San Jose has been clearing homeless encampments along city waterways, and is looking to do the same for people living under freeways. Mayor Matt Mahan is exploring a partnership with Caltrans to accelerate sweeps near freeways through state legislation and a city pilot program. State freeways, highways and underpasses are under Caltrans’ jurisdiction. But due...
San Jose mayor’s proposals criminalize homelessness, advocates say
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is taking a hardline approach in his budget plan to get homeless people off the streets. Community advocates are calling it unjust. Mahan’s upcoming 2025-26 budget message proposes several ways to tackle homelessness, including reallocating more Measure E funding toward temporary shelter, encampment services and homelessness prevention. While proponents say...
San Jose to crack down on RV rentals to homeless
San Jose has problems with slumlords and now they have problems with vanlords. City officials are targeting vanlords, individuals who they said prey on the homeless residents by renting them inoperable vehicles. Mayor Matt Mahan along with Councilmembers Bien Doan, Michael Mulcahy and David Cohen want to study ways to restrict renting RVs to homeless...
San Jose extends downtown sidewalk sleeping ban hours
San Jose homeless residents are at risk of being cited or arrested if they’re caught sleeping or sitting on the sidewalk by early morning. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to extend sidewalk sleeping and sitting restrictions two hours early in the morning starting at 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Known as the “pedestrian facilitation...
San Jose could jail homeless residents for refusing shelter
The mayor of San Jose wants to penalize homeless people who refuse shelter by arresting or hospitalizing them, punting the service-resistant onto Santa Clara County for care. Mayor Matt Mahan unveiled his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative Thursday, where homeless people who choose not to accept shelter after three attempts within an 18-month period will be...
Sunnyvale houses homeless residents in hotels after sweep
Sunnyvale is trying a new approach to homeless encampment sweeps by putting people in motels and giving them an opportunity to make necessary life changes. The city on Feb. 26 placed about 25 unhoused people in 18 rooms across two Larkspur Landing hotels — one in Sunnyvale and one in Milpitas — for 30 days,...
San Jose opens second safe parking site
With San Jose’s second safe parking site opening, dozens of homeless people living in RVs have a place to land without fear of getting swept — and can be connected to services to help them get back on their feet. The safe parking site at 1300 Berryessa Road welcomed eight RVs Monday, its first day...
Santa Clara County asks state to help fund affordable housing
State funding could be the answer for a long-awaited affordable housing development to begin construction. Santa Clara County is applying for up to $40.5 million in Project Homekey+ funding for the Algarve Apartments at 1135 E. Santa Clara St. next to Roosevelt Park in San Jose. When completed, the development will have 91 homes —...
San Jose wants to send homeless people back to families
San Jose is launching a program to relocate and reunify homeless people with their families as the city strives to end unsheltered homelessness. Homeward Bound, a pilot program proposed by Mayor Matt Mahan, will send outreach workers to make contact with homeless individuals and pay for transportation costs to bus them out of the city....
San Jose mayor wants to permanently shift affordable housing funds
Amid a budget shortfall, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan wants to move money allocated to affordable housing toward temporary housing solutions — indefinitely. San Jose is facing a potential $60 million deficit for the upcoming 2025-26 fiscal year, due in large part to a drop in sales tax revenue. At a City Council meeting earlier...