San Jose starts second sweep of 'The Jungle' encampment as no‑camp zone enforced

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- It has been more than a decade since San Jose's largest encampment, known as 'The Jungle,' was swept.

Shortly after it was cleared, the city says about a third of the people moved back, and it is cleaning the area again.

Those living there are preparing to clear out of the area and putting the move into perspective.

"It's going home and then taking a shower, going to bed, and then all of a sudden you are evicted and you have to leave right now," Mony Young said.

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Wednesday marked the first day the city began moving the dozens of people living in the newly established "no-encampment" zone along Senter and Story Roads.

It's not the first time that many of these people have had to pick up everything they know and leave.

"When these whole places get moved as a community, they lose their community," advocate Shaunn Cartwright said. "And everyone starts having problems with depression, anxiety and feeling alone."

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It was back in 2015 when this area was home to San Jose's largest encampment -- home to some 300 people and elaborate structures.

City officials recognize that the cleanup didn't hold, but they are expecting better results this time around.

"What we tend to notice is in the immediate aftermath of the abatement, there's a more intense period of people trying to re-camp," City of San Jose Director of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Jon Cicirelli said. "This time, this will be an actively patrolled area. And re-encampments in a no-encampment zone can be abated immediately."

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The city is also offering a place for these people to go.

A total of 109 people have accepted shelter, with about 30 or so already moving into various interim sites throughout the city.

"The primary place will be Cerrone; there's about 80 beds at that site," San Jose Director of Housing Erik Soliván said. "The balance will move to various motels that we have been operating over the last year."

The sweep is expected to take a month and there's hope it leads to the best outcomes for all.