The City of San José and DignityMoves Officially Announce Groundbreaking of New 150-bed Interim Housing Community at Via del Oro
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN JOSÉ, CA – May 2, 2024 – The City of San José, in partnership with DignityMoves, officially announced the groundbreaking of a new 150-bed interim supportive housing community (ISH), with construction set to begin this month. Located at Via del Oro, this housing community could serve 2,250 people over the next ten years as individuals move through the interim site on their path out of homelessness.
Under Mayor Matt Mahan’s visionary leadership, San José has made significant strides in addressing unsheltered homelessness — starkly contrasting statewide trends. While California grapples with a 10.3% surge in its unsheltered homeless population, San José stands out with an exemplary 10.7% decrease according to the 2023 Point-in-Time count. This differential achievement corresponds to San José embracing the interim supportive housing model.
“Via del Oro represents an evolution in our fight to end homelessness,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “We’re partnering with private philanthropists and building on private land to provide low-cost, relocatable sleeping cabins. As this interim housing is opened and offered to those living on our streets, we will decommission existing encampments in the area and establish no-encampment zones around the site to preserve our progress.”
Continuing the momentum towards ending the humanitarian crisis on the streets will take an all-hands-on-deck approach, and the City must rely on the private sector’s help. The support of landowners and private philanthropy is critical, and the generosity of the 10-year lease for $1 per year by John Sobrato, in addition to the $3.5M in philanthropic funding, is a template for future projects.
Critically, placement in this community, located in Council District 10 and bordering District 2, will be prioritized to individuals in the immediate 1.5-mile area.
“After numerous community engagement meetings with local stakeholders, this feedback was reiterated, and their recommendations will be implemented,” said Councilmember Arjun Batra, in whose district this community will be located.
The successful implementation of a no-encampment zone within a two-block radius of Via del Oro will serve as a model and reinforce the expectation that these solutions correlate with enhanced community well-being. The formula is essential in maintaining the momentum, reinforcing the City’s dedication to creating long-term solutions for homelessness.
“We are proud to partner with San José and Mayor Mahan on their vision of building enough dignified living options that are simultaneously appealing and meet the needs of individuals so that no one needs to resort to living on the streets,” said DignityMoves Founder and CEO Elizabeth Funk.
The new community will offer residents a place to reset and recover on their path out of homelessness to more stable housing. Each unit will feature a bed, a desk and chair, heating and air conditioning, a window and, most importantly, a door that locks, ensuring privacy and security for its residents. The dignity and stability of a private room fosters the mental mindset for residents to take advantage of robust supportive services offered and work towards exciting the cycle of homelessness for good.
Construction will begin in May, with an anticipated service date of December 2024.
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.
About DignityMoves
DignityMoves is an innovative nonprofit organization that is reimagining scalable solutions to unsheltered homelessness. In partnership with cities, supportive services agencies and private stakeholders, DignityMoves rapidly builds cost-effective interim supportive housing communities. Utilizing unused land, relocatable prefabricated units and emergency building provisions, the organization empowers municipalities to address the homelessness epidemic with appropriate urgency.
DignityMoves is also committed to driving systemic change through impactful policy and advocacy, in collaboration with lawmakers and community leaders to build an ecosystem that supports the growth of interim supportive housing as a powerful tool in ending unsheltered homelessness. Learn more at dignitymoves.org
Contact:
Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
Tasha Dean, Chief Communications Officer
510.612.6488
DignityMoves
Richard Laermer
RLM Public Relations