San Jose officials to vote on tougher RV rules near schools

(BCN) — San Jose leaders hope a slew of new policies make schools safer by pushing homeless people out of nearby encampments and limiting where they can park.

Councilmembers on Tuesday are set to approve three different policies that would limit where large vehicles can park, where people living in their RVs can sleep overnight and how far encampments can be from schools. The city is testing the efficacy of these rules around Independence High School, Shirakawa Elementary School and Challenger at Berryessa after safety complaints from students and school workers last year.

When the schools brought the setback issue to the council in January for an initial vote, homeless advocates warned a blanket ban criminalizes and further discriminates against homeless people. However, students and parents shared they’ve been threatened, stepped over needles and felt unsafe walking to school.

“Our young people are facing the ramifications of our inaction on homelessness — and they are calling on us to do better,” Mayor Matt Mahan told San Jose Spotlight.

The first policy would allow the city to tow large vehicles in areas where parked cars create safety hazards for drivers, pedestrians and cyclists. The city would put up no parking signs in areas where large cars could block people from making a safe turn or pedestrians from crossing the street safely. While this policy may not appear targeted to homeless residents, typically it is those living in large cars, like RVs, that line public streets.

Before the city can put up signs, the department of transportation needs to conduct a safety assessment and review other factors to create no overnight parking zones for people living in their vehicles.

For those located in no parking zones, they run the risk of being towed. But transportation spokesperson Colin Heyne said parking and traffic control officers would likely make first contact to have owners move their vehicles before towing.

“Then (we would) work with the police department if a vehicle is to be towed, (have) BeautifySJ address site cleanup if needed and the housing department to work with residents,” Heyne told San Jose Spotlight.

City leaders estimate San Jose is home to 850 lived-in vehicles and as many as 1,500 residents could be affected by the policy. The impacts of large RVs lining city streets have been felt by neighbors and commercial districts, with some businesses looking to leave San Jose. The city opened a safe parking site in Santa Teresa, and will open another in North San Jose, but they won’t be enough to accommodate all lived-in vehicles.

While San Jose has been able to shrink the population by 4.7%, there are still about 6,340 homeless residents on the street. For months Mayor Matt Mahan has been talking about plans to enact no encampment zones. He initially said he wouldn’t implement the ban until San Jose had concrete solutions such as alternative housing, but the city is falling short of its goals.

“We can’t wait to (build) safe dignified spaces for everyone living outdoors to ensure our kids feel safe traveling to and from school,” Mahan said.

Councilmembers are also set to approve setback zones that prohibit homeless residents from camping within 150 feet of a school. Those who violate the distance requirement will receive a citation, however there is no monetary fine associated with it.

The city already has a “buffer” zone that prohibits tents and makeshift structures or other miscellaneous belongings within 150 feet of San Jose schools that went into effect in 2021, but the rule is more of an “informal guidance” that hasn’t routinely been enforced.

Heyne said the ordinances must be approved by the council on Tuesday, before the pilot programs can begin. It will also take months before residents can see any signs or enforcement while the city studies what restrictions are appropriate.

“Our three pilot locations were chosen after a survey of oversized vehicles near school sites we performed last year. Those three schools were the most impacted,” Heyne said. “We don’t have a process for choosing future sites yet – those criteria and processes will be start to be developed as part of the budget discussions and will be refined if we end up with funding to expand this effort.”

The San Jose City Council meets April 9 at 1:30 p.m. Learn how to watch and participate.