The Brief
- Nearly two months after San Jose cleared its largest homeless encampment at Columbus Park, some former residents say they are still without shelter and have moved to nearby camps or RVs.
- Advocates compare the sweep to the clearing of “The Jungle” a decade ago, saying too few housing options left people scattered across the city.
San Jose, CA – Six weeks after San Jose began clearing Columbus Park, the city’s largest homeless encampment, some residents say they are back where they started — living in other camps or in RVs, with little clarity about what comes next.
City officials say some people continue to refuse shelter offers, even as crews hauled away more than 650,000 pounds of trash and counted at least 370 residents and 120 lived-in vehicles.
Lingering questions
Local perspective:
While city leaders report that a majority of residents have been moved indoors, others, like Julie — who lived in a friend’s RV at the site for 10 months — say they were overlooked.…