Project Homekey is a $160 million housing project that seeks to convert an Extended Stay America hotel in Milpitas into 132 apartments for the homeless.

This project is being imposed on the people of Milpitas without their input and without public participation. A project of this size requires full transparency on the part of elected officials. It requires public hearings and the full involvement of local residents who will be impacted by this project.

While we all sympathize with the needs of our homeless brothers and sisters, we have grave concerns about the impact of this project on the local community and adjacent neighborhoods and think it requires more study. We are concerned about relocating individuals from outside our city here. We are concerned about those with criminal records or drug use. We are concerned that homeless Milpitas families who work and study here are not getting any priority. We are concerned about the potential drain on public services and loss of hotel tax revenue at a time of falling city revenues.

The City of Milpitas and its residents must have a say in this matter. Adding potentially 264 new people to the area without a vetting process or even a discussion about the issue defies the principle of representative government.