When Santa Clara County secured $29.2 million from the state last month to convert a Milpitas motel into permanent housing for the homeless, Mayor Rich Tran was shocked and elated at the speed they’d be getting people off the streets.
But two weeks later, Tran has pivoted his position.
He now wants to sue the state over the project.
The nearly $30 million that was awarded to the county is part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Project HomeKey program, which aims to house medically vulnerable homeless individuals amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The California Department of Housing and Community Development plans to allocate $550 million this year to help cities and counties renovate motels, hotels and vacant apartments to house homeless residents.
In Milpitas, the funds will go to rehabilitating the 146-room Extended Stay America at 1000 Hillview Ct. into 132 apartments. The motel will be renovated by developer Jamboree Housing Corp. and formerly homeless residents will receive supportive services to help them get back on their feet.
But since the announcement, Milpitas residents have pushed back.
A Change.org petition, titled “Public Input Needed on Project HomeKey in Milpitas,” has gathered more than 1,300 signatures as of Thursday afternoon.
“This project is being imposed on the people of Milpitas without their input and without public participation,” wrote Suraj Viswanathan, who started the petition. “A project of this size requires full transparency on the part of elected officials. It requires public hearings and the full involvement of local residents who will be impacted by this project.”
Viswanathan goes on to say that while he “sympathize[s] with the needs of our homeless brothers and sisters,” he has “grave concerns” about the impact the project will have on nearby neighborhoods.
Tran seems to have taken those words to heart.
At Tuesday’s Milpitas City Council meeting, Tran asked his colleagues and City Attorney Chris Diaz to consider suing the state of California and all parties involved in Project HomeKey over not giving Milpitas its due process.
Tran told San Jose Inside that he originally thought the money would be handed over to the city, which would then gather community input and go through the usual process under the California Environmental Quality Act.
“My primary concern is the freedom for our residents to have participation, input [and] engagement,” Tran said. “Our residents don’t have the opportunity to take part in this major project. That’s really the alarming part for a lot of residents who’ve called Milpitas home their entire lives.”
The mayor added that while he’s supportive of getting people off the streets, he wants to do it the right way—meaning all residents get a say.
But Ray Bramson, the chief operating officer at Destination: Home, said Project HomeKey poses a unique opportunity to house people sooner instead of later.
“I think the point of the state legislation is that there is a serious crisis on our streets right now and that there are thousands and thousands of people suffering without a home,” he said. “The goal was to accelerate housing.”
Consuelo Hernandez, the acting director of the county’s office of supportive housing, said that it typically takes five years from obtaining a property to actually house people.
“This is very accelerated, but it’s because of the way the direction has come down from the state,” she said. “We shared that with the mayor and the council. It’s drive by the resource so the resource dictates the pace.”
This clown is out of touch. The unhoused population in SCC needs help now. Cities like San Jose are doing their part; see the growing number of affordable housing and emergency shelters. Milpitas needs to step up. Everyone has to do their part. This “not in my backyard” mentality has no place in today’s Silicon Valley. We need true leadership in Milpitas and all of SCC.
Rich Tran doesn’t care about homeless people, he cares about wining votes by capitalizing on people’s fears of homeless people.
Honestly I believe he did not take time to read project Homekey material. I’m sure the whole city council was presented the facts about this program and project. I wish those residents of Milpitas would just pull together and start a recall petition. That facts are this is not the only time that he has “flip flopped” on issues.
Are you homeless in America ?
Come to Santa Clara County and we will house you.
Ohhhhh boy! Here come the NIMBY’s to try to stop homeless people from getting housed, creating the massive catch-22 that exists in solving the homeless crisis. “Hey, i’m a NIMBY! Solve the homeless crisis because i’m sick of seeing people wandering the streets – but hey, don’t build any housing near us – can’t you put it somewhere else?”
You have people doing that everywhere -if no one wants housing near them for the formerly homeless but they want a solution – we are going to get nowhere.
They don’t even understand how ridiculous they sound! So, Mayor – have some courage and rehab that hotel and make a true difference in the community. Don’t let the unreasonable NIMBY’s shut down the project.
Yeah Transparency, you’re right, but would you want to put down say, $1.5 million, on a house that’s a couple blocks over from a homeless hotel? That’s why they want it to go somewhere else.
I’m pretty sure that a vacant motel is no good for home values either because it’s going to attract squatters. At least if it’s an official housing site, there will be some management and less chance it will burn down from someone building a campfire indoors.
I live in downtown San Jose and my building was built on the site of a historic home that transients accidentally burned. There’s a pair of Victorians full of squatters across the street. For all the problems we’ve had where I live, it’s better than a vacant, deteriorating property.
Exactly!
There are a couple that f urban myths we would like to dispel in an effort to ease the fears of some who
Have expressed their concerns about this extraordinary opportunity.
First evidence across the country underscores that this type of responsibly designed project, especially when the site is managed by an experienced service provider such as HomeFirst Services does NOT negatively affect property values.
Second the vast majority, by a large margin, of unhorsed individuals and families across this he country are from the area the area they’ve lived for a long time or grown up, the hometown that is familiar. An innovative solution such as this one is not a welcome map causing non residents to move to California.
Lastly projects such as this are an effective rapid response to the goal of ending homelessness. Given the current threat of COVID and related economic impacts, this is a solution that should be backed enthusiastically because this approach is not only humane, it works.
Stephanie Demos
Chief Marketing Communications Officer
HimeFirst Services
why don’t we make it a gas chamber there so we can solve millions of homeless? Take these homeless fools to downtown SF or Oakland, we don’t want ghettos coming in, we pay good money to stay in smaller city that can be manageable. I do not want to see any kids near them needles and poops and pees everywhere.