San Jose officials break ground on next interim housing site
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose officials on Tuesday, hailed a groundbreaking photo-op as the next step on the path toward ending homelessness.
"It's time for the city step up and do something about it. It's unacceptable to have people unhoused in our city," said San Jose Vice Mayor Pam Foley.
What we know:
A two-acre parcel of land, owned by Valley Water, that sits behind the Almaden Ranch Marketplace shopping center, will, if the construction schedule holds, become home to an $18.3 million, 138-bed interim housing site.
"By helping out, get people out of the creeks and into homes where they belong, and sheltering. It helps the neighborhoods, said Richard Santos, vice chairman of the Valley Water Board of Directors. Added South Bay unhoused advocate Gail Osmer, "It's wonderful that they're putting tiny homes right here. It's wonderful because there are people here and further down, and it's gonna fill up."
Residents of the Erikson Neighborhood said the problems with unhoused people living along the southern end of the Guadalupe River had grown exponentially over the past 10 years.
"A lot of trash. Just lots and lots of trash. Noise generators. A lot of environmental destruction along the waterway here," said Dave Noel, president of the Erikson Neighborhood Association.
Mayor Matt Mahan, (D) San Jose, said a no-encampment zone will be established for 40 acres around this site. He believes other efforts that mirror this are having an impact in reducing the number of unhoused residents.
"We will run those sites to get people off the streets and help them turn their lives around," said Mahan, as he stood in the warm mid-January sunshine. "We see that 70% of people that step into an interim housing site do not return to the streets." Added DignityMoves founder & CEO Elizabeth Funk, "The city of San Jose is on track to be the first major U.S. city to end unsheltered homelessness. I really believe it's possible."
At the encampment where the unhoused already live in cramped quarters, there is optimism the soon-to-be-built interim housing site will solve two problems, and lead to a lifetime of possibilities.
"I wanna move over here, because i work right here at the nearby Safeway," said Ahmed, an unhoused resident who did not want to provide his last name.
City officials stressed there will be rules and the site will be monitored for drug and alcohol use. Also, programs to assist those with medical and emotional needs will be in place.
The site is slated to be completed by Sept. 2025.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU
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