The City of San José works closely with the County and many regional partners to develop and implement support for people. Although there are constraints because of the size of the crisis, you can read more about the shared regional approach in the Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness 2020-2025.

The Governor’s Executive Order is a directive to State agencies, with suggestions to cities and counties.  The City of San José currently has in place the types of policies suggested by the Executive Order. The Executive Order issued by Governor Gavin Newsom encourages the City of San José to adopt policies for encampment removal consistent with the California Department of Transportation’s Maintenance Policy Directive. This includes conducting site assessments before removal operations to determine if an encampment poses an imminent threat to life, health, safety, or infrastructure; providing as much advance notice as possible before removing an encampment, particularly in situations where exigent circumstances exist; posting a notice to vacate at least 48 hours before removal if no exigent circumstances are present; engaging service providers to offer outreach services to homeless individuals before removing the encampment; and collecting, labeling, and storing personal property from the removal site for at least 60 days.

The City of San José continues to be proactive on our encampment management, connecting people to supportive services and housing options when available. The City is working on proposed changes to be piloted before creating a Framework for Shared Public Spaces, as directed by the Mayor’s March Budget Message for FY 2023-2024. The framework aims to establish a humane and practical approach to managing public spaces in collaboration with partners, ensuring safety and health for all community members. The pilot phase will allow City departments and partners to gather data and learn from these experiences, which will inform the broader framework. The framework will clarify areas where prohibitions on overnight outdoor sleeping will be enforced and where it will be permitted, with findings to be included in the fall Consolidated Annual Homelessness Report. This information is detailed in the just released Information Memo on Pilot Changes to Encampment Management and Framework for Shared Public Spaces.

The City can also utilize all available resources and infrastructure, including those provided by the State’s investments in housing and intervention programs, to take urgent and humane action to remove encampments from public spaces, especially those that pose significant threats to life, health, and safety. Additionally, the City will collaborate with state agencies, such as the California Department of Transportation, to address encampments on state property within the city's jurisdiction. The California Interagency Council on Homelessness will develop guidance and provide technical assistance to help the City implement its local homelessness programs in alignment with the Executive Order. These actions align with the State’s broader strategy to address the homelessness crisis while ensuring the safety and dignity of all individuals involved.

The City is working across multiple departments, with regional partners like the County of Santa Clara, and local non-profits to address the homelessness crisis. As of July 1, 2024, there are:

• 2,112 temporary beds
• 1,303 permanent affordable apartments
• 42 safe or supportive parking spaces
• A range of services provided through the County of Santa Clara

In addition, the City Council has directed City staff to continue to expand support and the City is working to add capacity in:

• 986 additional temporary beds or spaces between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025
• 1,700 households prevented from losing their homes between July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025
• 850 permanent affordable homes between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025

The City is a partner in adopting the Santa Clara County Community Plan to End Homelessness and has also adopted a San José-specific Implementation Plan to address homelessness within city limits. Additionally, the City is aligned with the State of California’s Action Plan for Preventing and Ending Homelessness.

The Oversized Vehicle Regulation Pilot Program aims to address the community's concerns about the prolonged parking of oversized vehicles, which can lead to environmental hazards, safety risks, and overall neighborhood disruption. This program, approved as part of the 2024-2025 budget, will focus on specific measures to control the number and impact of oversized vehicles parked on city streets. These include temporary tow-away zones, enhanced street cleaning efforts, and potential installation of permanent parking restrictions in certain areas. For residents, the program represents an attempt to improve the quality of life by reducing vehicle-related blight, improving cleanliness, and ensuring safer streets.

The City will conduct regular inventories of oversized vehicles and prioritize locations that experience the most negative impacts, such as near schools or waterways. The data-driven approach ensures that the city's limited resources are used effectively and equitably. In practical terms, neighborhoods affected by oversized vehicles can expect more frequent street sweeping, targeted clean-up efforts, and enforcement of parking regulations. The program also includes plans to remove inoperable or abandoned vehicles through towing or buyback initiatives. However, the program’s scale is modest, addressing around 50 locations per year, meaning some areas may not see immediate action. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to balance the needs of the community with fair enforcement and the city's ongoing homelessness and vehicle residency issues. The goal is to create cleaner, safer neighborhoods while respecting the complex social issues tied to vehicle habitation.

Report concerns about homeless encampments by filling out BeautifySJ's online form.

All abandoned vehicle information sent through SJ311 is reviewed. Those vehicles parked on a city street and considered a health, safety or extreme blight concern are investigated. We typically respond to vehicle abatement service requests that meet these specific conditions within seven (7) business days. If you feel a vehicle poses a health, safety or extreme blight concern, when reporting please include clear photos that show the condition of the vehicle. Parking Compliance Officers are monitoring city streets to remove these types of vehicles, even if they go unreported.

If a vehicle does not meet one or more of the qualifiers, we do not have the authority to cite or tow the vehicle.

Vehicles are considered a safety concern or contributing to extreme blight if they are: 

• On jacks/blocks  
• Missing or have shattered windows  
• Vandalized / Graffiti (non-commercial vehicle)  
• With significantly flat tires  
• Missing both the front and back license plate  
• Displaying multiple aged or weathered citations  
• Have deployed airbags  
• Unsecured/open doors or trunk  
• Unattached trailer  
• Attracting illegal dumping activities 
• Missing the engine, missing the windshield, missing the steering wheel, missing the driver's seat, or missing 2 or more wheels

For more information on qualifying vehicle conditions or our proactive Vehicle Abatement approach please visit the Department of Transportation's website.

Report Vehicle Concerns online.

Report concerns through the Vehicle Concerns section of the City’s 311 site or by calling 3-1-1.

The City of San José has implemented various strategies and programs to address individuals and families living in vehicles. City departments coordinate to provide social and environmental services, offer alternatives to living in vehicles like safe parking programs, and ensure that the safety of inhabitants and neighbors is maintained through the enforcement of relevant local and state law. The City's BeautifySJ Program provides trash pickup and biowaste removal to lived-in vehicles to ensure cleanliness and that the street and sidewalks are free of debris.

The towing of lived-in vehicles involves a complex combination of legal, social, and policy considerations. There are due process considerations applicable when a person uses their vehicle as a residence that add complexity to resolving lived-in vehicle concerns. The City is limited in its ability to tow lived-in vehicles, with the ability to tow being available when certain law(s) is/are being violated and a tow is permitted under state law. Whether the vehicle is currently occupied adds another layer of complexity, and City staff are also mindful of the humanitarian concerns associated with towing lived-in vehicles, as doing so would leave vulnerable residents without shelter. The inhabitants will be offered support services like referrals to alternative shelter, supportive parking, and supplies. The City’s approach in these situations is to help the unhoused occupants move to a shelter/ supportive parking lot. Should the vehicles be unoccupied and abandoned, then the vehicles can be towed if they meet criteria.

All vehicles are subject to parking regulations. However, in many instances California state law only allows a parking citation (parking ticket) be issued, but there is often no authority to tow the vehicle encountered by the City’s parking compliance officers.

To comply with the 72-hour parking law, a person need only move their vehicle a few feet. While the City can and does enforce this law subject to available resources, frequently vehicle owners simply move a short distance and the clock starts all over again.

In April of 2024, the City of San José adopted new ordinances that increase tow authority in specific circumstances and allow the City Council by adopted resolution to add further areas where towing is permitted. Read more about these changes here at City Council item 2.17. However, there are limitations regarding capacity for storage of towed vehicles and more than 800 lived in vehicles as of 2023 for which there are limited alternatives at this time. The City is in the process of adding an RV parking site for approximately 85 vehicles and is continuing to pursue other options for support.

The City of San José has a role in enforcing illegal discharge of waste through its Environmental Services Department and also provides services directly to people in lived-in vehicles. Report illegal discharge. 

The City of San José operates the RV Biowaste Pollution Prevention Program (RVP3) which is an initiative aimed at addressing the environmental and public health concerns associated with the disposal of waste from RVs. The program removes and disposes of biowaste from recreational and lived-in vehicles, through contracted vendors that can:

1. Collect human waste from recreational and lived-in vehicles including waste located in buckets and other containers; and
2. Provide mobile recreational vehicle waste pump out services (services to remove waste from recreational vehicles).

In addition to this, the City of San José operates the Cash for Trash program, which is an initiative designed to engage with individuals who are homeless in cleaning up their communities in exchange for financial compensation. Participants collect and dispose of trash from the streets and public areas, earning compensation for their efforts. The program services 150+ active encampments. It also seeks to connect participants with additional services and resources to support their transition out of homelessness.

If your organization is interested in providing Supportive Parking, the Housing Department can offer guidance on what is needed to demonstrate compliance with the City’s ordinance.

• Learn what the requirements are and apply:
  • Registration Packet
  • Paquete de registro
  • Gói đăng ký

The free registration process is fast and simple. Any organization interested in creating a Safe Parking Area should contact the City’s Housing Department at safe.parking@sanjoseca.gov.

When funded by the City, Supportive Parking (sometimes called Safe Parking) is a program managed by a social service provider that offers unhoused individuals and families with vehicles a temporary place to park overnight while working towards a transition to permanent housing. In addition to basic needs services, such as restrooms, water, and trash service participants are offered a wide array of services to help support them in transitioning to stable housing. Those services may include employment counseling, housing locator assistance, financial literacy classes, benefits enrollment, health care referrals, substance abuse counseling, and behavioral health services.

Participants must obtain a referral to be enrolled in the program. Clients must provide proof of RV registration and insurance, and a valid CA ID to participate in the program. All program participants must also agree to the participant guidelines and rules. Individuals and couples interested in the program can email sanjoservsafeparking@lifemoves.org to learn more about the program.

The City of San José contributes to the regional Homelessness Prevention System, which has helped thousands of residents avoid losing their homes. You can find more information about the system online and refer someone to potentially get support at this number 408-926-8885.

Contact the County of Santa Clara’s Here4You hotline at 408-385-2400 or visit the County's I Need Shelter webpage. 

Dial 988 to be connected to the Crisis & Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This will connect you with Santa Clara County Behavioral Health teams that can provide guidance and some services that are available 24/7.

The County of Santa Clara has a range of services available on their website. Also, to understand the range of options within San José, you can visit the Housing Department webpage. A brief description of the primary services available to people experiencing homelessness in San José includes:

• Emergency Shelters: Temporary housing facilities providing a safe place to sleep, meals, and basic necessities.
• Transitional Housing: Programs that offer longer-term housing and support services to help individuals transition to permanent housing.
• Permanent Supportive Housing: Long-term housing solutions with integrated support services for individuals with chronic homelessness and disabilities.
• Rapid Rehousing: Assistance programs that provide short-term rental assistance and support services to help individuals quickly secure and maintain housing.
• Supportive Services: Access to case management, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, job training, and employment services.
• Outreach Programs: Teams that engage with homeless individuals on the streets, providing information, resources, and connections to services.