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Residents tell San Jose council sweeps at Columbus Park left people without housing and poor communication
Summary
During open forum, multiple speakers alleged sweeps at Columbus Park lacked adequate housing offers and social-service support, cited RV towing to junkyards and poor notice, and urged the city to use social workers rather than police for outreach.
Multiple residents used the Aug. 19 open forum at the San Jose City Council meeting to criticize recent sweeps at Columbus Park and to urge changes in how the city manages outreach to people living in encampments.
One speaker, a self-identified disabled veteran, described longstanding trauma and alleged police brutality in an incident he said left him with PTSD and depression. "I'm a disabled veteran, and I do have a PTSD and major depression...I never received any help or support," the speaker said as he addressed the council, asking for the city attorney's assistance.
Azazel Holmquist, a downtown resident, said people who live in Columbus Park "are not safe" and urged the council to convene further discussions about public safety and supports. Another speaker said volunteers and outreach workers were on site and described what they called inadequate communication from HomeFirst and city representatives about deadlines and registration for assistance. That speaker said many people "have been trying to get housing for years" and that mass sweeps trying to move hundreds at once produce failures in care and placement.
A fourth speaker alleged that RVs were towed to junkyards rather than accessible impound lots and said people were denied access to identification and registration when authorities took vehicles. "Do you know that when he asked for his ID...they said, you can maybe get it later?" the commenter asked, saying retrieval attempts failed.
Council members did not debate or respond in detail during open forum; the mayor thanked the speakers and directed staff follow-up resources where appropriate. The council did not take a vote or issue a new policy during the meeting on the topic.
