Encampment sweeps loom in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – Homelessness across the nation has increased by more than 100,000 people within the last year. In Santa Clara County, nearly 10,000 people are unhoused.

The new numbers come as hundreds of unhoused people will have their encampments swept starting next week. A notice is posted along a several-mile-long stretch of Coyote Creek saying sweeps will start in the new year.

“These people are down on their luck. Lost houses, jobs, loved ones. They are not criminals, they are people that life has dealt a bad hand,” said local homeless activist Shaunn Cartwright. 

Cartwright has been spending her holiday telling the hundreds of people along Coyote Creek they need to get moving. The Silicon Valley Water Board recently approved a ban on all camping along their waterways, citing safety and hygiene concerns.

The ban starts Jan. 2, but it’s unclear how quickly law enforcement will force people out of their tents.

“Everyone says the same thing. Where are we going to go? Where are they supposed to go? And if you don’t have an answer you shouldn’t be sweeping people out of anywhere,” Cartwright said.

Shelter space is routinely full in the South Bay, and the number of people living on the streets is increasing.

According to the latest U.S. Housing and Urban Development data, nearly 750,000 people were found living on the streets across the U.S. California has by far the largest number of people living on the streets — a total of 160,000 were recorded this year. Cartwright says she is not surprised. In fact, she believes the true number is even higher. 

Murphy Watson has never been unhoused before, but he ended up by the creek just six weeks ago. He was evicted two days after his roommate who paid rent was hospitalized.

He is one of the dozens who live just barely out of sight.

“I need something more substantial. I could go to a shelter bed if there is hope out there. You need a raffle ticket and if you don’t get called up, oh well,” he said. 

While Murphy is in limbo, just barely figuring out how to live on the street, he will likely be forced out of his new home.

“When you enact rules against one group of people it will never be successful,” said Robert Aguirre, who helps with the yearly point-in-time count for the unhoused.

Aguirre disagrees with the county’s steps toward removing people. He says more people like Murphy should be included in the solution and not labeled a criminals.

“You must involve them in those decisions so they can agree to it so it is a fair contract and something not just thrown onto them,” Aguirre said.