COUNCIL AGENDA: 6/21/2022
FILE NUMBER: 22-979
ITEM NUMBER: 8.6
TO: City Council FROM: Councilmember Matt Mahan
SUBJECT: District 10 EIH Site Location DATE: 6/21/2022
Approved Date 6/21/22
RECOMMENDATION
1. Direct the City Manager to coordinate with the District 10 council office and the Mayor’s Office to evaluate alternatives to the proposed Quick-Build Emergency Interim Housing (EIH) site at Great Oaks Blvd/Highway 85 for the purpose of more equitably distributing such sites. Include in this analysis the following potential sites within District 10, along with any others that may be feasible:
a. Almaden Park & Ride lot at Coleman Rd.
b. Santa Teresa Blvd and Highway 85 along the southbound onramp to Highway 85 c. Public lands along Camden Ave between Coleman Rd. and Camden Village Cir. d. Privately-owned parcels that can be cost-effectively acquired by the City
2. Before opening any of the proposed new EIH sites, return to Council with a summary of the steps the City and contracted third-party service providers will take to ensure that neighborhoods hosting new EIH sites experience an improvement in on-street conditions as a result, potentially including but not limited to:
a. A “local preference” protocol that prioritizes serving unhoused residents within a given radius (e.g. half-mile) of the site.
b. Enhanced code enforcement and SJPD patrols in the vicinity of the site to ensure it does not, as neighbors often fear, become a magnet for blight and other challenges commonly associated with encampments.
c. Investments in site-specific and/or neighborhood-wide beautification efforts. d. Site-specific community advisory committees that enable neighbors to provide input, ask questions, and otherwise participate in site management.
BACKGROUND
Thank you to City staff and my colleagues for working toward scalable solutions to homelessness in our community. We cannot end street homelessness without rapidly and cost-effectively expanding the number of safe and secure dwelling units (along with on- and off-site supportive services, including mental health and addiction treatment, job training, job placement, etc.). Prefabricated, modular units give us an opportunity to rapidly re-house people at scale, which is why I support extending the Quick-Build EIH
model to districts that currently lack them, including District 10. I hope our efforts will inspire other cities inthe region to similarly increase their commitment to transitional housing solutions.
As we add new EIH sites in San Jose and work to achieve community buy-in for this approach we should bemindful of the distribution of sites. In fact, Council’s earlier direction to build new EIH sites in districts thatcurrently lack them was driven by a desire to expand this model in a way that would be supported by thecommunity and increase the likelihood of success for each individual site’s likelihood of success.
Unfortunately, the proposed Great Oaks Boulevard site–while technically within a district that does not yethave a quick-build EIH site–is extremely close to multiple existing and planned sites serving unhousedresidents. In all, four transitional sites likely will exist within approximately 2,500 feet or less of the GreatOaks site: the existing EIH sites at Bernal & Monterey and Rue Ferrari, the proposed safe-parking site at theSanta Teresa VTA Station that is slated to open this fall, and the Housing Authority’s proposed ResidenceInn hotel conversion, which is currently on hold but will likely be revisited in the near future. The mapbelow shows the relative concentration of these sites:
Understandably, residents in the area would like to understand why so many sites have been built orproposed in or around their neighborhood and whether other parts of the district and city are doing their fairshare. While Great Oaks provides significant space in an otherwise viable location, I would like City staff tospend more time with my office and Mayor’s office to evaluate alternative sites within District 10 that mighthelp our district share the responsibility for hosting these sites more equitably. Distributing sites shouldPage2
make them more successful by increasing resident’s support for and engagement with each site and reducingthe risks associated with concentrating in a given area hundreds of at-risk individuals, some of whom arestruggling with behavioral health issues that require intensive case management.
Finally, I believe that all EIH sites would benefit from clearer communication to residents about the stepsthe City and our third-party service providers will take to protect and enhance quality of life inneighborhoods that host these sites. If we can show residents that neighborhoods become safer and cleaneras a result of hosting an EIH site, we will gain trust and support for future sites. If we can’t, I fear thatcommunity opposition to housing solutions will only grow. Before opening new EIH sites, staff should helprelevant Councilmembers communicate concrete actions that will protect and improve the community,including the potential actions outlined above.
Page3