As homeless residents move into long-awaited housing project, Vallejo council unclear on path forward

VALLEJO - Some homeless Vallejo residents began moving into a long-delayed supportive housing site this week, while Vallejo leaders split over how to proceed with a strategic plan for handling homelessness. 

The long-awaited Broadway Project began accepting residents for move-in this week. The site will offer 47 supportive housing units and wraparound services to people who have faced homelessness.

Natalie Peterson, one of the city’s assistants to the City Manager, said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting that the city aims to have 40 tenants moved into the Broadway Project by Dec. 24, with more to move in after. 

The project has long been troubled by various delays in its construction process since 2022, as it required a $6 million council bailout last year to resume stalled construction and an audit found that the city and developer mismanaged the project as its budget ballooned from $15 to $26 million. The council in November relied on funds from an opioid settlement fund to cover unforeseen costs during the current opening delay.

The project, which was funded partly by state Project Homekey funds, hit another delay within the last couple of months, due to what the city said were unexpected issues, including a water line break and delays in insurance approvals. Work on the recent water line break should be done by Jan. 15 so that an onsite manager can  move in, Peterson said.

The city plans to hold a ribbon cutting by early February, Peterson said. The project developer Firm Foundation has been handling the site during the final steps toward opening. Shelter Inc. will take over once the site is fully open.

The councilmembers applauded the news. Councilmember Helen-Marie “Cookie” Gordon said, “I am so excited.” 

Some residents expressed their ongoing concerns. Vallejo Homeless Union advocate Eli Smith told the Vallejo Sun that she knows of some potential clients who were rejected from moving in to the site due to certain limitations, such as the size of their pets. 

Vallejo resident William Baker said in public comment Tuesday that in celebrating progress on the project, the city ought to memorialize 58-year-old James Edward Oakley II, who was crushed to death during an encampment sweep one year ago. Oakley was found dead when city workers tasked with cleaning up an illegal dump site on the 2300 block of Broadway Street noticed Oakley’s body among construction debris that they were moving with a hydraulic loader, according to statements from City Manager Andrew Murray and city staff members.

Baker suggested a memorial inside the project in Oakley’s honor and others who passed before being able to seek shelter inside. 

“If James were alive today, he would have undoubtedly had the opportunity to live at the Broadway project,” Baker said. “This building is a massive investment by the city and state. Let James Oakley's memory be the catalyst for that.”

In the same evening, the council split over city staff’s recommendation to spend $120,000 on crafting Vallejo’s Unhoused Strategic Plan. The recommendation came after the city in 2024 approved RDA Consulting to handle the suggested plan and begin reviewing the city’s handling of homelessness, current programs and the latest Housing Element. If approved, the company would interview at least 50 currently unhoused people and suggest new practices and partnerships and present a final strategic plan to the community for feedback. 

The city said it would craft the plan earlier this year after various community members called for transparent investment in better handling homelessness, including with encampment sweeps and how people are directed to services and shelter. The council said that the plan should contain recommendations for how the city should transition unhoused people into stable housing, given that the city has a larger share of unhoused people than anywhere in Solano County, according to the county’s most recent count. 

But council members on Tuesday disagreed over whether to switch to using Measure P funds or the funds the city has from a Roundup legal settlement with Monsanto (received alongside many other Bay Area cities) with Gordon asking for the former. Councilmember Tonia Lediju asked to stick to the general fund, adding that she was not impressed by the proposed scope of work or RDA’s strategy. 

While Gordon acknowledged that the council may need to spend the funds to be better prepared for handling homelessness, she said "Personally, I’d rather not spend the money at all, because it’s not the time.” Her motion to use the Monsanto Funds failed 2-2 with Lediju and Councilmember Alexander Matias voting no. Mayor Andrea Sorce, Vice Mayor Peter Bregenzer and Councilmember Charles Palmares were absent Tuesday.   

Resident Melvin Cohen said that he wanted to see the city formally invest in a strategic plan after years of seeing people die while living outdoors.

“Vallejo still has not designed or improved an encampment resolution strategy with safeguards,” Cohen said. He added that he wants to see a plan with clear outcomes and accountability in mind. “My hope is that it does more than just analyze, that it clearly addresses the gap between housing and pricing,” he said.

It was unclear Tuesday whether and when city staff will bring back the plan, and funding options for its scope of work, at a future council meeting.