Dear Neighbor,

If we hope to end the era of encampments in San Jose, we must preserve our progress. 

We’ve all seen what happens when we don’t – the same street corners, stretches of waterways and public parks are re-encamped again and again. We spend millions each year simply shuffling our homeless neighbors around the city, and our residents and business owners suffer the consequences. 

Enough is enough. When we offer people housing and clear large encampments, we need to prevent re-encampment so we can reclaim our public spaces for all. 

As you may remember, several months ago we used a $2M encampment resolution grant to clear a stretch along the Guadalupe River and offer housing and services to nearly 200 homeless neighbors living there. But when I returned to the same stretch of the river just three weeks after the city conducted this extensive outreach and clean up effort, so had the beginnings of a new encampment. 

Allowing this area to be re-encamped would be a waste of time and money, and would violate the trust of our community. Last week, Councilmember Davis, Councilmember Torres and I came together to put forward a plan to do better.

Our plan is to start preserving this recent progress by leveraging existing resources like our SJPD bike patrols and the city’s outreach and abatement teams, in addition to focusing on activations alongside the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy. The bottom line is that our government has a responsibility for providing basic, dignified shelter for everyone who needs it; and when it is available, individuals have a responsibility for coming indoors.

If this model proves successful, we need to replicate it across the city in the months and years ahead. Please stay tuned as we continue to evolve our approach to homelessness so that we can finally end the era of encampments. 

Sincerely,

Mayor Matt

Last year, I witnessed something that inspired action. I saw a group of young people standing up for their education, speaking out for a safer school and using the power of collective action to push for change. Students at KIPP San Jose Collegiate spoke out because they felt unsafe in their own school. They spoke out because their education was being disrupted by repeated break-ins. They spoke out because they were being threatened while walking into and out of campus. They were even finding used needles on their picnic tables. 

And as a city, we have to listen. We have to do better for our kids. Since May, SJPD, Councilmember Ortiz, the students and I have worked together to find solutions to their problem. And this Tuesday, part of the plan we came up with comes to City Council. 

Your representatives will be voting on whether or not to create setbacks around schools that allow the city to tow oversized vehicles parked within 2 blocks of preschools, daycares, and K-12 schools. We will also ask to codify the informal ban on tent encampments within 150 feet of schools. Finally, we are working with the school to improve security on campus and increase coordination between the school and SJPD. You can support these students by making your voice heard at this week’s City Council meeting: qrco.de/ProtectOurStudents

Last year, we advocated in Sacramento for SB43 to ensure that our most vulnerable neighbors on the streets get the care they need by reforming our mental health conservatorship laws. We also voiced support for SB363, which will require counties to create centralized, real-time dashboards identifying treatment bed capacity and utilization so we can improve our understanding of the gap and help providers place individuals into care. We won these initial battles. 

And both of these bills will be vitally important if we hope to address the crisis we see on our streets and in our homes. But unless we expand treatment placements for people to use – ranging from residential treatment to in-patient and even secure treatment facilities, we will continue to condemn our mentally ill neighbors to a never-ending revolving door between the streets, jail and the county hospital. 

Fifty years ago, our country hit a peak of 337 psychiatric beds per 100,000 people. Today, that number has dropped to just 12. We have people sitting in jail and dying on our streets simply because we have nowhere else to house them that would provide mental health treatment. 

This year, voters have a chance to change this trajectory. Santa Clara County will take a vote on February 6th that will decide whether they will support and advocate for Proposition 1. The City of San Jose will be making the same decision on February 13th. 

Prop 1 is a statewide ballot measure that will be on your March 5th ballot. It would re-allocate funding from the Mental Health Services Act to  add over 10,000 new beds statewide for people living with mental illness, including severe substance use disorders, to live, detox and recover. These facilities would range from low-acuity residential treatment options to more serious and even secure treatment facilities. These beds would give thousands of people a second chance and improve the quality of life for the entire community. 

California’s most vulnerable need treatment, not tents. If you agree, sign up to get involved here and let our County and our City know that we want them to weigh in on the new for Prop 1.

San Pedro Square is now permanently open for the people! This week, City Council voted unanimously to permanently close San Pedro street to vehicular traffic, creating a new vibrant, safe pedestrian mall for the first time in over 50 years in San Jose (the last two street closures in Downtown were the Paseo de San Antonio and Fountain Alley). Thank you to all of our business owners, the Chamber of Commerce, and neighbors who spoke in support and pushed for action!

49ers Watch Party

Sunday, January 28th at 2:30PM - 8:00PM

San Pedro Social, 163 W Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95113

Cheer on the 49ers against the Detroit Lions TODAY at San Pedro Social! Watch the game broadcast with fellow Faithful, enjoy a special game day menu, and participate in prize giveaways at the end of each quarter. 49ers fans of all ages are welcome! Secure your spot here. 

Lunar New Year Festival

Saturday, February 3rd to Sunday, February 4th at 11:00AM - 7:00PM

History Park San Jose, 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, CA 95112

Commemorate the Year of the Dragon at History Park San Jose! Enjoy live music and performances, shop at the small business marketplace, snap some family photos at the photobooth, and enjoy delicious, authentic cultural food from locally sourced vendors. Learn more and RSVP here. 

Community Clean-Up with Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful

Sunday, February 4th at 9:00AM - 12:00PM

Location Provided Upon RSVP

Join Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful and help restore one of San Jose’s waterways to its former beauty. Learn from experts on how to identify local insects and birds passing through the trail, beautify a surrounding neighborhood park, and build community around a shared sense of service! RSVP here. 

San Jose Earthquakes 50th Anniversary Block Party

Sunday, February 18th at 3:00PM - 6:00PM

San Pedro Square Market, 87 N San Pedro St, San Jose, CA 95110

Celebrate the San Jose Earthquakes’ 50th anniversary with a block party in the heart of Downtown San Jose! All generations of Quakes fans are invited to enjoy the night alongside their favorite players from the past five decades. There will be live music and performances, raffle and prize giveaways, and even a chance to win a VIP road trip to the California Clasico in Los Angeles! Learn more and RSVP here. 

This week, we honored Norm Mineta's legacy as his statue was unveiled at San Jose Mineta International Airport. Secretary Mineta faced the worst of humanity and became the best of humanity. As a child, he was placed in a Japanese internment camp over a thousand miles from home. Instead of letting this experience define him, he used it to redefine American politics as the first Asian American Councilmember and Mayor of San Jose. He later served as a Cabinet Member under both President Clinton and President Bush. This statue serves as a reminder that we can achieve greatness by focusing on progress rather than polarization.

Thanks to CloudKitchens’ innovative business model (which significantly reduces barriers to entry for aspiring restaurateurs) and the hard work of our local entrepreneurs, the long vacant Odd Fellows Building will soon be home to up to 26 new restaurants at the brand new San Jose Downtown Food Hall! Our resurgence is clearly being driven by exciting and original experiences, creating a more vibrant city for us all. I’ll definitely be a regular — I hope to see you there! https://sjdowntownfoodhall.com

No better way to start a Saturday morning than with a dumpster day! Last weekend, we joined one of our Together SJ neighborhoods, the Dartmouth Neighborhood Association, to throw out their old unwanted junk and build community. With over 20 volunteers in attendance, thank you to everyone that made this dumpster day a success! Together, we can create a safer, cleaner, city. Join us at the next one to become part of the solution: http://bit.ly/cleansj

Meet Kevin, the inspiring founder of Coffee Companions Coffee Co.! Kevin and I discussed the work he does to support local animal shelters — including our very own San Jose Animal Care Center and the Silicon Valley Pet Project! Every purchase helps an animal waiting for a home. This support is especially important right now as shelters across the nation are facing overcapacity issues. Help Kevin and our local shelter here: http://coffeecompanionscoffee.com