After years of complaints about squalid conditions at a San Jose veterans shelter, Rep. Ro Khanna has delivered a major cash infusion that county leaders say could finally turn the place around.
Khanna has secured more than $3 million in federal Community Project Funding for the veterans shelter at 10 Kirk Ave in East San Jose. County officials say the money will cover urgent fixes and could help them rebuild part of the 4.26-acre property as permanent housing for veterans. The announcement lands as residents keep sounding the alarm about mold, unreliable hot water and the way some staff allegedly treat the people who live there.
As reported by SFGATE, the new funding comes through U.S. Housing and Urban Development community project dollars and was highlighted during a recent tour of the site by Khanna. "I'm absolutely committed to our veterans and getting more funding for this center," Khanna told San José Spotlight during that visit, according to the report.
Veterans who live at the shelter told Khanna they feel disrespected and described ongoing health and safety issues, including bed bugs, black mildew and hot water that cuts in and out. Those conditions were documented in a county fire-safety inspection posted by San José Spotlight, and local coverage shows the nonprofit Abode Services took over operations in October 2024 amid continued complaints. NBC Bay Area also reported that nine residents were moved to a hotel earlier this year so crews could work on renovations.
County Steps In As Fixes Ramp Up
The County of Santa Clara closed on the property in November 2023 in an effort to preserve it specifically for veteran housing, according to a county press release. County officials say work crews have already repaired fire sprinklers, installed new piping, re-roofed several buildings, remediated mold in some units and added air conditioning in parts of the complex. Most residents who were temporarily relocated to a hotel in Milpitas have since returned after work wrapped up on one of the main buildings, according to the County of Santa Clara.
Funding, Fixes And What Comes Next
Long before Khanna’s latest haul, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren helped secure roughly $1 million in 2024 for time-sensitive repairs at the same site, according to San José Spotlight. Khanna's office also listed a County of Santa Clara request for Community Project Funding on its fiscal year 2026 roster, as outlined on Rep. Khanna's website.
County leaders say the new HUD dollars will be paired with local funding while they hold listening sessions with veterans, nearby residents and service providers. The goal, they say, is to use that feedback to shape any long-term redevelopment plan for the Kirk Avenue site so it can finally function as stable, permanent housing for the people it was meant to serve.
