Unhoused people in the South Bay were given access to free health screenings, showers, bike repairs and other services during a health fair in San Jose on Friday. Ian Cull reports.
Unhoused people in the South Bay were given access to free health screenings, showers, bike repairs and other services during a health fair in San Jose on Friday.
The event was sponsored by state Sen. Dave Cortese, with help from more than 50 community organizations. The groups set up tables and provided information on housing, food, health and more.
"As we know, there are upwards of 10,000 unhoused people in the San Jose-Santa Clara County area," Cortese said. "Nearly half are 55 years of age or older."
This marks the 14th year the event has been held. Leaders said it’s key in their continued push to find solutions for one of the region's most enduring problems.
"The research is clear: connecting people to service, just the connection, it makes it dramatically more likely that people will be able to get a path off the street," said Omar Passons, deputy city manager of San Jose.
Lafayette Minnieweather lived on the streets for years and is now finding a path to a new future. He was one of many who attended the fair.
"I’m getting dental service, I’m getting medical service, I’m getting backpacks and stuff that I need if I’m cold or if I’m hot," he said.
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It was at an event like Friday's where Minnieweather found the organization HomeFirst. For two years now, he's been living in a temporary home they helped provide.
"It’s a very powerful program that’s helped me in a lot of ways," he said. "It allowed me to get housing and allowed me to get back to school. It allowed me to develop some of the things I didn’t have prior."
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A home wasn't the only change. Minnieweather said he’s also well on his way to graduating from San Jose City College.
Cortese’s office said there has also been an increase in the number of unhoused families. They also mentioned that a number of students at nearby San Jose State University experience homelessness. A survey from 2021 found that around 11% of those students were unhoused at least one day during that school year.
