San Jose nears the opening of a new safe parking site

A new safe parking site in San Jose is expected to open soon, a development that homeless advocates say is crucial but only addresses a fraction of the need. San Jose is moving forward with its second safe parking site, located on Berryessa Road. While advocates are pleased about the new site, they stress that it’s far from sufficient, as the city estimates nearly 2,000 oversized vehicles are currently on its streets.
“We need safe RV parking immediately,” said Gail Osmer.
We spoke with Teresa, who lives in an RV and hopes to move into the new site.
“I’m really looking forward to it because the streets are no longer safe. It’s terrible out here, very frightening,” she shared.
Councilmember David Cohen noted that the new site addresses concerns from residents who prefer not to have RVs near parks and other community areas.
“However, there will still be many RVs on the streets because we don’t have enough space for everyone, and we’ll need to continue identifying additional locations,” he said.
Cohen also announced that an organization called “WeHope” has been hired to operate the site, which will accommodate 85 RVs and offer facilities such as bathrooms, counseling services, community gardens, and security.
“I visited the site this afternoon, and it’s nearly ready. I’m hopeful that by the end of the month, the first residents will be able to move in,” he added.
This progress comes shortly after the city began placing notices on RVs parked in certain areas, informing owners they have two weeks to relocate or face towing. The city is enforcing these rules in 30 locations near schools, parks, and neighborhoods.
“Their main question is, where am I supposed to go? I don’t know, there’s no place for them to go,” said Osmer.