Following angry community protests, San Jose officials are scrapping plans to sell Santa Clara County a tiny house site to house incarcerated people with mental health issues on the city’s South Side.
Councilman Arjun Batra, who has vowed to stop the sale, confirmed to San José Spotlight that the city will halt the county’s proposed purchase of the city’s Monterey/Bernal tiny house site at 6066 Monterey Road for a jail diversion program for those in need of 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 conversations with city staff, we expect that 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 accomplishment for all of us.”
This week, the City Manager’s Office and the Housing Department could make a formal announcement, after county officials called a community meeting on Sept. 11 to explain their jail diversion plan. But it quickly fell through. Angry South San Jose residents — thousands of whom have signed a petition to stop the plan — voiced harsh criticism of city and county officials, prompting Mayor Matt Mahan to speak out against the idea of jail diversion.
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 stance was undeniable,” Batra told San José Spotlight.
A City Hall spokesman declined to confirm anything, saying officials have not yet formalized a recommendation.
San Jose launched the Monterey/Bernal tiny house as emergency housing in October 2020 to house residents who became homeless during the pandemic, with supportive services offered by nonprofits. HomeFirstSanta Clara County Behavioral Health Services officials want to turn it into a place to house jail diversion program participants, but neighbors object. The San Jose City Council had delayed the sale so city leaders could learn more details.
The county is using an $8 million grant from the state to purchase the tiny San Jose home site. Jail diversion services would include crisis residential treatment, temporary community housing and outpatient treatment services to support people with behavioral health conditions as alternatives to incarceration.
If purchased by the county, residents of the existing tiny houses would be able to stay until they find permanent housing. Participants in the jail diversion program would fill the empty beds as homeless residents leave. Officials have said there would also be 24-hour security on site.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.
