Two SJ leaders advocate for warehouse-type homeless shelters colleagues call obsolete

TWO SAN JOSE councilmembers have an ambitious plan to house thousands of the city’s homeless residents — but some of their colleagues say it will move the city backwards.

Councilmembers Bien Doan and Arjun Batra have proposed a pilot program to build massive assembly room-style homeless shelters, with the option for private rooms. While their proposal — called SJ LUV or Lifting Up Lives — was unanimously rejected at a Rules and Open Government Committee meeting earlier this month, city officials plan to bring it up during budget discussions to determine if it makes sense in terms of cost and time commitment.