A group of unhoused people took their tents to San Jose City Hall on Thursday to push back against the city’s plans to clear their encampment, known as “The Jungle.”
The demonstration was organized by the group Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). The group said they were told on Thursday they needed to clear out by this weekend so Caltrans can clear the area.
The encampment sits near Olinder Park and is considered part of what’s known as “The Jungle,” once the largest homeless encampment in the South Bay.
About 45 people live in the area.
“We’re trying to keep everything confined. We’re not trying to have a homeless encampment here, a homeless encampment there. No. We want to confine to one place where we’re safe enough for everyone to live amongst each other,” Jungle resident Anthony Davilla said.
“Folks are anxious, upset to hear that the city is still not offering them housing and they are expected to move to nowhere, but also hopeful that the city will hear them and come to the table to truly house them and reduce homelessness like they’re saying they will,” SURJ volunteer Emma said.
Mayor Matt Mahan emphasized he can’t comment on individual cases but says every resident of “The Jungle” has previously been offered alternative housing of some kind.
He also says more needs to be done.
“We definitely need more interim housing. We need more affordable housing. We need more mental health beds frankly but, in that case, I can tell you with confidence city teams went out there for weeks, identified every person out there, and there were exactly 121 people in that area. They were all offered interim housing. Not all of them accepted but the vast majority did,” he said.
The encampment site is scheduled for abatement on Oct. 5.