There has been some misinformation circulating regarding the proposed Bridge Housing Communities. Two of my top priorities when considering how I was going to vote on this issue were how many houseless would be served by this project, and what was the cost vs. benefit to the community.
I voted the way I did for several reasons: first, the actual cost of each fully insulated unit is closer to $18,000, a more reasonable cost per sleeping cabin than the higher number circulating. Second, in order to prioritize safety and sanitation among our homeless community, the tiny-home community needs to have electricity and waste-disposal capabilities, this does bring the cost up a little. Third, the units must comply with our City's municipal codes. This also brings the cost up. So "tuff shed", "tiny home", or "sleeping cabin" they must conform to code, provide safety and sanitation, and be insulated, which would make them cost about the same amount no matter which form they take.
The typical "basic affordable apartment"costs between $150,000 and $250,000 per unit to build. A far less cost effective solution for urgent housing - but a great long-term solution which is why this is already being done across the city.
Research and case studies have indicated that the purposes of short-term transitional housing, the most thriving communities offer electricity, plumbing, and functional personal and group spaces. We want to give our houseless community the best opportunity to move up and out of their situation. The sleeping cabin community is not designed to be an emergency warming shelter, it is meant to be a stable, home-like environment where an individual can begin to go from surviving to thriving.
For more information check out:
http://sanjose.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=d8f4d964-e112-11e7-a872-00505691de41
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