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 to 370 unhoused residents and 120 lived-in vehicles, per city estimates. Irene Street near the park was nearly empty Thursday, save for a couple RVs with city-issued tags reading “Do not tow or abate.” Those tags reflect people who opted to participate in the city’s RV buyback program and move into temporary housing. Most of the remaining RVs and tents on Asbury Street and near the basketball courts are tagged. They can stay in the park until there’s room in the city’s new temporary housing sites that have yet to open.
Joseph Lopez, 42, said he feels relieved to be going into temporary housing soon. He has been living at and around Columbus Park for nearly half his life, and became homeless at 12 and slept in an RV with his mom and brother until he turned 28. He lost his job at Home Depot during the pandemic and ended up back at Columbus Park…