When San Jose dismantled its largest homeless encampment last summer, Mayor Matt Mahan praised moving hundreds of people out of Columbus Park into housing. However, residents said their experience in temporary housing has pulled them backward, not forward. One year after the city swept the 370 RVs that had congregated in Columbus Park, many people...
San Jose safe sleeping site temporarily closes
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...
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...
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...
UPDATE: San Jose officials approve park revitalization plans
San Jose has plans to transform a dilapidated park into a family-friendly area for sports, but will first clear the area of homeless residents. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to revitalize Columbus Park, located at Asbury and Irene streets. Once a place where youth gathered in an under-resourced area, the new 9.4-acre...
San Jose homeless people struggle with clean water sources
Dozens of homeless residents living at Columbus Park in San Jose have struggled to get drinking water, as local sources in the park have been off and on for weeks. Residents encamped in RVs and vehicles said they used to get their drinking water from fountains in the park, but the city shut the water...