Amid recent policy developments and ever-changing public attitudes toward homelessness, the homeless population of San Jose faces displacement and instability.
In July, the San Jose City Council announced its intent to sweep the homeless encampment in Columbus Park. Its eventual objective is to revitalize the park into a family-friendly space, complete with sporting areas and other amenities. However, the decision places almost 400 residents in limbo, as individuals forced to leave the encampment may not have anywhere else to go.
These events are indirect effects of the 2024 Supreme Court decision, City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, where the Court allowed cities to clear public sleeping sites without producing alternative housing. Thus, when the Columbus Park sweeps began, only one of five motels slated for conversion to homeless housing had opened, offering 42 beds for roughly 370 displaced residents…