Homeless man's growing trash pile irks San Jose condo residents

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KTVU) - A condominium apartment complex at the corner of Alum Rock Avenue and Checkers Road in San Jose is well-maintained with clean walkways and manicured lawns, but on the public sidewalk a mountain of trash has been growing for weeks.

“I see a lot of unhealthiness; I see a lot of trash. I see a lot of flies and fecal matter,” said Danny Lynch, who manages an apartment complex not far away.

Crates, microwaves and child safety car seat was among the items that were strung several feet along the sidewalk in front of the condominium.

People who live just feet away from the growing trash heap say they have reached out to the city in an effort to get the mess cleaned up without success.

KTVU contacted city officials and went to city hall to see if we could find the department responsible for the cleanup.

Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the latter reached out to tell us that crews responded to the same area to clean up trash by the same homeless man back in April and May, similar to what residents tell about the man’s habit of building trash piles up and down Checkers Road.

“One time they had a hazmat crew out and they took the stuff away, but he just comes back,” said Lynch.

The trash is one issue, but residents said they are well aware that the issue of trash removal and helping the homeless must be addressed separately.

“It’s very tragic not only for the tenants here, but also for this guy. He obviously belongs someplace other than the street,” Lynch said.

Scott said that the outreach team has made offers to help the man in the past, but he has turned them down each time. He said the team will try again.

He also told us that crews would return on Wednesday or Thursday to clean up the trash that’s been piling on a sidewalk and within eyeshot of residents’ homes. Scott said residents that find themselves in similar situations can call the Homeless Concerns Hotline at 408-975-1440 and email homelessconcerns@sanjoseca.gov