Formerly homeless veterans living in poor conditions at a San Jose complex hope things get better with the change in nonprofit service providers.
The property at 10. Kirk Ave. is home to dozens of veterans that have lived with black mildew, fire hazards and unsafe electrical systems, among other problems — issues that have been going on for years. Santa Clara County purchased it last year and promised to turn it around. Homeless Veterans Emergency Housing Facility, a nonprofit led by CEO Irvin Goodwin, provided case management and meals to veterans at the site, but the veterans lived in squalor. Two months ago the Veterans Administration, which had been been funding a majority of the programs, said it would not renew its contract with the nonprofit, and the contract expired on Monday.
To avoid a lapse in service, the county brought in Abode Services on Tuesday to take over day-to-day operations through the end of the year.
The contract, approved by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Aug. 27, is only through the end of December. The county took $500,000 out of its general fund contingency reserve to make sure on-site veterans are still getting meals, case management and services needed to transition into permanent housing.