San Jose to move forward with ordinance setting buffer zone between schools, encampments
The San Jose City Council unanimously decided to move forward with an ordinance that would create a buffer zone around schools to keep encampments further away.
The ordinance was first discussed more than a year ago after the city received complaints from parents and students. At the regular council meeting on Tuesday afternoon, council members voted unanimously to move forward with the buffer zone plan.
"For the past year and a half, we've been involved with some advocacy surrounding our school safety and security," said Alfredo Hernandez. He is a senior at KIPP Collegiate and said some of those living in RVs just a few yards from the school entrance have scared his classmates.
"(A student) was cat called by one of the unhoused residents living here neighboring our school, and that really made me realize how severe this issue has gotten and how we need an immediate solution," he said describing one run-in.
Alfredo said the RVs started parking around the school during the pandemic, and that's when the problems really started. He met with San Jose's Mayor Matt Mahan to talk about the concerns, which the mayor referenced ahead of the vote.
"They were walking past RV encampments, sometimes being harassed on their way on and off campus, were having break-ins on campus, even found needles on their picnic tables and they asked us, what as a city can we do," Mahan recalled.
The answer is apparently two new ordinances. The first one would prevent tent encampments within 150 feet of a school. The second would allow the city to tow away oversized vehicles and RVs that are deemed a public safety risk — which includes being parked by a school.
"This is my house," said Ana Guerreo who was speaking with KPIX 5 through a translator.
She lives in an RV parked next to the school on Educational Park Drive. She said she parked there a few weeks ago because she was out of options.
"We're here because we are struggling. We don't really have a place to go, because there isn't really places where you can park," said Guerreo.
She went on to say she wants to go to one of the county's safe parking sites, but her RV has been ticketed in the past. She said she can't renew her registration without paying all the past due parking tickets, and she can't park in a county safe parking lot until she gets the RV registered.
"We're just trying to survive," she said.
"We are not advocating for the criminalization of our unhoused neighbors. We are advocating for a solution that benefits both of us, the students and our safety, but also advocating for a solution that benefits our unhoused residents," explained Hernandez.
He's been accepted to Harvard University and said he wants to graduate and return to local politics to help make a difference in situations like these.
On Tuesday, the city council approved the first reading of the ordinances. It will have a second reading on April 23, and if council members vote to move forward again, there will be a final vote on May 21.
Enforcement will begin sometime after that. The city said it will begin focusing efforts around Independence High School as well as, Shirakawa Elementary School and Challenger School, all in East San Jose.