The Santa Clara Valley Water District’s board of directors laid the groundwork to sell off 60 acres of surplus land after unanimously following two of three recommendations introduced by its Homeless Encampment Ad Hoc Committee Nov. 22.
The recommendations could help curb the growing impacts of homeless encampments on local waterways, according to water district staff.
The ad hoc committee identified seven water district parcels located in the unincorporated areas of the county and in the cities of San Jose, Morgan Hill and Gilroy, according to the SCVWD report.
With the board’s approval, those parcels can now be “offered for sale or lease to other governmental agencies that may be able to utilize these lands for the development of permanent housing,” according to the SCVWD report. The housing would target low- or moderate-income residents.
The board, however, tabled the first recommendation from the ad hoc committee that would have developed a process to offer the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing the first chance to lease vacant residential properties owned by the water district, according to SCVWD staff. The directors decided “to put the first part on hold so we can do more outreach to the neighborhoods where those properties are,” SCVWD spokesman Marty Grimes said.
Two of the surplus parcels are located at Maple Avenue in San Martin and another one at Murphy Avenue in Morgan Hill, according to a September staff report.
The second approved recommendation directed $350,000 to partner with the City of San Jose to fund an extension of its Downtown Streets Team program to remove trash and debris at encampments along local waterways. The water district’s voter-approved Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program specifically designated approximately $8 million for the removal of trash and debris in waterways.
The water district currently leases 53 residential properties. Most rental properties were acquired because the lands will be needed for future flood protection projects. Until those projects break ground, the water district typically leases them directly to individuals or families on a month-to-month basis.
The purpose of the Homeless Encampment Ad Hoc Committee is to discuss homelessness and encampment issues, and bring discussion and recommendations back to the full board. Director Richard P. Santos serves as the committee’s chairperson; Director Tony Estremera is the vice-chairperson; and Director John L. Varela is the third member of the committee.
