Tiny homes proposal in San Jose would be all solar-powered, on land leased for $1

By LEZLA GOODEN

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    SAN JOSE, California (KPIX) — Silicon Valley will now get an interim housing complex for unhoused individuals that is fully solar-powered after the San Jose City Council voted unanimously for it on Tuesday.

It will be a first of its kind here. The site would be located in South San Jose on the Southeast corner of Via Del Oro and San Ignacio Avenue.

The project if approved by the city would only be leased for $1.

This is possible thanks to a local philanthropist who is offering to lease the land to San Jose for a small fee.

Dignity Moves, a nonprofit that focuses on ending unsheltered homelessness, is assisting in possibly developing this interim housing project. Founder and CEO Elizabeth Funk shared that the solar-powered housing site would not only provide beds, but a full complex with amenities.

The cabins will be placed on the land temporarily and will be in a five-year lease. And thanks to John Sobrato, a local philanthropist, the land will be leased to the city for just $1.

By the time the homes are completed and placed on the site the cost will be about $11.3 million

Elizabeth said the partnership is just the beginning and shared the goal is simple: to provide unhoused neighbors with support and a safe place.

The site location could be completed mid-2024.

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