I wrote about this issue in July, thinking it would be resolved by now. Silly me.
My column in July was relatively tame, but the summation of it was essentially the headline: “Supportive housing for homeless in Millbrae is the right thing to do.” In it, I addressed the fear people were experiencing of the unknown but emphasized the need for supportive housing for the homeless in this county. I also emphasized, as I have for a couple years now, that the goal of functional zero homelessness in this county is one we should take on wholeheartedly, without qualm and in every instance.
For those not following along, I will give you the quick and easy update. Project Roomkey started in the pandemic as a simple idea that homeless people needed a place to stay because it was humane but also to prevent the spread of COVID. Hotels had vacancies, the county had state and federal money, boom, the homeless had a place to stay. The idea morphed into Project Homekey, which enabled the county to buy older hotel properties and remake them into low-income housing with wraparound services. Hotels, motels and inns were purchased in Redwood City, San Mateo and Half Moon Bay. For the most part, it works exceedingly well. Millbrae has issues with homelessness, the La Quinta Inn was for sale, the county is buying it and will make it into supportive housing for families and seniors.
In Millbrae, there are at least a few hundred residents who are darn mad about it and have let everyone know about it over a series of public meetings attended by Mike Callagy, the county’s executive officer who has led the way in this project to house the homeless.
Some Millbrae officials, most notably Mayor Ann Schneider, have built up enmity over the years because of a number of issues. The city doesn’t get enough regional money, it has to deal with the impact of SFO and BART, it has slim opportunity for business development because of its geography, there has been an influx of homeless in recent years, and the county didn’t give them ample support for particular housing issues. This may all be true, however, there are avenues for working through these issues away from this plan to help people who really could use the help.
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As with any issue, there are reasonable ways to get through it successfully. But everyone at the table has to be reasonable and willing to participate. I haven’t seen that. What happened at a Board of Supervisors meeting to approve the purchase Tuesday, was a continuation of the vitriol stoked by fear and loathing. Then Supervisor David Canepa suggested the project would hurt the current workers at the hotel. I’m not sure how Canepa landed in this tiny pot of opposition but making an issue of something like this when tensions are already high risks boiling over that pot when the stakes are frankly too high. San Mateo County has a 3% unemployment rate, the lowest in the state. The people who now work at the hotel will get new jobs. If they don’t, I’m sure there is a way to help them.
The county has converted three hotels to interim housing and constructed a new navigation center using local, state and federal money. It also used state money to create two permanent supportive housing sites in Redwood City. This type of housing is incredibly necessary if we are to be serious about ensuring people who have left the streets remain off the streets so they can be stable and productive members of society. This is the type of housing the county is proposing in Millbrae. The La Quinta Inn property would have gone up for sale anyway and the county is working toward providing money to Millbrae to make up for any lost revenue. Every sign points to the county being a responsible and responsive party in this situation.
Part of that responsibility is the primary goal of getting people into housing before anything else because of the challenges that come without shelter. It works and will be a model for other communities to replicate. There are places all over the county right now where people are getting help, and there is absolutely no reason to fear people on their way up. I live near several transitional housing facilities and have only seen good things because of them. Great things even.
In Millbrae, there are hurt feelings, worry and concern over the unknown. I get that. But this conversation has gone on long enough. It is time to recognize the practical reality and address concerns outside of the fire of panic and fear. Stoking that panic and fear is simply wrong. It’s time to move on.
Jon Mays is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Journal. He can be reached at jon@smdailyjournal.com. Follow Jon on X @jonmays.
You completely ignore the real issue and just patronizingly chalk the opposition up to "fear of the unknown." Millbrae is quite dependent on hotel tax revenues, as well as property tax. County ownership of this property removes both of those revenue streams from it.
This is a situation where the community was told what to do. This in not a winning strategy in any situation. Homekey was a Covid program and like many things "Covid" should go away. I am also hearing there is a lack of interest in older apartments. If this is the case those rents are much lower and a voucher program should be implemented to cover the difference between the affordable rate and market rate for those apartments ($300 - $500 per month). The money could be stretched a lot further and help many more people. If Cities and the County are focused solely on owning properties there will be a few winners and many losers.
Thanks Jon, I haven't been following this closely and I appreciate your analysis. I wish everyone had a better gut feeling for the conditions that cause people to become unhoused. I am put in mind of a woman I met who insisted that the homeless could and should just go live with family--she really thought that was the solution. I'm guessing she has had a blessed and privileged life and lacks the imagination to understand what it is to be pushed to the edge by any of a variety of circumstances. That we can be so callous towards people in dire straits does not speak well of our society.
Thanks for some sensible and non-political remarks on this topic. We should help folks that are homeless... some need a little assistance to get back on their feet and others will need a lot more assistance. If we are going to commit millions of dollars locally to help the homeless, our county's leadership should be able to find a better way to create supportive housing. They whiffed on this one.
Now that San Mateo County supervisors have decided to buy the Inn and house homeless folks, time will tell whether the reality of panic and fear is justified. If not, then all is good and there are no issues, but if the panic and fear is justified, then what? Millbrae folks just have to grin and bear it? And then throw even more money into anticipated, but ignored, consequences? Voters, think twice before casting votes to re-elect some of these folks.
As one of the people who spoke in favor of the permanent supportive housing, it struck me how the majority of those opposed were still stuck on misinformation, even though we had just seen a presentation with the facts and a video with families and seniors who now have permanent housing. I hope they will open their minds and hearts to the new residents and see that they are just people and not the scary beings they are imagining.
I live in Redwood Shores. When the county proposed converting a Marriott hotel into a Project Homekey site for seniors, there was a lot of pushback. The objections seemed to be largely based on public safety concerns much like the objections articulated by folks who live in Millbrae. I think supportive housing is a good idea and I took a different position in these pages. I said that we cannot kick the can down the road and that the site proposed by the county was buffered by commercial and county property. That should allay some of the concerns about public safety. However, the situation in Redwood Shores did not work out the way the county believed it would. Given that experience, it seems the concerns up in Millbrae are real. Those folks are not haters... they are worriers, and the county has not given them a reason to set aside that worry.
I have been following the conversation about the La Quinta Inn for a while now. I have asked the following question maybe a half dozen times... if the converted hotel in Millbrae presents no greater public safety concern than neighborhoods close to hotel site, then why is the county promising extra law enforcement resources for that site? I'm still waiting for an answer.
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(8) comments
You completely ignore the real issue and just patronizingly chalk the opposition up to "fear of the unknown." Millbrae is quite dependent on hotel tax revenues, as well as property tax. County ownership of this property removes both of those revenue streams from it.
Jon
Your POV is short sighted and misguided.
This is a situation where the community was told what to do. This in not a winning strategy in any situation. Homekey was a Covid program and like many things "Covid" should go away. I am also hearing there is a lack of interest in older apartments. If this is the case those rents are much lower and a voucher program should be implemented to cover the difference between the affordable rate and market rate for those apartments ($300 - $500 per month). The money could be stretched a lot further and help many more people. If Cities and the County are focused solely on owning properties there will be a few winners and many losers.
Thanks Jon, I haven't been following this closely and I appreciate your analysis. I wish everyone had a better gut feeling for the conditions that cause people to become unhoused. I am put in mind of a woman I met who insisted that the homeless could and should just go live with family--she really thought that was the solution. I'm guessing she has had a blessed and privileged life and lacks the imagination to understand what it is to be pushed to the edge by any of a variety of circumstances. That we can be so callous towards people in dire straits does not speak well of our society.
Hi, Westy
Thanks for some sensible and non-political remarks on this topic. We should help folks that are homeless... some need a little assistance to get back on their feet and others will need a lot more assistance. If we are going to commit millions of dollars locally to help the homeless, our county's leadership should be able to find a better way to create supportive housing. They whiffed on this one.
Now that San Mateo County supervisors have decided to buy the Inn and house homeless folks, time will tell whether the reality of panic and fear is justified. If not, then all is good and there are no issues, but if the panic and fear is justified, then what? Millbrae folks just have to grin and bear it? And then throw even more money into anticipated, but ignored, consequences? Voters, think twice before casting votes to re-elect some of these folks.
As one of the people who spoke in favor of the permanent supportive housing, it struck me how the majority of those opposed were still stuck on misinformation, even though we had just seen a presentation with the facts and a video with families and seniors who now have permanent housing. I hope they will open their minds and hearts to the new residents and see that they are just people and not the scary beings they are imagining.
Hello, Cathy
I live in Redwood Shores. When the county proposed converting a Marriott hotel into a Project Homekey site for seniors, there was a lot of pushback. The objections seemed to be largely based on public safety concerns much like the objections articulated by folks who live in Millbrae. I think supportive housing is a good idea and I took a different position in these pages. I said that we cannot kick the can down the road and that the site proposed by the county was buffered by commercial and county property. That should allay some of the concerns about public safety. However, the situation in Redwood Shores did not work out the way the county believed it would. Given that experience, it seems the concerns up in Millbrae are real. Those folks are not haters... they are worriers, and the county has not given them a reason to set aside that worry.
I have been following the conversation about the La Quinta Inn for a while now. I have asked the following question maybe a half dozen times... if the converted hotel in Millbrae presents no greater public safety concern than neighborhoods close to hotel site, then why is the county promising extra law enforcement resources for that site? I'm still waiting for an answer.
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