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 Say No to Another Homeless Shelter in Santa Clara

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Urgent: Please attend! 

March 9th, 6:00pm, in-person at Mission City Church, 1290 Pomeroy Avenue, Santa Clara

2/13 Online Hearing Recording

3/1 Mission City Church Recording

At the hearing, majority residents are strongly against the proposal with deep concern and anger towards the irresponsible location choice and careless management!

What We Can Do NOW!

Speak up at the County Community Meetings

• Please attend! March 9th, 6:00pm, in-person at Mission City Church, 1290 Pomeroy Avenue, Santa Clara

Previous meeting:

• March 1st, 6:00pm, in-person at Mission City Church, 1290 Pomeroy Avenue, Santa Clara

• February 13 , 6:00pm join by Zoom https://sccgov-org.zoom.us/j/92117608467 or join by phone: call (669) 900-6833 or (669)219-2599, then enter meeting ID 921 1760 8467

Share your concerns with County Supervisors

• Otto Lee at Supervisor.Lee@bos.sccgov.org or (408) 482-1550

• Susan Ellenberg at supervisor.ellenberg@bos.sccgov.org or (408) 299-5040

Share your concerns with Santa Clara City Council

• Kevin Park (408) 482-1550 , kpark@santaclaraca.gov

• Karen Hardy (408)615-2250, khardy@santaclaraca.gov

Spread the Words

Mayor Gilmore, Santa Clara Councilmembers, County Supervisors:

Safe Santa Clara County is a grassroots association of residents from across Santa Clara. Our aim is to promote livable cities and neighborhoods which work for all of our residents.

Members of our association strongly oppose the radical and experimental Benton development. We believe this development is wrong for Santa Clara, wrong for the Benton location specifically, and also wrong for its intended patrons. We urge the City Council to cease consideration of this location as soon as possible. 

The proposed location poses a significant safety threat to nearby schools. It is located at the center of more than 15 schools serving 10,483 students. We are deeply concerned about the decision to create this shelter for "the more challenging elements of the population” (B. Greenberg of LifeMoves, in the 2nd hearing) in such close proximity to thousands of vulnerable and innocent children. This decision poses an imminent threat to the safety and well-being of the children and can lead to devastating consequences. We believe that there are other locations in Santa Clara where no schools are within a 20-minute walk and should be considered instead.

The proposed location also poses a tremendous safety threat to nearby residents, with the closest one being less than 20 ft away. Research shows that crime increases by 56% within 300 ft of a shelter, and the negative effects are concentrated within 0.35 miles. For this proposed location, there are more than 2,000 residential homes, which means approximately 6,000 residents within 0.35 miles. The Report on Project HomeKey shared in Milpitas council meeting in 2022 showed that police-involved incidents have increased 300% compared to before the project was executed. The contrast is terrifying. The level of crime rate at the facility is unacceptable. It is a strong proof that a shelter can turn the area into a hotbed for crime. It has a devastating impact on the safety and security, economic growth and public health of the affected neighborhoods and the wider Santa Clara community. 

We are deeply disappointed and outraged about the misleading communication from county officials, LifeMoves, and city councilmembers regarding the proposed shelter. In the first outreach meeting, officials from the county and LifeMoves showed an apparent lack of knowledge about how many schools and other child facilities were located near the Benton location. In the 2nd meeting, Ms. Consuelo Hernandez claimed there were only four schools located within 1.5 miles of the shelter, which is still incorrect. The correct number is 15, and will go much higher if we include daycares and after-school programs. This grossly inaccurate information demonstrates the officials' ignorance of the safety and well-being of the community, as well as the poor quality of their work.

Furthermore, Ms. Consuelo Hernandez attempted to use the Branham and Monterey shelter as an example to justify the proposed location near Benton, stating that the neighborhoods are similar. However, this comparison is illogical and misleading, as the Branham and Monterey location was a terrible mistake made by the city of San Jose, which should not be repeated by the city of Santa Clara. Additionally, the impact on the safety of schools near the Benton location will be significantly greater than that of Branham, as there are 15 schools with a total student population of 10,483 within 1.5 miles of Benton, compared to 3 schools and 1,116 students near Branham. This risk and potential consequences of the Benton location will be almost 10 times greater than that of Branham, and will be much higher if we include teachers and staff, and students from daycares and after-school programs. 

We are also deeply disappointed and angered by the intentional misinterpretation of our concerns for safety. The City, County and LifeMoves have depicted us, taxpayers and voters, as selfish individuals who prioritize our property value over human lives. Resorting to such an act of smearing has completely disregarded the fact that above all, we are parents, spouses, sons, and daughters who are fighting to protect our families and loved ones. We urge the City, County and LifeMoves to stop stereotyping residents and voters, and instead participate in constructive conversation and leverage the wisdom of residents to make our community a better place for everyone. 

We are actively seeking alternative ways to help the unhoused population by proposing alternative uses for this land. Majority of residents are willing to consider a low-income rent-to-own housing project for teachers or first responders who work hard to uplift our community but cannot afford to live here. This investment would uplift the community and make it even more thriving, especially given the proximity of the location to schools. This is also suggested by city councilmember Kevin Park.

The association suggests moving the proposed low-barrier shelter to a non-residential area and providing amenities and support to help rehabilitate those individuals. With significant government funding available, we can tackle the root causes of homelessness through rehabilitation and addressing the underlying issues. 

We believe that these concerns should warrant proper consideration and mitigation by the City, County and LifeMoves.

Regards,

Board Members, Safe Santa Clara County

safesantaclaracounty@gmail.com