San Jose Opens Innovative Safe Sleeping Site to Combat Homelessness

"San Jose takes a meaningful step forward in addressing unsheltered homelessness with the launch of its first safe sleeping site, the inaugural one in the South Bay. This initiative provides 56 tents equipped with cots, on-site security, regular trash collection, three daily meals, mobile showers, and access to counseling and addiction treatment. Modeled after successful programs in other cities, it offers a low-barrier alternative to unmanaged encampments, improving conditions for individuals while benefiting the broader community and environment."

"The site's cost-effectiveness stands out, coming in at less than one-twentieth the expense of building an apartment per unit, and it can be established in just months. This efficiency allows San Jose to scale solutions quickly for the over 3,000 people living in unmanaged conditions, where around 200 fatalities occur annually on the streets. Alongside this, ongoing efforts at Columbus Park involve relocating about 10 people daily into housing while clearing debris, demonstrating steady progress in restoring public spaces."

"From a 16 percent sheltered rate in 2020, San Jose aims to reach 50 percent by year's end, meaning half of the nearly 6,000 homeless residents will have a bed each night, along with services and personalized plans for self-sufficiency. This milestone reflects the city's commitment to pragmatic approaches like interim housing and requiring acceptance of available shelter, reducing encampments and fostering pathways out of homelessness."

San Jose launched its first safe sleeping site in the South Bay providing 56 tents with cots, security, trash collection, three daily meals, mobile showers, and access to counseling and addiction treatment. The model is low-barrier and modeled after successful programs elsewhere, intended to improve individual conditions and neighborhood environments. The site costs less than one-twentieth of building an apartment per unit and can be set up in months, enabling rapid scale-up for over 3,000 people living in unmanaged conditions and addressing roughly 200 annual street fatalities. City efforts also include steady relocations from Columbus Park and a target to shelter 50 percent of homeless residents by year’s end through interim housing and required shelter acceptance. Expanded interim options and higher-level funding and treatment support are needed to achieve full sheltering.

Read at Thesanjoseblog