AFTER ANGRY COMMUNITY protests, San Jose officials are scrapping plans to sell Santa Clara County a tiny homes site to house incarcerated people with mental health issues on the south side of the city.
Councilmember Arjun Batra, who has vowed to stop the sale, confirmed to San José Spotlight that the city will put the brakes on the county’s proposed purchase of the city’s Monterey/Bernal tiny homes site at 6066 Monterey Road for a jail diversion program for those needing mental health services. However, the city may still move forward with its sale to the county of 1072 and 1082 Vermont St., which it uses as temporary housing for homeless residents.
“Based on my discussions with the city staff, we expect city staff will soon make a public announcement that this site is no longer being considered for sale to the county for its jail diversion program,” Batra told San José Spotlight. “This will be a significant achievement for all of us.”
Following Batra’s confirmation, city housing officials announced the decision in a Monday letter to the community.
“While no formal vote has been made by the Mayor and Council regarding the sale of the Monterey/Bernal site, the City’s Housing Department and the City Manager’s Office is not bringing forward a recommendation for the sale of the Monterey/Bernal site and may explore alternative options with the County,” the letter reads. “Finding solutions to help individuals who are unhoused, to clean and protect waterways and the overall health, safety and beautification of the city is a complex endeavor that requires different levels of government to work as partners alongside our community.”
A spokesperson for the county’s proposal to buy Monterey/Bernal declined to comment.
County officials convened a Sept. 11 community meeting to explain their jail diversion plan, but it quickly backfired. Angry South San Jose residents — thousands of whom have signed a petition to stop the plan — voiced scathing criticism of city and county officials, prompting Mayor Matt Mahan to come out in opposition of the jail diversion idea.
Batra, who was also at the meeting, said South San Jose residents have been heard “loud and clear.”
“The overwhelming public opposition and the strength of our collective opposition campaigns made our message impossible to ignore. The impact of our stand was undeniable,” Batra told San José Spotlight.
“The overwhelming public opposition and the strength of our collective opposition campaigns made our message impossible to ignore. The impact of our stand was undeniable.” Councilmember Arjun Batra
San Jose launched the Monterey/Bernal tiny home site as emergency housing in October 2020 to house residents who became homeless during the pandemic, with support services offered by nonprofit HomeFirst. Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services officials want to convert it to house participants of the jail diversion program, but neighbors are pushing back. The San Jose City Council had delayed the sale so city leaders could find out more details.
The county is using an $8 million grant from the state to purchase the tiny home site from San Jose. Jail diversion services would include crisis residential treatment, temporary community-based housing and outpatient treatment services to support people with behavioral health conditions as alternatives to incarceration.
Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This story originally appeared in San Jose Spotlight.