San Jose’s first safe sleeping site for homeless residents has temporarily shut down due to electrical issues just days after opening. A housing department spokesperson said the city closed the Taylor Street tent village on Friday and moved nearly a dozen homeless people living there to other temporary housing sites. The electrical issues stem from...
Cupertino’s RV permit policy could affect homeless residents
Fanny never expected she’d uproot her four children from their Santa Clara apartment to a small RV parked on a side street off Stevens Creek Boulevard in Cupertino. When her landlord kicked her out due to a minor dispute about two months ago, she began renting the RV for $900 a month to stay off the...
Silicon Valley tool alerts homeless residents to available housing
One nonprofit has a unique web tool to help homeless people connect to resources, with the goal of becoming the go-to site for that population. MyConnectSV, a web-based portal spearheaded by Destination: Home, allows homeless residents to directly message case managers, receive alerts on available housing and more. The nonprofit wants to hit 2,000 users...
San Jose sanctioned homeless camp set to open
San Jose is opening its first safe sleeping site for homeless residents next week after construction delays. The vacant lot at 1157 E. Taylor St. will allow up to 56 people to sleep in tents without fear of being swept, and includes eight ADA-accessible tents. The site is meant to serve as a navigation center...
Valley Water land sees reduction in San Jose homeless camps
As efforts to clean up trash and clear homeless residents from local waterways continue, officials are working to make sure people don’t just move from one location to the next due to lack of housing. Valley Water has removed 462 homeless encampments from its land since implementing a no camping policy at the end of...
San Jose homeless residents wait for temporary housing
Homeless residents from Columbus Park are beginning to move into temporary housing as San Jose continues clearing the city’s largest encampment. While they said they’re thankful for shelter, they worry how they’ll stay housed long term. San Jose started sweeping Columbus Park Monday and clearing out trash, vehicles and tents. The park has been home...
San Jose starts sweeping homeless camp in Columbus Park
As San Jose begins sweeping its largest homeless encampment in Columbus Park, people who have accepted offers of shelter will be safe from having their vehicles towed until space opens up. City workers on Monday began clearing Irene Street along Columbus Park, home to a camp of roughly 370 people and 120 lived-in vehicles, per...
Who are Santa Clara County’s homeless service contractors?
Santa Clara County is poised to spend more than $122 million on homelessness this fiscal year, and most of the money is going to one nonprofit. A San José Spotlight review of documents from the county’s Office of Supportive Housing (OSH) shows Abode Services is the county’s largest homeless support service provider. The nonprofit has 15...
San Jose sweep leaves homeless LGBTQ+ community stranded
Over the years, Columbus Park has become a refuge for homeless LGBTQ+ people seeking safety in community. As San Jose gears up to sweep its largest homeless encampment, members of this population have limited options where they don’t fear being harassed. Diva came to Columbus Park two years ago, drawn to the growing LGBTQ+ population....
San Jose homeless residents rally against looming sweep
Homeless residents living in Columbus Park staged a protest against next Monday’s encampment sweep which will displace hundreds of people. More than four dozen community activists and unhoused residents marched from St. James Park in downtown to City Hall on Tuesday, chanting “community engagement not abatement” and “homelessness is not a crime, folks are trying...