Better Homeless Camp solutions

Issue Brief:

Not sure what's the reason behind, San Jose city refused to renew their previous contract with a current Homeless Camp (Hope Village) and decide to not rent to them. They also failed their promise to extend the current lease for another 12-18 month. What they have been done, seems conflict their promise to practical address and resolve the issues behind the homeless issues and discourage the great efforts had been made by many other agencies, organizations and efforts. Details please see from HOPE Village websites.

News:

• https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/02/26/san-jose-homeless-camp-forced-to-move/
• News: San Jose's 'Hope Village' to share new temporary location with larger, established homeless group

This is very disappointing and distracting!

Santa clara county try to relocated from San Jose to 2 new locations:

1. One ideal site is only 1 mile away and let's called "87 River Bank site". It's very centrally located, more safe with more city and county agencies nearby. It's close to all major transportation, natural creek and more suitable as a residential area. Most important of all, it's so close to and similar to where the current campers live without any dramatic change of environment. It's an obvious seamless relocation.

So everybody think it's is way better, more desirable and less efforts solution for Home Village to relocate and the current lease is end at end of March while the county still not resolve this issue properly at now which is March already.

The volunteers for Hope Village seems very disappointed about this situation. They have fight in 2/26 city council meeting but seems still no solutions.

2. Another option is Milpitas 880 site which is zoned for commercial. To change that to residential zoning needs to change zoning and it's also conflict to current Milpitas's Master Plan.

The campers of Hope Village is San Jose resident for a long time and why they want to move to a place so far away and far from those government agencies who used to take care of them?

As we all know, most homeless people like to be close in city center, parks, river bank etc. Why they have to be forced to a whole new location with an obvious better solution existing there.

See the illustration map for both sites and it's so obvious the first site is way better and helpful for the Hope Village campers.

Our Standing:

• We think homeless society is still a very precious local resident group who needs more help from many social resource and efforts. There is no one-for-all solution because each individual homeless people has their own issues and the solution is different.
• We need medical, psychological, COPD, Drug/Alcohol/ Family violence etc. many professional groups/agency's professional help for some real actions and cure.
• We care about the current residents of Hope Village. And we think what Hope Village s current doing really helps cure the Inconvenient Truth of homeless society which can't covered by the government any more. We think Hope Village really brings hope, opportunities and real action to cure it. We wish government can help in the following aspects:
  • Renew the current lease and extend it to another 12-18 months which is less efforts and hassle for all other societies.
  • Build tent camp sites in the 87 River Bank Site at the same time and use the money more wisely. Since most camper is Ok with tent but wish more efficient and less government procedure solutions.
  • Gather the funds needed by Hope Village or some private company who can help the homeless issues better than creating any other redundancy agencies who waste money and no results. ( We have seen enough incapability from government and feel angry about that). As far as we know, $3M only helped 20 families which is a total waste of tax payer's money. If this is not a failure, what's a failure!
    • We suggest use 3M to buy a permanent site near place like this and give homeless people a real solution.
      • https://www.redfin.com/CA/San-Jose/10818-Crothers-Rd-95127/home/147558049
      • Provide humane solutions like safety fence, security guard, movable bathroom water tank, electricity etc.
      • Provide shuttles to city daily so the residence can live in a way they like.
      • Get different separated sections to help different level of homeless campers and give them more choice such as:
        • Psychical, financial or working help to new homeless residents and try to get them back to society as soon as possible
        • Medical help to different illness campers
        • Rehab people with drug, alcohol and psycho issues. Involve more professional agency and provide cure ASAP. The earlier to remove them from the homeless addict is easier than later.
        • Separate people with violent issues and let professionals handle those people because the
        • Veterans with COPD can be passed to organization like COPD foundation etc. special interest organization who has been focused and working on this issue for a long time.
        • We believe help each individual people get ride of their own specific reasons for homeless and get them back to society is the solution. We believe the key to cure homeless is "Individual" and those "Focused-interest Organization with real CURE".