

"We only had one hearing last Wednesday," said Arsenii Samoilov, a resident who lives across the street from the Bristol Motel. 

Samoilov said he and his neighbors are mostly concerned about the impact on the wider community.

"This particular location is within 47 feet of a senior center and 157 feet of a preschool that has not yet opened, so they have no metrics of what kind of students will attend, but more importantly, how will these students be impacted?" Samoilov said.

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Unhoused people could face fines, arrest if they don't use San Jose shelter resources

In a majority vote, San Jose's City Council voted to approve a new measure aimed at curbing unhoused encampments in that city: the "Responsibility to Shelter" ordinance would require people living on the street or along creek beds to use city sheltering resources or face fines.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan supports the city’s plan, which will contribute to the city’s goal of adding 1,000 new units of shelter beds by the end of the year.

"Every single time we have brought forward a site, we have heard from concerned neighbors, who rightly want to know, ‘What does this mean? Is this going to make my neighborhood less safe, less clean, what are the impacts?’" Mahan said.

The 5 hotels

What we know:

The plan approved Tuesday would also add the 52-unit Fontaine Inn near the intersection of Tully Road and Highway 101 in East San Jose, the 34-unit Casa Linda Motel on Monterey Road south of downtown, the Alura Inn on Oakland Road, and one additional property.

The city already has agreements with five motels for transitional housing, and with Tuesday's approval, the total rises to 10.

"These sites have been incredibly successful. We have actually seen a reduction in calls for service for both crime and blight in the vicinity of these facilities," Mahan said.

The cost to operate these motels for the unhoused is just under $7 million for the next fiscal year. They will be operated by a group called HomeFirst, which works to connect the unhoused to services and resources and help them get back on their feet.

"Our goal is to offer an alternative to the street that is service-rich. Places with security, three meals a day, case management to help people stabilize, reconnect with family, find a more permanent exit from the streets," Mahan said.