Cleaning Columbus Weekly Report: San José Brings Over 150 Homeless Neighbors Indoors, Removes Nearly 300,000 lbs. of Trash During First Three Weeks of Operation
Dozens more will be housed in the coming weeks as additional tiny homes, motel placements come online
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8th, 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.
“As we’ve cleared Columbus, we’ve removed nearly 100,000 pounds of trash and moved about 40 people indoors – every single week,” said San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan. “This is an incredible achievement made possible by many departments working in tandem to create the change our residents have been demanding. We have a long way to go, but we’re proving in San Jose that when you create basic, dignified housing, require people come indoors and establish no encampment zones, we can maintain lasting progress.”
After extensive outreach over a 70-day period, about 65% of those occupying Columbus Park had agreed to come indoors as of last week. 163 people have since moved into shelter placements. Casa Linda and Fontaine Inn are both now at capacity and move-ins will continue this week at the Alura Hotel, Bristol Hotel and the Taylor Safe Sleeping Site.
“The progress at Columbus Park speaks to our unwavering commitment to reduce unsheltered homelessness and improve our neighborhoods,” said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. “It shows what is possible when we combine compassion with action. We are helping residents move into safer living conditions while preparing the park to be a place of pride and belonging for the entire community.”
Police, Fire and BeautifySJ teams have since made significant progress cleaning up the park, removing nearly 300,000 lbs. of trash and 110 vehicles from the area. Potable water distribution and city outreach services continue to be offered on site.
Progress at Columbus Park by the numbers (August 18th - September 5th):
Number of people housed: 163
Casa Linda: Full– 33 units | 37 program participants
Bristol: Ongoing intake – 23 units (out of 46 total) | 25 program participants
Fontaine: Full – 51 units | 77 program participants
Alura Hotel: Ongoing intake – 18 units (out of 40 total) | 24 program participants
Pounds of trash removed: 284,800
Number of households signed up for the “RV Buy Back” pilot program (Vehicle Relinquishment Assistance Program | VRAP): 76
Number of vehicles removed from the park: 110
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 third 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.