Tiny houses in San Jose could serve as alternative quarters for prisons

Santa Clara County wants to buy a mini-village for the homeless from San José and house former prisoners there – which raises safety concerns among homeowners in the area.

San Jose opened the Monterey/Bernal tiny home site in October 2020 as an emergency shelter to house residents who became homeless during the pandemic. The nonprofit HomeFirst provides support services. County Behavioral Health Services officials want to convert the site into a home for participants in its jail diversion program, but neighbors who don't want the program in their area are pushing back. An upcoming San Jose City Council vote that would have led to the sale of the property has been postponed so city leaders can learn more about the county's intentions.

Second District Councilman Sergio Jimenez, who represents the site's location, said his constituents reached out to him wanting to learn more about the proposed new housing and prison diversion program.

“It's not a done deal,” Jimenez told San José Spotlight. “Some people are a little cynical about the way things are done, backroom deals and the like, but that's just not how things work.”

County mental health officials explained their plan to neighborhood leaders and residents last week in a virtual meeting they billed as a “meet and greet.”

Longtime resident Karen Lattin was in attendance and described the event as controversial. She said county officials ignored residents' questions and concerns. She said she and other residents had safety concerns about housing convicted people in their neighborhood.

“Based on the feedback and community leadership, we feel it is not an appropriate location for a jail diversion facility because it is very close to two neighborhoods,” she told San José Spotlight. “We want to hear the details of how this is going to work.”

Representatives of the District 2 Neighborhood Leadership Council declined San José Spotlight's request for comment.

The county is using an $8 million grant from the state to purchase the San Jose Mini House property. Jail detoxification services would include crisis treatment in residential homes, temporary community-based housing and outpatient treatment services to support people with mental illness as an alternative to incarceration.

“For nearly two years, the county has been conducting an intensive search for properties in Santa Clara County that are available for purchase and meet the specific needs of housing psychiatric patients,” a spokesperson for the county's health system told San José Spotlight. “In discussions with the City of San Jose about partnership opportunities, the Monterey/Bernal site was selected in spring 2024.”
If the county purchases the tiny house, residents can finish their programs or find more stable housing. Participants in the prison diversion program would then fill the empty beds when the homeless are released. There will also be 24-hour security on site, the spokesman said.

Jimenez said if San Jose sells the tiny home property, he will coordinate with local law enforcement to ensure residents' safety is a top priority.

“I have about five months left in office and plan to stay here until the end and make good decisions for the residents of District 2,” he told San José Spotlight.