...Title
Utilizing Public Lands to End Street Homelessness in Our Community. (Mahan)
...Recommendations
Direct the City Manager to:
1. Bring back to Council by December 2021 a list of at least six sites within the City of San José that are suitable for quick-build, cost-effective interim housing solutions, including emergency interim housing communities and bridge housing communities, that would be eligible for funding under the State’s Homekey and Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention (HHAP) programs.
a. Consider lands owned by the City, Santa Clara County, Caltrans, VTA, Valley Water and other public agencies, as well as private lands that may be cost-effectively acquired.
b. Consider key feasibility and cost-effectiveness factors, such as accessibility of utilities, proximity to transit and the estimated cost of preparing the site for quickbuild interim housing.
c. The first six sites on the list should be in the six Council districts, including District 10, that do not currently host bridge or emergency interim housing sites.
2. Work with the City Attorney and other relevant partners to design a “local preference” protocol for Council consideration that would, to the extent possible, prioritize serving unhoused residents living in neighborhoods in which new quick-build housing sites are constructed.
3. Request from the Santa Clara County Executive an analysis similar to (1), assessing public lands across the county that would be suitable for quick-build, cost-effective housing for unhoused residents.
a. In addition, specifically request written correspondence from the County Executive regarding the feasibility of a large-scale quick-build housing site at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. If the Fairgrounds property is deemed infeasible, request alternative sites that have the potential to provide shelter at a similar scale.