People living in encampments near San Jose rivers, creeks and waterways are on notice and could be told to pack up and leave immediately due to the Santa Clara Valley Water District ‘s new encampment ban going into effect.
The ban is designed to address threats to public safety and the environment, but water officials say they may not enforce the ordinance just yet.
For unhoused South Bay resident Anna Garcie, her spot along a stretch of Coyote Creek has been home for three years now.
“So the red thing is my shower,” said Garcia as she gestured to her small encampment. “And then that’s my tent, that’s where I sleep, under the other gray tarp.”
In that time, she’s lost her dog and figured how how to live alongside the 30 to 40 others residing in the makeshift neighborhood of tents along the creek.
“For a lot of us, this is all we have,” she said. “This is all we have. If you guys want to kick us out, where are we gonna go? How are we gonna live?”