South Bay congressional leaders Ro Khanna, Anna Eshoo and Zoe Lofgren have secured more than $3 million to fund case management, food services and security at two different temporary housing sites in San Jose -- the SureStay Hotel and Marbury Bridge Housing.
Though housing advocates emphasize funding should go toward permanent housing to address the root of the problem, local leaders say it can make a notable difference for people staying at the two sites.
Most of the money -- two-and-a-half million dollars -- will be used for operations at the 76-room SureStay Hotel, which provides temporary housing and case management to homeless residents.
The remaining $725,000 will go to the Marbury Bridge Housing site in North San Jose to fund site operations for a whole year. Marbury is one of the first quick-build interim housing sites in the city.
Former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo has long touted the success of interim housing sites like Marbury in reducing street homelessness, previously saying the number of people visible on the streets has decreased because of quick-build temporary housing sites. Yet San Jose's homeless population continues to increase.
The SureStay Hotel is one of San Jose's first repurposed hotel projects purchased with nearly $12 million of Project Homekey dollars. It's designed to shelter homeless seniors and couples, and provide services to help residents transition to permanent housing.
