City of San Jose and State of California Sign Funding Agreement for 200 Small Homes
San Jose will be receiving $12.7M from the state to purchase and place hundreds of safe, dignified shelter units for the homeless on site in north San Jose
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2024
Media Contact:
Tasha Dean, Chief Communications Officer, Office of Mayor Matt Mahan; tasha.dean@sanjoseca.gov
SAN JOSÉ, CA - Exactly one year ago, Governor Gavin Newsom, joined by Mayor of San Jose Matt Mahan, announced a plan to help local governments reduce homelessness by using existing funds to pay for small homes to serve individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness. San Jose was one of the localities chosen to receive this support from the state because of the city’s track record building emergency interim housing and dedication to ending the era of encampments. This week, the City and State are announcing a milestone in the process – mutual consensus on a funding agreement.
“With funding from the state, San Jose is working to finalize plans to provide small homes for people experiencing homelessness,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “Their commitment to this project demonstrates a willingness to do the heavy lifting needed to find solutions, reject the status quo and ultimately deliver on this valuable resource provided by the state to address homelessness.”
Mayor Matt Mahan, who was just re-elected to a four-year term with 87% support last week, has made focusing on homelessness his biggest priority. San Jose has already stood up 499 small homes and has 784 more beds in the pipeline, including the 200 paid for by the state. In Mayor Mahan’s latest budget message released earlier this week, he is pushing the City of San Jose to explore even lower-barrier solutions to homelessness, like safe sleeping and parking sites.
“San Jose residents, like those in the rest of California, are way ahead of their leaders in recognizing we need new thinking, and above all action, to end the era of street encampments,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “This is a crisis that will take focus and action from every level of government to solve – and I’m grateful to the Governor for leaning in to help cities address the immense human suffering on our streets faster and more cost-effectively. Together, we can end the era of encampments by building safe, dignified shelter and prioritizing in-patient mental health care and addiction treatment.”
After the Governor’s announcement was made last March, the City of San Jose jumped into action to find a site with enough capacity to hold all 200 units. The site was selected and approved by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Board in October, after a long advocacy campaign led by Mayor Matt Mahan and Councilmember David Cohen. The site, known as Cerone, is located in north San Jose.
“Providing solutions – both short and long term – for homelessness must be a joint effort between various levels of government,” said Councilmember David Cohen. “I am thankful to Governor Newsom for stepping up to help us fund 200 units of interim housing in North San Jose. This site will allow us to offer safe shelter for hundreds of people currently living in neighborhoods and along creeks in District 4 and the surrounding area.”
“Thank you to Governor Newsom for providing vital funding for emergency interim housing in San José,” says Assistant City Manager Lee Wilcox. “Valley Transit Authority has been an incredible partner in addressing this priority for the city and providing a location for individuals experiencing homelessness. We are one step closer in resolving homelessness at encampments and providing more housing solutions for one of our most vulnerable communities.”
The Cerone Interim Housing Community is expected to open in 2025. The Governor's press release on the state’s effort to deliver small homes can be found here.
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About the City of San José
With nearly one million residents, San José is the largest city in the Bay Area and one of the nation's most diverse. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world's greatest concentration of technology talent and development.