A new "no encampment zone" will be enforced in San Jose as part of the mayor’s commitment to get unhoused people off city streets.
Mayor Matt Mahan’s promise to San Jose residents is if they are open to interim housing, it won’t become a free-for-all. To that end, a "no encampment zone" has been established around the Monterey-Branham Emergency Interim Housing project for people transitioning from the streets to more stable housing.
As with other "no encampment zones," the city prohibits people from setting up around interim housing, spilling into the surrounding neighborhood, where there are no facilities or connection to resources. It also allows the city to remove encampments without prior notice.
Mahan has said it’s something the people of San Jose are asking for.
"We have to show that we can make meaningful progress toward getting people … indoors," Mahan said. "We’re doing the hard part of building a lot of shelter. I’ve gone to a lot of town halls with people yelling at me, saying I want to use your tax dollars for more shelter, more services. At the least, people expect to see a difference in their neighborhoods."
San Jose has about 3,000 beds for unhoused residents and a plan to create another 1,000 spaces this year. But it won’t be enough for the estimated 5,500 people living on the streets.
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