San Jose tiny homes could house jail diversion program for people battling mental illness
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Tiny homes may soon house individuals who are in a jail diversion program, but some residents feel blindsided by the news.
SCC is eyeing the purchase of two interim housing sites in San Jose.
They are the tiny homes location off Monterey Road and Bernal and the Vermont House which are two city owned properties.
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The news of how the sites would change caught residents like Issa Ajlouny off guard. Ajlouny is the president of the group S.A.F.E.R San Jose.
"And then we find out they're talking about a jail diversion program and we're like shocked," Ajlouny said.
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Ajlouny said he and some of his neighbors were invited to a virtual "Meet and Greet" by the county on Thursday night.
But when they got on the call, they learned about the county's intentions to refocus the transitional housing sites into a jail diversion program.
"The judge is going to put them here instead of in jail. Well that's probably a good program and good to have counseling, it could be a really good thing, but c'mon, us?" Ajlouny said.
If, or when the county takes ownership of the sites, the county says that they will continue to serve unhoused people but will focus on those who have agreed to participate in the jail diversion program.
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On Friday, the county sent ABC7 information on who exactly could live at these sites.
"These include people involved in one of the Collaborative Courts (problem-solving courts), people with an underlying problem that leads to criminalized behavior, and people with mental illness, substance use disorders, or both.
People's mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders are often a significant reason they become involved in the justice system and can improve when they have stable housing."
-County of Santa Clara Behavioral Health Services Department."
ABC7 spoke with Mayor Matt Mahan on Friday.
"People have valid questions and lets be honest- many of the people living on our streets today and experiencing homelessness have serious challenges," Mahan said.
The mayor said this allows the city to focus on building.
"By shifting those operations over to our partners at the count, we free up the city to continue to focus on the land use site of this and building more transitional housing, and building more affordable housing. Where we have an area of expertise, our expertise is not providing the services we contract nonprofits to do it but counties really are the health and human services safety net," Mahan said.
Mahan said we're better off as a community when people get into safe and managed environments with services.
"What we're seeing in the data which is really heartening, is that we actually see that the neighborhoods that have these sites, that are able to move people off the streets and indoors and connect them to services, actually see a reduction in calls for services for crime and plite," Mahan said.
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The city was scheduled to vote on final approval of the sale on August 27, but as of Friday, the item was removed from the agenda and will be deferred to a later date.
Ajlouny emphasizes the current residents at the temporary housing sites have not been an issue.
"My big thing is I need to understand what the details are what's going on? So we can make a decision and mitigate our challenges," Ajlouny said.
