"According to the city, out of 370 people at the encampment, 238 which is 64% said yes to housing. Grace is one of the 47 people the city has moved into shelter from this camp. She has a room at the Bristol Hotel. "A nice shower and a bathtub. So it's luxury - two sinks. I feel very excited and I'm trying to help the rest of my family out here," Grace said."
"Cartwright said the abatement process is happening hastily. Meals are offered at converted hotels, but the rooms are not equipped with mini fridges or microwaves. "One of the hotels doesn't even have a laundry room and that's one of the first things people want to do is like OK I'm here - I got to do my laundry," Cartwright said."
"Part of the abatement process is offering those living in RV's a buyback program; $2,000 for an operable or inoperable RV. The city said 72 signed up for the pilot program; 37 have been removed from the park. "We've had vanlording people actually buying inoperable unsafe RVs, towing them out to Columbus Park to rent them out to people this is not safe," Mahan said."
A longstanding encampment at San Jose's Columbus Park is being cleared gradually. City crews removed over 100,000 pounds of trash in one week. Out of roughly 370 people at the site, 238 (64%) accepted housing offers. Forty-seven people were moved into shelter, including one resident given a room at the Bristol Hotel. Converted hotels provide meals but many rooms lack mini-fridges, microwaves, or laundry facilities. An RV buyback pilot offers $2,000 per RV; 72 signed up and 37 RVs have been removed. Advocates report haste in the abatement and object to punitive EBT spending rules.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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