In the space of a week, two decisions were made that on the surface had absolutely no correlation. However, in a devious way, they did.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to authorize an additional $1 million for the Vietnamese American Service Center. The center that opened last october it is a phenomenal success. The new three-story, 37,000-square-foot building provides the Vietnamese community with a one stop shop of physical and mental health services and dental care, daily nutritious meals for seniors, and a community gathering center for events and activities. It is an integrated lifestyle approach.
Just over 5 miles away another decision was made. The Santa Clara County Heritage Commission turned down a request to demolish the old City Hall on Calle 1ra N. Instead, the commissioners passed the decision to the supervisors. A situation the county has been fighting with since 2019after demolishing the adjoining portion of the property a year earlier.
This is how these two seemingly unrelated decisions intersect.
The five-story, 113,430-square-foot building may be old, but it could be repurposed using the same one-stop service model as the Vietnamese center. Only in this case the integrated services would be for the homeless population.
Of course, this population is different and not without its challenges, but a big part of the problem is the lack of centralization and easy access. The old Town Hall offers a solution.
This demographic group needs physical, medical and mental health services. They need housing and legal assistance. some need reentry aid after you get out of the county jail, which is right next door, along with the county court system.
Non-profit organizations like Sacred Heart Community Center, TRAJECTORY, Destination:Homethe Silicon Valley Law Foundation and including the county behavioral health department There could be satellite offices in the building. A kitchen and cafeteria could be built to serve hot nutritious meals. Clothes could be distributed. Showers could be installed. Haircuts, basic hygiene needs could be offered.
The location is steps from the light rail and other public transportation services. It is ideal, considering a large part of homeless I live near the center. Also, the county has already planted a flag here, with a unit of 25 small home hidden community behind the old Town Hall.
The concept fits with Supervisor Joe Simitian’s desire to develop a navigation system for those in need of mental health services. The old City Hall has ample space for multiple services, giving the county an opportunity to restructure the complicated and disjointed service system that now exists.
This approach supports Supervisor Susan Ellenberg’s efforts to provide a full menu of support services. The idea is in keeping with Supervisor Cindy Chavez’s vision of integrated services. She cites the Vietnamese center as a model for other facilities to follow.
And what do you think?
County officials argue that repurposing the building would cost $100 million. Well, since we’re talking about a one-stop service model that needs offices, this would certainly fit the bill. That’s how it was designed. It’s certainly not a $100 million upgrade if the county reuses the property with a compatible existing design, even if a kitchen, cafeteria, and showers are added.
If uncertainty is still a factor, consider the 2012 study, conducted over a six-year period, Home Not Found: The Cost of Homelessness in Silicon Valley, which concluded the $520 million cost to the community of not addressing homelessness. homeless people. Since then, we have had a pandemic and homelessness has increased, with more than 10,000 people living on the streets.
Even county executive Jeff Smith was quoted in a 2011 Mercury News article after the county purchased the property as saying, “We didn’t buy a pig in one fell swoop.”
Well, turning the old town hall into a full-service model for those in need gets the building back on track doing exactly what it’s supposed to do. After all, isn’t that what city halls were designed to do in the first place: to meet the needs of their communities?
Moryt Milo is the editorial advisor for San José Spotlight. She has more than 20 years of experience in Silicon Valley journalism, including roles as editor of the Silicon Valley Business Journal and as a reporter and editor for Silicon Valley Community Newspapers. Follow Moryt on @morytmilo on Twitter and catch up with her monthly editorials here.