San Jose has ramped up efforts to tackle homelessness by clearing encampments and constructing temporary shelters. The City Council received a midyear report highlighting ambitious goals such as providing over 1,400 shelter beds this year. Mayor Matt Mahan emphasized the urgency of the situation, likening it to a crisis. While several temporary housing initiatives have launched, including four sites with 524 beds, the aggressive encampment sweeps risk displacing individuals further, pushing them into less visible areas. Strategies also include no-encampment zones and banning long-term RV parking to manage the situation effectively.
San Jose has cleared 12 miles of encampments along Coyote Creek, and there are 13 no-encampment zones throughout the city.
It feels that we are finally acting with the speed, urgency and scale that reflects it being an emergency, being a crisis," Mayor Matt Mahan said at the meeting.
The city aims to add more than 1,400 shelter beds and spaces this year in a region where for every one person housed, nearly two become homeless.
The city's increased sweeps have displaced people, pushing them into neighborhoods and forcing them to seek refuge in less visible areas.
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