San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is pushing for a plan to repurpose Section 8 housing vouchers to fund temporary homeless shelters. While the City Council supports exploring this proposal, concerns arise about implications for permanent housing assistance. Mahan believes the urgency demands immediate action for lower-cost interim housing as traditional solutions may take years. The Housing Authority manages 17,000 vouchers, and councilmembers have raised alarms about prioritizing temporary needs possibly undermining individuals seeking stable permanent housing solutions.
"Every night someone sleeps on our streets is a policy failure. Our unhoused neighbors can't afford to wait five years for traditional affordable housing to be built."
"We need federal housing dollars to support the kinds of lower-cost interim housing that cities are delivering now. These are private, dignified units - and they deserve the same support as any other form of affordable housing."
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