SAN JOSE, Calif. ( KRON ) — The City of San Jose plans to clear out a homeless encampment near the airport that houses more than 100 individuals on Tuesday.
Despite unhoused advocates protesting the sweep, the eviction is still set to occur.
The encampment’s residents were notified of the sweep last week. The residents were warned by a flyer that they needed to leave by Tuesday, or they would be forced out.
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Residents were warned that the encampment violated Federal Aviation Administration guidelines due to planes flying 200 feet above the location daily. According to officials, the campfires that the residents use to keep themselves warm have smoke that poses a danger to the planes.
The encampment is located at Columbus Park, which is 3 miles south of the San Jose Mineta International Airport.
KRON4.com reached out to San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan for comment and received the following statement:
“Our fundamental responsibility is keeping people safe — that’s our highest priority above anything else we work on, including ending homelessness. There are certain cases, where an encampment is so unsafe and violating so many laws, that we can’t wait for our solutions to scale,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “The FAA requires us to keep certain areas around Columbus Park clear because it is in the airport’s flight path. This is exactly why we’re working with urgency to expand safe sleeping, safe parking and tiny homes so that we have adequate capacity to serve the people living in unsheltered, unsafe conditions along our streets and creeks. We simply don’t have enough capacity today for the over 4,500 people living outdoors.”