High-capacity shelter concept moving forward at SJ City Council
Nevada Cares Campus in Reno, Nevada.
Many experts—locally and nationally—believe that the only way for SJ to make serious progress ameliorating the inhumane living conditions of our unhoused neighbors is to offer large, quick-build shelters that can provide relief and services to hundreds, if not thousands, of needy residents. While misguided opposition has slowed acceptance of the idea, recent comments (below) from city staff and councilmembers show the concept has strong momentum at City Hall.
Assistant City Manager Lee Wilcox at the 3/18/2025 SJ City Council meeting: I would say—and Mayor, I don't want to speak for you—but the way the staff, anyway, interprets your March Budget Message is looking at larger congregate shelters and doing the planning for that, whether it be around Agnews, property around 237. The language amendment mentions the Haven for Hope {Editor's note: San Antonio large-scale congregate shelter} model but doesn't restrict us to that. (6:55:36–6:55:55)
Watch the whole council meeting here.
District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan in his March 20 newsletter to constituents:
It was a truly momentous occasion to receive confirmation from our City Manager’s Office and Housing Department during the meeting that the large-scale shelter strategy—specifically the SJLUV/PEMS approach—has been set as their direction and path forward!
PEMS will be a life-changer for all of us in San Jose. Our unsheltered neighbors will finally have a place to go for safe and dignified shelter, medical services, rehabilitation programs, and more. As a result, our streets, rivers, creeks, and public spaces will become cleaner and safer, creating a welcoming environment for businesses and families to thrive once again!
What makes PEMS even more promising is its cost-efficiency. At just $18,000 per bed, it is significantly more affordable compared to the $1.2 million per unit cost of Permanent Supportive Housing or the several hundred thousand dollars per unit for EIH tiny homes.
Real-world examples have shown that PEMS can be constructed in just weeks, and they are designed to endure in even the harshest environments. These modular shelters have been used worldwide as housing for our soldiers overseas, emergency hospitals, gymnasiums for schools, shelters for homeless residents and so much more.
Our city cannot continue to shoulder the full burden. The county must step up and quickly work alongside us in a coordinated effort to address homelessness and meet the urgent needs of our city.
We still have much work to accomplish and need to ratify our approach in June via the final Budget approval, however, this is the most important and promising step we have taken to date.
Read the whole Doan newsletter here.
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