LifeMoves Moves Into the Future

LifeMoves CFO Paul Simpson had long wondered: If we had a blank canvas, what would the ideal interim housing campus for families look like?

The nonprofit had never had that white space to dream before — until it acquired a 1.75-acre site in Santa Clara County, which is facing one of the most pressing homelessness crises in the Bay Area. Simpson and his colleagues thus sought to break the mold with their plans for the new LifeMoves transitional and supportive interim housing family facility, set to break ground early this year.

The community is designed to feature 30 three-bedroom units and 15,000 square feet of services and gathering areas, including maker spaces, a teen hub, daycare, dining and more — all vertically layered across three floors to create an intergenerational neighborhood. That notion extends to the campus’ site amenities, with an amphitheater, teen area, dog park, garden and more. The exterior of the building, meanwhile, is set to feature a contrast of wood and plaster, including a three-story entry feature dubbed “the hug” that meets the scale of the neighborhood and is intended to help redefine the public perception — and possibility — of critical facilities like these. As Simpson notes, “I wanted to design a crown jewel of the community.”

Looking at the project at large, “There’s a powerful story within this community: More is possible, and we intend to prove it,” he adds. “To end homelessness, we must rise to this moment with resolve, ingenuity and scale. We carry within us the capacity to reimagine, and to realize, a bold vision for the future where every neighbor has a home. When we dismantle every barrier, each person is free to step into the promise of a stable, self-determined tomorrow.”

— Zac Petit