San Jose to construct 204 apartment-style units for the unhoused

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The city of San Jose is looking to have at least 1,000 new units of housing for the homeless before the end of the year.

On Thursday, the city announced a big milestone in the effort to reach that goal with the addition of 204 apartment-style units.

The new units will be built mostly with a $52 million dollar grant from a state program called Project Homekey, which aims to build housing for the unhoused statewide.

The new housing units will be built at Branham Lane and Monterey Road, right next to railroad tracks. Currently, there are a few unhoused residents who live on the vacant lot, but they heard they may need to leave here soon.

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"Housing assistance is always welcome without a doubt," said Jasson Rocha, an unhoused resident who has lived in a tent at the site for two years.

The city and a nonprofit, LifeMoves which is based in Menlo Park, plans to build a 204-unit complex at the site.

Rocha said getting into such housing would be life-changing and would be gladly accepted.

"I think it would help out a lot because to be able to go to work and you know to be able to sustain living here in San Jose. As you know rent is really high here in San Jose," Rocha said.

In a virtual news conference on Thursday, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said the state funding is game-changing.

"Using our quick build apartment model which has been so successful in moving hundreds of residents of the streets already through this pandemic," Mayor Liccardo said. 

This will be the fourth such prefabricated construction project for LifeMoves, which also operates in Palo Alto and Redwood City and opened a Mountain View site last year.

While the design of the San Jose project will be different from the recently-opened Mountain View location the concept is the same.

"This Homekey site takes a very different approach than conventional group shelters.  It was designed for dignity, practicality, and self-sufficiency. The site features individual units rather than congregate sleeping. So everyone will have their own door,"said Joe Stockwell, a member of the board of directors of LifeMoves.

Projects like this one often come with "not in my backyard" controversy.

San Jose city council member Sergio Jimenez says the city has carefully worked with nearby residents.

"This will be our area’s third housing project in a matter of a few years and while there has been some concerns by residents I believe the majority of them understand, support, and are proud of the efforts that we have made thus far," Jimenez said. 

The exact timeline of this project is still being worked out but funds from the state’s Homekey project must generally be used within one year.

The San Jose project also received a $5 million dollar donation from philanthropists John and Sue Sobrato.