San Jose tiny homes could become jail diversion site

Santa Clara County wants to purchase a tiny home village for homeless residents from San Jose and use it to house formerly incarcerated people — sparking safety concerns from nearby homeowners.

San Jose launched the Monterey/Bernal tiny home site as emergency housing in October 2020 to house residents who became homeless during the pandemic, with support services offered by nonprofit HomeFirst. County Behavioral Health Services officials want to convert it to house participants of their 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 land sale has been delayed so city leaders can find out more about the county’s intentions.

District 2 Councilmember Sergio Jimenez, who represents where the site is located, said his constituents have reached out to him wanting to know more about the proposed new housing and jail diversion program.

“It’s not a done deal,” Jimenez told San José Spotlight. “Some folks get a little cynical about the way things are done, backroom deals and the like, but that’s just not the way things happen.”

County officials from the behavioral health department explained their plan to neighborhood leaders and residents in a virtual meeting they billed as a meet and greet last week.

Long-time resident Karen Lattin attended and described it as contentious and said county officials glossed over residents’ questions and concerns. She said her and other residents have safety concerns with housing people convicted of crimes in their neighborhood.

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

District 2 Neighborhood Leadership Council representatives declined San José Spotlight’s request for comment.

The county is using an $8 million grant from the state to purchase the tiny home site from San Jose. Jail diversion services would include crisis residential treatment, temporary community-based housing and outpatient treatment services to support people with behavioral health conditions as alternatives to incarceration.

“For nearly two years, the county conducted an extensive search for properties within Santa Clara County that were available for purchase and could accommodate the specific needs for behavioral health jail diversion housing,” a county health system spokesperson told San José Spotlight. “In conversations with the city of San Jose about partnership opportunities, the Monterey/Bernal site was identified in spring 2024.”

If purchased by the county, existing tiny home residents will be allowed to complete their programs or find more stable housing. Jail diversion participants would then take the empty beds as homeless residents cycle out. There would also be 24-hour security at the site, the spokesperson said.

Jimenez said in the event San Jose sells the tiny home site, he will coordinate with law enforcement in the area to make sure the safety of residents is top of mind.

“I have five months or so left in office, and I intend to be here to the very end and making good decisions for the residents of District 2,” he told San José Spotlight.