San Jose, CA - Today, the Santa Clara County Housing Authority, City of San Jose, and Jamboree Housing Corporation celebrates the grand opening of Sunrise Pavilion, an affordable housing community dedicated to not only housing transitional age youth (TAY), but providing individualized services to ensure each resident has the ability to continually meet their goals and thrive. As a part of this commitment, The Workforce Center (The Center) is located onsite to nurture residents' career growth. The grand opening also recognizes November as Youth HOPE Month, to bring awareness to youth and young adults experiencing homelessness across the country.
A current resident shared her excitement. Emiliana Solis plans to make the most of the resources available at Sunrise Pavilion.
"I take this opportunity as a stepping stone," she said. "I feel blessed that I don’t have to carry the weight of wondering where I’ll sleep tonight. I’m so thankful for this chance to breathe, to rebuild. Now, I can focus on my dreams, going back to school and growing professionally."
TAY homelessness often stems from issues that arise from foster care exits and economic instability. Around 35% of unhoused youth and young adults have experience with the child welfare or foster care systems. Upon entering young adulthood, TAY are then faced with a lack of affordable housing options, resulting in sporadic or permanent homelessness.
“We are so grateful to be here today with our partners as we welcome home some of the most vulnerable youth in our community and recognize November as Youth Hope Month, to illuminate the challenges faced by runaway and homeless youth,” says Preston Prince, Executive Director of the Santa Clara County Housing Authority. “The Housing Authority is committed to collaboration that builds community transformation, prioritizes equity and justice, and embraces residents' lived experiences. Sunrise Pavilion is a place where youth will be given hope and opportunity to live authentically in a safe environment, and we are proud of this housing community made possible by so many partners coming together to create something unique and special for our community”.
Laura Archuleta, CEO of Jamboree Housing Corporation shared similar sentiments.
“Jamboree not only provides affordable housing, we also provide access to healthy food, health services, and in the case of Sunrise Pavilion, The Workforce Center are all part of Jamboree’s duty to help individuals break the cycle of homelessness,” she said. “Young adults facing homelessness can have bright futures, thanks to the incredible work of our partners at the county, city, OSH, and The Bill Wilson Center giving them the means to do so.”
Sunrise Pavilion’s goal is to get TAY on a path to economic stability. The Workforce Center is an onsite facility at Sunrise Pavilion developed by Jamboree to jumpstart support for young adults transitioning into independent living. The Center provides career counseling, helping TAY navigate the job market with personalized mentorship, as well as guidance on college or trade school. By collaborating with local employers, educational institutions, and community partners, The Center identifies opportunities that align with the unique strengths and aspirations of its residents.
Onsite services for Sunrise Pavilion are provided by Jamboree’s Community Impact Team and Bill Wilson Center, giving residents immediate access to professional services in life skills education, financial literacy, and personalized case management.
Josh Selo, Chief Executive Officer at Bill Wilson Center expressed his enthusiasm for Sunrise Pavilion.
“The opening of Sunrise Pavilion is a bright spot in the midst of the ongoing housing crisis our community is facing, sparking hope for a brighter future for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in Santa Clara County,” he said. “We are grateful for all the partners that made this project possible, hopefully it is the start of a trend of creating even more housing opportunities for young people in our region.”
A total of $14.3 million in Homekey funding from the state of California helped transform what was once an outdated motel, the Pavilion Inn, into Sunrise Pavilion. Homekey is a statewide initiative to give local governments a chance to accelerate and sustain the development of affordable housing by identifying underutilized buildings and converting them into housing for target demographics that need a place to reside.
Santa Clara County Housing Authority provided $8.7 million in Moving to Work (MTW) funding and $2.1 million in additional Housing Authority funding for Sunrise Pavilion along with 21 Project-Based Vouchers to lessen the cost of rent for TAY residents.
The County of Santa Clara contributed $4.2 million in No Place Like Home (NPLH) and the county’s Measure A bond funding with $2 million from the Office of Supportive Housing (OSH).
The City of San Jose contributed $2.3 million in Homeless Housing, Assistance, and Prevention Program (HHAP) funding and $500,000 in the city’s Measure E bond.
“Nearly one in three young people aging out of California’s foster care system ends up on our streets – Sunrise Pavilion is an example of a solution that aims to change that,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “San Jose and Santa Clara County continue to show that Homekey projects like this are an important part of our all-of-the-above approach to ending the era of encampments by moving our most vulnerable neighbors indoors.”
Sunrise Pavilion enables the City of San Jose to provide 42 homes for TAY experiencing homelessness in a community well-equipped with supportive resources for career progression and higher education. With Sunrise Pavilion, at-risk youth now have a foundation to change their lives and a clear starting point for long-term success.