Housing for 80 Homeless Residents in Santa Clara

The most recent effort to solve the county’s biggest problem was launched Monday, as the Calabazas Community Apartments broke ground in Santa Clara.

San Jose Spotlight reports that the 145-unit building will contain 80 “mini-studio” apartments reserved for people experiencing homelessness, and offer on-site support services including counseling and job training.

Abode Services, which has been involved with affordable housing in the greater Bay Area for 20 years, will be the developer on the project, a first for the nonprofit.

The development received the lion’s share of its funding—$29 million—from the $900 million Measure A bond that Santa Clara County voters approved in 2016. The city of Santa Clara pitched in $5 million. Another $250,000 came from a portion of the $50 million that Cisco Systems Inc. committed to the nonprofit Destination: Home.

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins attended the groundbreaking Monday morning, and called on other Silicon Valley CEOs to pony up. “We cannot continue to operate in a way that doesn’t create opportunity for all,” he said.

Read: “Santa Clara: First supportive housing project breaks ground” on San Jose Spotlight.