San José Awarded $51.6 Million from Homekey to Develop City’s Largest Quick-Build Housing Community, Expanding City’s Innovative Solution to Ending Homelessness

SAN JOSÉ, CA - The City of San José andLifeMoves, the City's development partner, have been awarded $51,552,800 from the State of California's Homekey program. The Homekey funds will go towards the City's largest quick-build community development with 204 units on city-owned land at the northwest corner of Branham Ln. and Monterey Rd., adding 20% to the City's goal of 1,000 quick-build interim housing units under construction, planned or completed by the end of 2022.

"These Homekey dollars will accelerate San José's efforts to meet the urgency of this homelessness crisis, by constructing our largest quick-build community so far. We appreciate the Stare's embrace of this nimble innovation as a means to house our most vulnerable residents," said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo. "I am grateful for the partnership of Governor Newsom, the generosity of John A. and Sue Sobrato, and the life-saving work of LifeMoves in our collective fight against homelessness."

At the time of award, San José's Branham/Monterey Homekey Award was the third largest funding award and the State's second largest project statewide under the program.

"Homekey is empowering local jurisdictions to get thousands of vulnerable Californians off the streets in record time. I thank local leaders in San José and across the state who are putting this transformative program to work with creative solutions that expand permanent, supportive housing in their communities," said Governor Gavin Newsom.

During a press conference today, San José Mayor Sam Liccardo also announced that John A. and Sue Sobrato will also donate $5 million towards construction of the quick-build community. The new community will provide a dignified transitional step for unhoused San José residents on the path to stable housing.

"I am delighted to have the opportunity to partner with LifeMoves and the City of San José on the Branham Lane site to develop 204 units for homeless and very low income individuals utilizing California Homekey funds," said John A. Sobrato. "I look forward to working on several other sites in San Mateo and Santa Clara County to house our most vulnerable neighbors."

The Branham/Monterey quick-build community will be the fifth interim housing project developed in San José, bringing the total to 717 quick-build interim housing beds completed, planned, or under development. Another 283 beds are planned across different publicly-owned sites throughout the City. The pandemic required more rapid rehousing of vulnerable unhoused in encampments, and in the spring of 2020, Mayor Liccardo proposed a new approach: using prefabricated, modular units on public land-such as underdeveloped City and Caltrans properties-to build faster and cheaper.

"LifeMoves believes that people experiencing homelessness deserve a safe and dignified place to call home as soon as possible," said Aubrey Merriman, CEO of LifeMoves. "Homekey has been life-changing for thousands of people. Our Homekey Branham Lane interim housing community will bring hundreds more people off the streets and into a supportive environment with the critical resources they need to chart their course to permanent housing. This project showcases Silicon Valley's spirit of innovation, the political will of the State of California, County of Santa Clara, and City of San José, creative public and private partnerships, transformational investments from icons like John A. Sobrato, and most importantly, our determination to solving homelessness."

The Branham/Monterey community will become the City's largest quick-build community and the only development so far that will be multistory, with three stories of modular units, allowing for many more individuals to be housed. Each unit includes a private bedroom and bathroom, with community-serving facilities onsite, including shared kitchen, laundry, and office spaces.

"I am proud to lead the way for homeless housing solutions in San José, this will be the third emergency interim housing community that we welcome within District 2," said Councilmember Sergio Jimenez (D2). "I look forward to a successful housing community that will prioritize the needs of our most vulnerable residents while also dramatically improving the neighborhood through community integration and supportive services. Developments such as this bring us closer to resolving homelessness in our City."

San José's quick-build communities are built in a fraction of the time and cost of traditional apartments. Through this model, San José has already served over 663 unhoused residents, and halted the increase in unsheltered homeless residents for the first time since 2015.

Branham/Monterey quick-build community has the potential to serve hundreds more than its capacity per year as residents transition to permanent housing.

"This housing costs a fraction of what the County has been spending on homeless solutions and-when combined with mental health services and job training programs-is a model for ending street homelessness in our city," said Councilmember Matt Mahan (D10). "This is exactly the kind of innovation we need from state and local government."

An award-winning team that includes real estate development firm Sares Regis Group of Northern California,DevCon Construction, the Office of Charles F. Bloszies, FAIA, and engineering firmsBKF andMeyers+ will design and construct Branham/Monterey quick-build community.

Slated for completion in summer 2023, Branham/Monterey quick-build community will be operated by LifeMoves, who will provide intensive, customized case management for clients, including counseling, employment, and housing search services to pave a dignified roadmap to self-sufficiency.

To watch the full press conference, visit: https://fb.watch/f7recdmM45/

For more information on Homekey, visithttp://homekey.hcd.ca.gov.

For more on LifeMoves, visitwww.lifemoves.org.

###

About the City of San José

With more than one million residents, San José comprises the 10^th largest city in the United States, and one of its most diverse cities. San José's transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world's greatest concentration of technology talent and development.

About LifeMoves

LifeMoves is the largest provider of interim housing and services for homelessness in Silicon Valley. With 26 shelter and service sites from Daly City to San José (our two newest sites are Mountain View and Half Moon Bay), LifeMoves gives our neighbors experiencing homelessness a temporary place to call home while providing intensive, customized case management through both site-based programs and community outreach. The case management teaches the skills that clients need in order to get back to and stay in stable housing and is often referred to as the LifeMoves "secret sauce." 89% of families and 69% of individuals who engage in LifeMoves programs return to stable housing. Please join us in helping our neighbors:www.lifemoves.org.