A troubled San Jose modular housing project for homeless residents has hit another snag.
The opening of a temporary housing site on Branham Lane has been delayed over difficulties ensuring the homes are structurally safe. The project was supposed to be done in April, then June and then October — but is now anticipated to finish construction in February and open no later than May. It comes seven months after this news outlet first reported how the $70 million, factory-made homes — hailed as a cheap, cutting-edge homelessness solution — arrived at the job site unfinished last October and grew mold after sitting out in the rain for weeks.
A Nov. 7 memo from City Housing Director Erik Soliván blames the delays on the project’s developers, Devcon Construction, Inc. and subcontractor Volumetric Building Companies, which was responsible for manufacturing the homes. Officials say a lack of coordination caused issues installing the prefabricated homes to the foundation, which is critical to the stability and integrity of the homes and should have been addressed in an initial project review prior to installation.
Once completed, the multi-story structure will be one of the first and largest of its kind in the state — and one of the largest homeless temporary housing sites in San Jose — containing 204 rooms with private bathrooms and kitchens and the ability to support up to 612 people annually.
The latest delays come after officials found deficiencies in the dwellings’ factory-installed waterproofing, as well as faulty installation of exterior protective finish. Devcon also found disability access issues with the showers. Meanwhile the city’s Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department found missing critical firewall separations, particularly in the mechanical rooms, as well as plumbing errors made during the factory construction.
Devcon President Gary Filizetti denied there being a lack of coordination on his company’s part.
“It was poor and unacceptable workmanship by Volumetric Building Companies. The units were supposed to have been inspected and passed in the factory by state approved inspectors and were ready to be set and connected. Which they obviously were not,” Filizetti told San José Spotlight.
Filizetti said Volumetric Building Companies failed to provide a product that’s up to acceptable building standards.
“Devcon has been doing everything they can to correct the deficiencies in the field.We have stepped up and took over all of the deficient work and paid prevailing wage pricing to complete it to the satisfaction of the building department,” Filizetti said.
Vaughan Buckley, CEO of Volumetric Building Companies, declined to comment on the memo.
“VBC is excited for the LifeMoves San Jose facility to open soon, and know that without VBC support having this project open in such a short time from foundations being completed at the end of 2023 would not have been possible,” Buckley told San Jose Spotlight. “Any other way of building or any other construction technology would not have been able to achieve the timing to occupancy that will be seen on this project, and we are honored to be a part of it.”
The modular housing model has been heralded by Mayor Matt Mahan — and his predecessor, Sam Liccardo — as an innovative homelessness solution because it can be built quicker and at a lower cost than traditional apartment construction. Part of Mahan’s plan to tackle homelessness in the city is to provide transitional housing with supportive services to help unhoused residents move into permanent housing. This project is one of them.
“Despite some challenges the subcontractors experienced, this quick-build community will come online early next year and provide safe housing for over 200 people currently living in a tent on our streets,” Tasha Dean, Mahan’s spokesperson, told San José Spotlight. “Even with the unexpected hiccups that accompany any new development, these quick-build communities are significantly faster to build and lower cost than many alternatives and have already help move a couple thousand people off of our streets since 2020.”
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.
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