San Jose leaders came together Thursday to break ground on a new tiny homes project on property owned by VTA.
It was a fairly traditional ceremony with San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, City Manager Jennifer Maguire and other leaders breaking ground for a 200-unit tiny homes community.
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WATCH HERETiny homes have been a priority for Mahan as a cost effective transitional housing solution for those trying to get off the streets.
These days, officials say housing projects are moving much faster, with this one being touted as the fastest tiny home project yet.
Mahan credited a public works department that's learning fast.
“These typically would take four years from tip to tail," San Jose Public Works Director Matt Loesch said. "This one is being compressed massively. Our design period was only four months and our construction period is about seven.”
The other crucial component is VTA, which is making housing on its land a goal. Requiring affordable housing is almost always included.
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“VTA is currently working on seven projects in various stages throughout our county," VTA Real Estate Director Jessie O’Malley Solis said. "Construction and planning are the phases that we’re working on. These sites are all near our transit stations.”
Mahan shrugged off recent criticism that temporary housing such as tiny homes is too much of a priority over long-term housing.
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SIGN UP “We can either wait five or six years to get 100 units or in 12 to 18 months we can deliver four to five times that many units," he said.
Gail Osmer, a prominent advocate for unhoused people, agreed.
"I like the tiny homes," Osmer said. "Some of them are pretty good. I think this is gonna be good. It’s going to be housing. But permanent supportive housing is way down the line. It’s going to be a long time from now until that’s being built. If this is gonna be ready by the end of the year, I applaud that.”
The city and its partners are picking up the pace, with another affordable housing project announcement set for Friday.
Mahan said he hopes the momentum will help persuade other public agencies and the county to provide land for even more projects.
