The issue of homelessness has become a major problem for both the city and the government of San Jose. While we understand the need and the urgency to proactively respond, we offer these comments, in the sincere hope these are helpful and fair to all concerned.

Our communities strongly believe in the necessity and viability of the Cottle Road VTA, and therefore strongly oppose its usage as another Emergency Interim Housing (EIH) location for the following reasons: 

• Our neighborhood already is overburdened with 2 City-approved homeless sites (Monterey and Bernal Roads; and Rue Ferrari and Highway 101).  Of San Jose’s 5 total EIH sites, this currently represents 40% of all homeless sites lying within a local radius of less than 1.5 miles, and the possible inclusion of a new Cottle Road facility would make this a completely inequitable distribution of 60%.  To add to this inequity, these statistics do not even include the approved Safe Parking Project already slated for the Santa Teresa VTA station.
• The creation of yet another EIH site so close to a vital hospital (Kaiser Permanente San Jose) does not make any good public health or public safety sense.  The Cottle Road VTA station is used by many, including KP hospital doctors, nurses, and additional care staff, as well as many patients and visitors, all of whom rely on healthy and safe access to and from the Cottle Road VTA facility throughout all hours of the day.
• Access into and out of the VTA parking lot is constrained by a single entrance from Cottle Road.  This entrance has a pedestrian crosswalk which is actively used by handicapped (some using wheelchairs and walkers), elderly, or ailing patients and visitors coming to Kaiser Permanente on the VTA Light rail as they are unable to drive. The Cottle VTA station has very few parking spaces available for people with disabilities, since most of the area is not flat or near flat. Bringing an EIH to this location will only aggravate this difficult situation.
• Placement of another EIH to the Cottle VTA station will create traffic gridlock as this is a heavily used area (VTA station; Highway 85 on- and off-ramps; emergency response vehicles; Kaiser Permanente Hospital staff, patients, and visitors; and pedestrian and vehicular traffic from all the surrounding neighborhoods).
• The VTA parking lot has a slope that is NOT FLAT or NEAR FLAT.  This contradicts city guidelines for EIH site selection.  [Source: City of San Jose Emergency -Emergency Interim Housing (EIH) Siting and Evaluation guidelines and process].
• The Cottle VTA parking lot had been heavily in use prior to the Covid-19 Crisis. As we return to normalcy, however, the Cottle VTA parking occupancy and its needs will correspondingly return to or exceed pre-pandemic levels.
• A Cottle Road VTA EIH would be close to important children, seniors, and community facilities (Bright Horizons, Catalyst Kids, Tulip Kids, Oak Ridge, Alex Anderson, Peach Blossom, Southside, Santa Teresa Library).
• Most importantly, the local community was not consulted or informed about EIH in the area. No one cared about the challenges this decision will create for hospitals, VTA users, Schools, libraries etc.  The suggested communities are taxpayers, and their well-being and safety are your responsibility so “DO NOT” overlook that. 

The issue of homelessness should not be unfairly distributed. The need for a solution cannot rest solely on one district/area. This is a state-wide issue caused by conditions that are affected, and in some cases caused, by policies and practices occurring throughout our state. 

We must also do our best to make sure any solution does not create a bigger problem than those we intend to correct. Expediency is needed, but not at the expense of our community and its overall health and wellness. 

The City of San Jose needs to implement an equal, detailed, and thoughtful plan with regard to homelessness and potential interim housing. Through community input, public safety, public health analysis, and impact considerations should be made.  For the reasons outlined above, I, therefore, urge the city to use due diligence and common sense when considering such problems and to say NO to the proposed Cottle Road EIH facility.

Executive Summary Slides​

Flyer (please print and share with your neighbors)​

BHC/EIH/RV% distribution​

South San Jose BHC/EIH maps​

San Jose City Council Members Contact Information