San Jose hasn’t hesitated to implement a wave of policies and programs aimed at tamping down homelessness since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the floodgates to ban homeless people in public spaces. Since the Johnson v. Grants Pass ruling two years ago, San Jose has wasted no time extending its ban on the hours...
RV bans in San Jose reduce vehicles on streets by 60%
RVs that used to be ubiquitous on San Jose’s streets have dropped by more than half since the city began upping the pressure on people living in vehicles. While officials say this has created cleaner and safer neighborhoods, those vulnerable say these policies are pushing them over the edge. Since last January when San Jose...
San Jose nonprofit buys property to help homeless people
A San Jose home that was part of a national Catholic movement to provide a “house of hospitality” to the marginalized is transferring hands, though its mission to help homeless people will remain. Catholic Worker San Jose is selling its seven-bedroom home on North Sixth Street, known as Casa de Clara, to nonprofit Amigos de Guadalupe...
Budget cuts will close San Jose safe sleeping site
San Jose plans to decommission its only sanctioned tent homeless encampment months after it opened. The Taylor Street Navigation Hub is scheduled to close by next January as San Jose grapples with its $50 million deficit. The move comes as a shock to homeless advocates, as San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan threw his weight behind the...
Sunnyvale slow to help homeless people living in RVs
Sunnyvale leaders are moving forward with a plan to address homelessness among people living in their vehicles, but how quickly solutions can be implemented is unclear. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to develop proposals for interim housing on city-owned land, a potential RV buyback program and a permitted parking system for oversized vehicles...
Fed grant to cut San Jose’s homeless housing costs
San Jose is looking to offset a sizable portion of its homeless shelter expenses through Medi-Cal reimbursements, but homeless service providers aren’t making full use of the opportunity. That’s about to change with help from a federal grant. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to accept and match $1.3 million from the federal Providing...
San Jose homeless residents fall through the housing cracks
As San Jose sweeps its last large homeless encampment known as “the Jungle,” some residents say the city has reneged on its promises of housing. City officials claimed they had shelter beds for all 109 residents who originally lived at the East San Jose homeless camp across from Happy Hollow Park and Zoo. Camp residents...
San Jose shelter is a stop on the way to permanent housing
A homeless shelter in San Jose is set to serve as the launching point for residents to transition to permanent housing. The Arena Hotel, which the city converted into a shelter in 2023, will serve as a temporary location for people receiving federal housing vouchers. Starting May 1, the hotel will be one of three...
San Jose starts clearing homeless camp known as ‘the Jungle’
San Jose has begun dismantling its last large homeless encampment after weeks of outreach and offers of housing. Workers on Wednesday tore down tents and makeshift homes along Coyote Creek across from Happy Hollow Park & Zoo — an area known as “the Jungle.” As the city started clearing the encampment, which had become home to...
Silicon Valley homeless nonprofit CEO is out
One of Silicon Valley’s most prolific homeless service providers is changing leadership, after reports of its mismanagement of a large South San Jose shelter led to a terminated contract. Nonprofit LifeMoves announced CEO Aubrey Merriman is transitioning out of his role in an April 8 email sent to workers. Chief Operating Officer Nick Hodges is replacing Merriman...