San Jose is preparing to dismantle its largest homeless encampment at Columbus Park, leaving hundreds of vulnerable residents with nowhere to go. As the city plans to clear the area on August 18, the harsh reality is that promised housing solutions are weeks away from being operational.

Residents like Jennifer Lagone, who has lived in the park for a year, are caught in a bureaucratic nightmare. Despite repeated attempts to secure housing through the Here4You Hotline, she remains uncertain about her future. “The runaround is quite annoying,” Lagone shared. “You’re not getting anywhere”.

The city’s housing strategy includes converting motels and developing tiny home sites, which would eventually provide 759 spaces. However, these solutions won’t be ready until late August or fall, leaving an immediate gap in housing support. The impending sweep coincides with a new policy that will allow immediate towing of vehicles with registration more than six months expired - a rule that will disproportionately impact the estimated 2,000 vehicle-dwelling residents in San Jose.

Local advocates like Todd Langton from Agape Silicon Valley are critical of the city’s approach. “They need to delay the sweeps until the housing is ready to go, otherwise it’s extremely inhumane,” Langton emphasized. The concern is that displacing residents without immediate alternatives will cause significant personal loss and potential community disruption.

Joe Ortiz, a long-time park resident, has experienced multiple sweeps and knows the devastating consequences. In previous clearances, he’s lost generators, motorcycles, bicycles, and furniture - items that are rarely recovered despite city promises of 90-day storage.

The city’s housing department claims outreach workers are engaging with residents and using assessment tools to identify housing needs. However, the five residents interviewed by local media reported no concrete housing placements or waitlist entries.

As San Jose moves forward with its encampment clearance, the human cost remains uncertain. Without immediate, comprehensive housing solutions, vulnerable residents face the prospect of further displacement and instability.