Mountain View Turns Hotel Into Permanent Housing

San Jose Spotlight

September 8, 2023

A converted hotel is creating a home and hope for unhoused foster youth transitioning out of the system, families and individuals.

Unlike other hotels that have been redeveloped as short-term supportive housing, the Crestview Hotel in Mountain View will provide permanent, supportive affordable housing to youth aging out of foster care and small families experiencing homelessness when it opens next summer.

The conversion is a collaboration between Jamboree Housing, Mountain View and the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing. The Santa Clara County Housing Authority is providing 48 Section 8 vouchers—federal housing assistance to residents who pay a portion of their rent based on 30% of their income.

The hotel project located on busy El Camino Road received $16.7 million in funding from Project Homekey and $14.8 million in county funding from No Place Like Home, Measure A and American Rescue Plan Act dollars. Mountain View contributed $9.05 million in Community Development Block Grant funding.

Laura Archuleta, CEO of Jamboree Housing, said permanent, supportive housing is the true solution to homelessness.

“There is only so much subsidy and money to go around,” she told San José Spotlight, “and if you’re putting your money into temporary housing, you’re then building a backlog of folks who have no place to go.”

Archuleta said Jamboree has a history of reuniting children with parents coming out of homelessness by providing affordable one- and two-bedroom apartments. With this development, foster age youth will be part of the program.

“If these kids don’t have any support when they come out, they’re going to struggle being able to live their fullest lives,” she said, “and contribute the most they can to society.”

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