Despite strong opposition, Fremont to hold meeting about multi-million dollar navigation center

FREMONT, Calif. (BCN/KTVU) - The Fremont City Council is holding a meeting Tuesday about its proposed temporary housing navigation center to address the local and regional housing crisis.

The City Council is being asked whether to move forward with one of two possible sites -- one in the parking lot of City Hall on Capitol Avenue, and the other surplus property in the 4200 block of Decoto Road next to Regan Nursery.

The program would be run by the nonprofit organization Bay Area Community Services.

At a meeting in July, city staff reported opponents of the proposal for both of the sites outnumbered supporters, with opponents of the Decoto location being the most numerous. One opponent began a hunger strike over the proposed homeless shelter.

Construction costs to the city are similar, at $2.37 million for the City Hall site and $2.28 million for the Decoto site.

The proposed center would provide up to six months of housing for up to 45 homeless people, as well as one meal a day and a communal kitchenette, toilets, showers and laundry, health services and employment/benefit assistance.

According to the city, a point-in-time count earlier this year found the homeless population in Fremont had gone up by 27 percent since 2017.

The meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at City Hall, 3300 Capitol Ave., Building A.

More information about the housing navigation center can be found online here.