Housing Leaders and Partners Celebrate Grand Opening of New Affordable Housing Development for Seniors
The project, funded by the 2016 Measure A Housing Bond, gives formerly unhoused older adults a chance for stability and wellness
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. — County of Santa Clara officials joined other housing leaders and elected officials on Jan. 10 in celebrating the opening of a new affordable housing community in San José. The new development, called PATH Villas at 4th Street, provides a thriving community for 94 formerly unhoused seniors, along with a range of supportive services to give residents a chance for stability and wellness.
Services on-site include case management, mental health care, substance use treatment, life skills education, community building, and green education with a community garden. Community spaces and amenities include a community room, teaching kitchen, laundry room on each floor, tech lab, rooftop terrace, parking and bike share program.
“This is the exact sort of project we should all be striving for – something that contributes to a safety net for the most vulnerable in our community and offers the necessities anyone would need to thrive,” said County Executive James R. Williams. “This is one of many projects that aims to improve the quality of life for our residents, and we are all working collectively to make sure the pipeline of affordable housing continues.”
“Words are made powerful when followed by action, and today’s action speaks volumes,” said Supervisor Susan Ellenberg, President of the County’s Board of Supervisors. “Each groundbreaking and grand opening is a milestone that moves us closer to housing every vulnerable community member in need a home. Today, we are celebrating this milestone for unhoused older adults.”
On any given night, more than 9,000 individuals experience homelessness in Santa Clara County. The rental housing market in Santa Clara County ranks as one of the most expensive in the nation. Renters are cost burdened, vacancy rates remain low, and homelessness persists, especially among seniors. The 2016 Measure A Housing Bond, which was approved by voters, provided the County with an unprecedented opportunity to partner with cities and the affordable housing community to address the housing needs of the county’s poorest and most vulnerable residents. PATH Villas at 4th Street is one of the developments funded by the 2016 Measure A.
“PATH Villas at 4th Street is another example of producing results with what voters asked for in 2016 when they passed the Measure A Housing Bond,” said Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “It has created a catalyst of affordable housing efforts that we must maintain if we want to collectively address the area’s housing crisis, and the County plans to do its part to keep up the momentum.”
“Every new development that opens its doors means we are getting more community members into a unit, and for some, this is the first home they have had in a long time,” said Consuelo Hernandez, Director of the County’s Office of Supportive Housing. “We’re continuing to partner with other housing leaders to make sure the work doesn’t stop here.”
PATH Villas at 4th Street integrates both service and residential approaches and continues to help address street homelessness in downtown San José and help local unhoused individuals rebuild their lives. Referrals for the site come through the local coordinated assessment system, where individuals experiencing homelessness are triaged to target limited housing resources to the most vulnerable in the community.
“Economic growth in the Silicon Valley has driven a huge gap between housing costs and income. While the valley is a hub of technological innovation and abundance, it also has one of the largest unsheltered populations per capita in the country,” said Jennifer Hark Dietz, PATH CEO. “As a community, we recognize the need to address our regional housing crisis with regional housing solutions. PATH Villas at 4th Street is a testament to the collective focus on building more affordable housing and we’re deeply grateful for all the partners that helped make this community a reality.”
In addition to the 2016 Measure A Housing Bond, the project was also funded by Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Google, Apple, Destination: Home, National Equity Fund and Bank of America.
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The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multicultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, Calif., making it more populous than 14 states in the United States. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.
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Media Contact: María Leticia Gómez / Quan Vu, Office of Communications and Public Affairs, (408) 299-5119, [email protected]