Cleaning Columbus Weekly Report: San José Brings Dozens of Homeless Neighbors Indoors, Removes Over 100,000 lbs. of Trash in First Week of Operation
Hundreds more will be offered housing, services in the coming weeks as safe sleeping site and additional motel placements come online
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 25th, 2025
Media Contact:
Tasha Dean, Chief Communications Officer, Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
SAN JOSÉ, CA - On Monday, August 18, the City of San José began clearing Columbus Park — launching the city’s largest clean-up operation in the last decade. When work began, about 370 people occupied the park, including 11 children and over 50 seniors living in unsafe, unmanaged conditions. There were also 120 lived-in vehicles, the majority of which were inoperable.
Over the past year, our Police Department saw a 47% spike in Priority 1 calls and a 63% jump in Priority 2 calls. This encampment puts lives at risk, particularly the lives of people occupying Columbus Park — as such, clearing the area is a top public safety priority. After extensive outreach over a 70-day period, 68% of those occupying Columbus Park had agreed to come indoors as of last week. 47 individuals have since been moved into shelter placements. Casa Linda hotel is now at capacity and move-ins will continue this week at Bristol hotel.
“In just one week, we’ve helped dozens of homeless neighbors at Columbus Park move indoors — with hundreds more on their way,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “San José is proving we can end the era of encampments, restore public spaces, and change lives — and it’s a model the rest of California can follow.”
Police, Fire, and BeautifySJ teams have since made significant progress cleaning up the park, removing over 100,000 lbs. of trash and 37 vehicles from the area. Potable water distribution and city outreach services continue to be offered on site.
“We will continue to work together to provide housing and supportive services for our unhoused residents and improve the cleanliness of our neighborhoods and public spaces. I am very proud of our Housing, Parks, Recreation, Neighborhood Services, Transportation, Public Works, Police, and Fire departments for their hard work and strong staff coordination,” said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. “Together, we are creating a San José for everyone – cleaning and protecting public spaces and waterways, and improving the overall health, safety, and beauty of our City.”
Progress at Columbus Park by the numbers:
Number of people housed: 47 (12.7% of the total population or 19.7% of those who have said yes to housing)
Percentage of people who have said yes to housing: 64% of the total population (238 out of 370)
Number of units opened since August 18: 79 (Casa Linda Hotel and Bristol Hotel)
Pounds of trash removed: 121,600
Number of households signed up for the “RV Buy Back” pilot program (Vehicle Relinquishment Assistance Program | VRAP): 72
Number of vehicles removed from the park: 37
As of last week, approximately half of the people residing in Columbus Park were assessed at an 8 or higher on the Vulnerability Index – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT), a triage tool used to assess people experiencing homelessness to determine the best housing solutions for them. This indicates severe addiction, mental illness, chronic health issues, justice system involvement, and/or past victimization. This population likely makes up a large portion of the individuals still hesitant to accept shelter.
This is the first in a series of weekly updates that will be provided throughout this abatement process as the City of San José clears Columbus Park, offers every person living in the area housing, and begins restoring the park for public access.
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About the City of San José
With nearly one million residents, San José is the largest city in the Bay Area and one of the nation's most diverse and creative. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world's greatest concentration of technology talent and development.