Jose agencies spend clearing hundreds of homeless encampments? Marisa Kendall PUBLISHED: April 18, 2021 at 6:30 a.m. | UPDATED: April 19, 2021 at 4:23 a.m. Categories:California News, City Politics, Housing, Latest Headlines, Local News, Local Politics, News, Politics Efforts to clear, prevent and manage San Jose’s homeless encampments cost the city and partner agencies almost $8.6 million in 2019, according to a new federal report that highlights the fiscal toll of different cities’ responses to their unhoused communities.
The report released this month by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development analyzed spending in four cities, including San Jose, and found dealing with encampments is a major undertaking for cities, which get little help from the federal government.
Closing and removing encampments was the biggest camp-related expense for San Jose agencies, costing nearly $4.9 million in the 2019 fiscal year. Encampment prevention cost another $1.5 million — including $1.2 million the Santa Clara Valley Water District spent repairing fences to keep campers away from waterways.
“Overall, this report reveals that communities need more resources and guidance for addressing encampments through a focus on outreach, engagement, and connection to housing with services,” the authors wrote.
San Jose agencies spent about $800,000 on outreach and engagement, and $709,000 on coordination and management. More than $555,000 came from the San Jose Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, which responds to crimes committed by and against unhoused people. Street Crimes officers spend about 60% of their time responding to encampments, according to the report.
Health care for camp residents represented less than 1% of total encampment spending in San Jose. So did financial assistance to encampment residents.
Jeff Scott, spokesman for the city’s housing department, couldn’t confirm the HUD numbers, which he said didn’t come from his agency.
A recent city audit found Oakland spent $12.6 million removing, cleaning and managing homeless encampments over the past two fiscal years. The audit blasted the city’s efforts, which it said lacked strategy, policy direction and adequate resources.
Shaunn Cartwright, an activist who works with unhoused people in San Jose, was frustrated to see the high spending on encampment closures and low spending on healthcare in camps.
“Things like this really prove where our priorities are,” she said.
Aside from being cruel, closing encampments isn’t effective, because people displaced from one area will just migrate to another camp, Cartwright said.
“You’re also causing people more mental and physical trauma, and causing them more health risks and more mental health risks and that might put them in the hospital more or the jail more,” she said. “And you’re also costing the city and the county more money that way. So there’s nothing cost-effective about sweeps in any way.”
In its 2019 census, San Jose counted 5,117 people living on its streets. That means the city’s encampment management strategy cost roughly $1,672 per unhoused resident — though the census is likely an undercount.
The city paid for 35% of encampment-related costs in the 2019 fiscal year. The federal government covered 5%. HUD funds contribute to homeless housing, but they cannot be used for the cleaning, sanitation or policing of encampments, leaving cities like San Jose largely to fend for themselves when it comes to managing camps.
The water district also was a major player in San Jose’s encampment response, accounting for 59% of spending. Many of the city’s largest encampments are along creeks and rivers, including in Guadalupe River Park.
The vast majority of expenses was attributed to labor costs — predominantly the cost of paying city staff, police and other workers to remove encampments.
Jose agencies spend clearing hundreds of homeless encampments?
Marisa Kendall
PUBLISHED: April 18, 2021 at 6:30 a.m. | UPDATED: April 19, 2021 at 4:23 a.m.
Categories:California News, City Politics, Housing, Latest Headlines, Local News, Local Politics, News, Politics
Efforts to clear, prevent and manage San Jose’s homeless encampments cost
the city and partner agencies almost $8.6 million in 2019, according to a
new federal report that highlights the fiscal toll of different cities’
responses to their unhoused communities.
The report released this month by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development analyzed spending in four cities, including San Jose, and found dealing with encampments is a major undertaking for cities, which get little help from the federal government.
Closing and removing encampments was the biggest camp-related expense for
San Jose agencies, costing nearly $4.9 million in the 2019 fiscal year.
Encampment prevention cost another $1.5 million — including $1.2 million
the Santa Clara Valley Water District spent repairing fences to keep campers away from waterways.
“Overall, this report reveals that communities need more resources and
guidance for addressing encampments through a focus on outreach, engagement, and connection to housing with services,” the authors wrote.
San Jose agencies spent about $800,000 on outreach and engagement, and $709,000 on coordination and management. More than $555,000 came from the San
Jose Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, which responds to crimes
committed by and against unhoused people. Street Crimes officers spend about 60% of their time responding to encampments, according to the report.
Health care for camp residents represented less than 1% of total encampment spending in San Jose. So did financial assistance to encampment residents.
Jeff Scott, spokesman for the city’s housing department, couldn’t confirm the HUD numbers, which he said didn’t come from his agency.
A recent city audit found Oakland spent $12.6 million removing, cleaning and managing homeless encampments over the past two fiscal years. The audit
blasted the city’s efforts, which it said lacked strategy, policy direction and adequate resources.
Shaunn Cartwright, an activist who works with unhoused people in San Jose,
was frustrated to see the high spending on encampment closures and low
spending on healthcare in camps.
“Things like this really prove where our priorities are,” she said.
Aside from being cruel, closing encampments isn’t effective, because people displaced from one area will just migrate to another camp, Cartwright said.
“You’re also causing people more mental and physical trauma, and causing
them more health risks and more mental health risks and that might put them in the hospital more or the jail more,” she said. “And you’re also
costing the city and the county more money that way. So there’s nothing
cost-effective about sweeps in any way.”
In its 2019 census, San Jose counted 5,117 people living on its streets.
That means the city’s encampment management strategy cost roughly $1,672
per unhoused resident — though the census is likely an undercount.
The city paid for 35% of encampment-related costs in the 2019 fiscal year.
The federal government covered 5%. HUD funds contribute to homeless housing, but they cannot be used for the cleaning, sanitation or policing of
encampments, leaving cities like San Jose largely to fend for themselves
when it comes to managing camps.
The water district also was a major player in San Jose’s encampment
response, accounting for 59% of spending. Many of the city’s largest
encampments are along creeks and rivers, including in Guadalupe River Park.
The vast majority of expenses was attributed to labor costs — predominantly the cost of paying city staff, police and other workers to remove
encampments.