SAN JOSE — Following a backlash from neighbors, metropolis staff are recommending that San Jose again down from a proposal to construct tiny properties for homeless residents on a controversial piece of land throughout the road from an elementary faculty — the most recent indication of the daunting difficulties in combating homelessness.
As a part of its aim to construct extra much-needed shelter for town’s rising homeless inhabitants, the San Jose Metropolis Council voted this summer time to maneuver ahead with tiny properties on Noble Avenue close to the Penitencia Creek Path that winds between the Dr. Robert Gross Ponds. However the metropolis workers tasked with vetting the challenge now need councilmembers to rethink. Citing “extra related challenges” with the Noble Avenue website, Deputy Metropolis Supervisor Omar Passons mentioned the situation is just not possible.
That doesn’t imply the challenge is formally lifeless — not less than not but. Metropolis workers are anticipated to formally advocate killing it at or earlier than the Nov. 29 metropolis council assembly, at which level councilmembers will resolve whether or not to observe that advice. Nonetheless, Passons’ findings are prone to elicit applause from neighbors who objected to the plan.
“Workers reviewed intimately extra historic documentation that contain parcels that make up the Noble website in council district 4,” Passons wrote in a memo to Mayor Sam Liccardo and the Metropolis Council earlier this month. “After overview of those paperwork, town administration, in session with town lawyer’s workplace, has come to the conclusion that the extra related challenges related to this website make the Noble Avenue website not a well timed or viable choice.”
That’s as a result of what occurs on the property is ruled by a joint-use settlement between Santa Clara County, San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, mentioned Carolina Camarena, spokeswoman for town supervisor’s workplace. Attempting to construct tiny properties there would kick off a bureaucratic course of that would take years, she mentioned. As a substitute, her workplace is trying into various websites.
The town council voted 8-2 in June to proceed with six tiny house websites — increasing two present tasks, constructing two new communities through the 2022-2023 fiscal yr, and beginning work on one other two new websites sooner or later. Noble Avenue was among the many tasks slated for growth this yr. The positioning would have had capability for 100 beds.
San Jose, which has greater than 6,700 homeless residents, is leaning closely on tiny properties as a technique to mitigate its worsening homelessness disaster. The small dwellings present a short lived shelter the place unhoused folks can recuperate from the trauma of the streets, get again on their ft and seek for everlasting housing. The town has roughly 300 tiny properties at 5 websites up and operating up to now — three of which embody non-public loos in every unit — and has one other within the works close to the Guadalupe River Park. The town set a aim this yr of constructing 400 new tiny properties.
However discovering websites for tiny properties usually is a problem, because it’s frequent for close by residents to oppose having homeless companies of their neighborhood. Opposition in opposition to the Noble website appeared to achieve specific traction. In August, Councilmember David Cohen, who voted in opposition to the challenge, requested town to place the challenge on maintain and think about different websites. The Noble website is devoted park land, and it’s vital to protect it as an area accessible to the general public, he mentioned.
Practically 3,500 folks have signed a Change.org petition titled “Say NO to the homeless tiny properties on Noble Ave,” citing the necessity to protect the “security and peace of our kids.” The positioning is throughout the road from Noble Elementary Faculty.