Sweeps near San Jose's largest homeless encampment begins, will run through summer

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The city of San Jose began a large-scale encampment sweep along the Guadalupe River Trail that will kick off several weeks of sweeps this summer.

It's in the area off of Taylor Street, near the city's largest homeless encampment at Columbus Park, where the sound of crunching echoed throughout the area Monday morning.

For the unhoused who lived in the encampments, they can't do anything but watch the sweep happen.

"It is challenging because it's just a constant, reoccurring thing," Rainy Days said. "You lose so much stuff and then you have to start all over again. It gets kind of stressful, you know?"

This is the start of phased cleanups from the city of San Jose that will run all summer.

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It comes less than a week after the city council approved a new encampment code of conduct and the responsibility to shelter initiative.

When it is fully instituted, refusal of shelter from outreach teams could lead to drug or mental health treatment or even arrest.

"That's crazy," Days said. "Don't sit there and think that everyone out here are just addicts. We're not just addicts. I don't know what they expect us to do."

This is not the only abatement planned for this area. Columbus Park will be cleared out by the city starting at the end of July.

Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services spokesperson Amanda Rodriguez says these areas will be soon designated as no encampment zones.

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"This effort marks the first step in restoring the area for community use and creating a safer, cleaner environment for all," Rodriguez said in a statement. "Looking ahead, the City plans to revitalize Columbus Park back into a vibrant park with amenities for everyone."

Unhoused advocates were on hand with their new Rapid Engagement Support Team to offer support and make sure rights were not violated.

Without enough housing available, they say the city is pushing the problem somewhere else - as people will continue to move encampments around San Jose.

"Empathy is not meant to be easy, but we need it out here today," Unhoused advocate 'The Batman of San Jose' said. "It is the only way to solve this problem. What you're seeing today is not a solution. We're not instilling trust in our community, we're not aiding our community. We're pushing our community out before we even get the chance to help them."

Without that trust, people are less likely to utilize city services and the cycle continues.