In response to the homelessness crisis, the City of San José operates four types of interim housing communities: Bridge Housing Communities (BHCs), Emergency Interim Housing (EIH), Supportive Parking, and Hotel Interim Housing (HIH).
BHC sites, consisting of temporary clusters of shelters, provide participants with individual sleeping cabins, similar to very small apartments. Amenities such as the kitchen, pantry and laundry facility are shared by all residents. Program participants have access to numerous resources to help them succeed in their efforts to find permanent housing and remain stably housed. These resources include job placement assistance, mental health counseling, life skills training, and assistance in applying for permanent housing.
During the coronavirus pandemic, the City of San José also built their EIH communities. These are similar to the two BHCs, although the site design and construction are a little different, with EIH participants having private showers and bathrooms. During the pandemic, EIH communities were exclusively used to house medically vulnerable residents at risk of severe illness or death if they contracted COVID-19. During a ceremony to open the first EIH community, one of the program participants described her personal journey of struggle, perseverance, and finding a place to call home. You can watch her video below.
For people living in their cars or RVs, Supportive Parking sites provide a managed and secure parking location with amenities including restrooms, showers, potable water, waste management service, on-site security, and case managers to assist residents in finding permanent housing.
San José’s HIH sites are rehabilitated hotels or motels, usually funded through Project Homekey. Using Project Homekey funds, these commercial buildings are re-developed into permanent or interim housing sites.
- City of San José
- HomeFirst Services
