Clearing Coyote Meadows Weekly Report: Over 40% of Coyote Meadows Residents Move Into Shelter During First Week of Abatement
In the first week of operations, 48 individuals moved indoors and were connected to services, with additional placements scheduled in the coming weeks.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2026
Media Contact:
Seamus Gann, Acting Chief Communications Officer, Office of Mayor Matt Mahan
SAN JOSÉ, CA - On Wednesday, April 15, the City of San José began clearing Coyote Meadows, a City-owned parcel of land near the intersection of Story and Senter roads, formerly known as “the Jungle.” Located along the Coyote Creek, this area must be kept clear to to reduce debris and pollutants entering the waterway to comply with stormwater permit regulations.
“Thanks to our outreach teams, nearly half of those on our by-name list have already moved into shelter and are on a path to something better,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “This progress reflects the significant investments we’ve made in expanding shelter over the past year—and it’s a model for how cities across California can respond to the homelessness crisis with urgency and results.”
The abatement follows a 50-day outreach period during which staff developed a by-name list of individuals living at the encampment and extended offers of shelter. Outreach efforts included both City staff and contracted partners, who engaged directly with individuals at the site to connect them with services and housing opportunities. The City also deployed a dedicated outreach team to support monolingual Spanish-speaking residents, ensuring they understood the abatement process and the resources available to them.
“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,” said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. “By providing language-inclusive support, we strive to remove barriers, build trust, and create pathways toward long-term well-being and opportunity for everyone we serve.”
There are just over one hundred individuals on the by-name list who have accepted offers of shelter—48 of whom have already moved into sites like the Cerone Interim Housing site in North San José. Outreach staff are continuing to assist people moving out of the encampment and into interim housing. Individuals who arrived at the encampment after the list was finalized or expressed interest in services after the list closed have been referred to the Taylor Street Navigation Hub or the Here4You Hotline to further connect with services.
Progress at Coyote Meadows by the numbers:
Number of people housed: 48 (44% of the by-name list)
Pounds of debris removed: 54,100 lbs
Number of structures cleared: 23
Abatement activity will pause on Tuesday, April 21, and Wednesday, April 22, due to weather conditions. During this time, outreach workers will continue facilitating transitions from Coyote Meadows into shelter and housing.
The abatement is expected to conclude in May. Following completion, a “No Encampment Zone” will be established to prevent re-encampment. 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 Coyote Meadows, moves people into housing, and begins to restore the area and surrounding waterways.
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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.