San Jose to tow homeless RVs in this neighborhood after 2-week notice if not moved
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Residents in a San Jose neighborhood said they have suffered for years over a persistent problem that has impacted their quality of life.
In the Edenville neighborhood, more than two dozen RVs are parked end-to-end. Some residents said they have had enough with the RVs and the unwanted activities associated with them.
"Pimping and pandering up and down... Methamphetamine," said resident Omar Solares. "I used to do bail bonds for 10 years. I've seen it every day. I live on the corner. I see it out my window every day."
Mayor Matt Mahan said Chynoweth Avenue will be the first of 30 sites to test the new Oversize Lived-in Vehicle Enforcement pilot program, also known as OLIVE.
"We just can't have people permanently encamped in unsanctioned, unmanaged, and often very unsafe conditions on city streets," he said.
Starting Thursday, city teams will inform RV residents they have two weeks to move. They'll be given information about services such as transitional housing. According to the mayor, 1,000 units are coming online this year.
The city is also establishing more safe parking sites — one in South San Jose and a second opening soon near the Berryessa BART station. After the two-week notice, tow trucks will come on Jan. 23 to remove any vehicles that remain.
"We prioritize the sites that have the largest negative impact on the community, particularly those near schools, parks, residential neighborhoods," Mahan said.
Some Edenville residents said they have been forced to walk on the opposite side of the street to avoid the string of RVs.
"For all of us that live along here, their pets and their waste and the traffic is concerning. Like, I don't let my son walk along the sidewalk," said resident Lorri Smith, who recently moved to the neighborhood with her son.
Some advocates for the unhoused said they're outraged at the implementation of the year-long, $1.5 million OLIVE program. They pointed to Santa Clara County's nine unhoused deaths in the first seven days of the new year as a sign the most vulnerable should not have their only tangible property towed.
"It's only gonna cause people to lose their RVs, end up on the streets, and increase the death rate," said Shaunn Cartwright of the Unhoused Response Group.
In response to critics, Mayor Mahan said, "I'm under no illusion that at the end of this year when the pilot is over there will be no more RVs in the City of San Jose. This is an iterative process. We're learning as we go."
A woman who lives in an RV in the neighborhood said she and her are about to receive supportive housing and are leaving the area.
Two other people who live in their RVs said that because their plates and registration are up to date, they don't believe the city will tow them.
Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook.