San Jose

Advocates Raise Concern as San Jose Plans Homeless Encampment Sweep Near Airport

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The city of San Jose is preparing to move in and clean out a homeless encampment near Mineta San Jose International Airport despite the looming heat wave.

The scheduled sweep is set to begin Thursday to accommodate a deadline set by the FAA, which doesn’t allow encampments near an airport.

“So, people don’t even know if they will suspend the sweep, if they will continue to do it, if they’ll show up out of nowhere. It's really the not knowing right now,” said encampment resident Scott Largent.

Advocates, who have been fighting and delaying the sweep for months, are calling the move inhumane.

“Imagine being out here baking in this field with all these folks that are stressed out, some of whom have mental health issues. That is a deadly combination, literally and I think it’s very negligible of the city,” said Scott Wagers of CHAM Ministries.

Advocate Shaunn Cartwright, who helped get the city to agree not to conduct sweeps when temperatures exceed 88 degrees, told NBC Bay Area Wednesday that she felt betrayed, even if the first stage is just cleanup.

“You’re still causing trauma to them, when all they’re focused on is ‘oh my god, it’s so hot,” she said.

The city’s deputy housing director couldn’t talk on camera Wednesday. But told NBC Bay Area that the cleanup will be done methodically through September and said the city’s protocol is to pause when temperatures reach 88 degrees, which crews will do when the heat wave spikes next week.

Officials point out that the FAA is requiring the city to clear the property because it’s considered a safety risk for planes and those living there.

But concerned residents ask 'what good is a temporary heat pause?'

“There’s going to be a zone four sweep and that will include the area everybody is moving to because they have no options, including the creek and where do they go after that?” Wagers said.

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