New San Jose apartments will be allotted exclusively for the homeless

On Monday, the San Jose Mercury News reports that San Jose bigwigs gathered to commemorate the construction of a new, six-story, 83-unit apartment development downtown being built exclusively for homeless—that is to say, soon to be formerly homeless—residents.

“The building will be located at 280 N. Second Street, a half block north of the historic St. James Park,” announced Affirmed Housing, the development group in charge of the project and who specialize in affordable housing for families, veterans, seniors, and the homeless.

The company adds, “Villas on the Park will include 83 studios for formerly homeless individuals, [including] five studios that will accommodate up to 20 homeless individuals who are waiting for permanent housing.”

The St James Park locale is a three blocks away from San Jose’s downtown area and City Hall.

“St. James Park is currently home to many of downtown’s homeless individuals, and these individuals will be first in line to move in,” says architecture firm Dahlin Group, who designed Villas on the Park, adding, “The first step in helping the homeless is to give them a home.”

Photo by Victor Solanoy

A third of the $36.8 million price tag is funded by public money, with the rest of the money coming from private ventures. The developer estimates an October 2019 opening date.

The Mercury News goes on to report that residents will be charged a sliding scale for rents according to their incomes and that placement will favor homeless applicants deemed “the most vulnerable.”

According to the city’s 2017 homeless count, San Jose has more than 4,300 homeless residents, a figure almost identical to the count ten years prior.

• San Jose Welcomes Homeless Housing [Mercury News]
• Villas on the Park [DAHLIN]
• Raul Peralez [Facebook]
• San Jose Homeless Count [City of San Jose]
• Affirmed Housing Breaks Ground