River Acres Park (Hours: 6am to Midnight) 501 Fair Lane. But hes clear that more than new lighting, parklets or social workers, he wants shelters, like tiny homes or pallet structures, alongside the river. Mss. If we want to be a world class city, we need to fix this, Salata said. When money/aid is given without any need to do anything for it, entitlement begins, and motivation ends. In a typical year, the Santa Clara Valley Water District removes about 1,000 tons of trash along the river. Under the new effort, the San Diego River Park Foundation will work with People Assisting the Homeless, more commonly known as PATH, to connect 40 homeless people now living in the brush. Wear sunscreen, insect repellent and appropriate clothing/hiking shoes. There is a Resident Activity Center, a common area available to all residents, with billiards, ping pong and fussball tables, a piano, and meeting, study and TV rooms. A natural beauty, the lovely Guadalupe River boasts sparklingly clear waters and scenic tree-lined banks. Learn about the Adopt a Rose program For Teachers & Parents Explore our educational program offerings including: Field trips (virtual and in person), Camp Guadalupe, and CHIRP! . In 2018 it was estimated that houselessness afflicted about one in five community college students and food insecurity affected about one in two such students (https://hope4college.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/RealCollege-CCCCO-Report.pdf?utm_source=Main+list&utm_campaign=db67037b20-MailChimp-Mar%232&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_96caefa5d6-db67037b20-44923941; https://www.cep.ngo/blog/nearly-1-in-5-california-community-college-students-is-homeless). I had never heard that. Along a narrow trail, they found Tony McCann, who lives in the park in a community stashed amongst the trees and surrounding tanbark. The Guadalupe River Park is an asset in our City and cross-sector partnerships such as this one not only help to restore the park, but allow it to thrive.. The school, which serves children ages 2 to 7, is holding classes outside to reduce the risk of COVID-19. Come enjoy the day at the park and create a nature-inspired painting! Great insight. And our mentally ill neighbors need treatment. Since arriving in July, Eugene has taken on the responsibility of cleaning up the land as if it were his own. These are neighbors, friends and community members caught in the tangle of a precarious and inequitable socio-economic system characterized by lopsidedly-distributed income and wealth, by a tiny minority that devours the vast bulk of resources, where more than two-thirds of the population lives paycheck to paycheck (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/number-of-americans-living-paycheck-to-paycheck-on-decline-despite-pandemic-301134207.html), and where the political stratum is captured by the primary beneficiaries of the social order. SAN. The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy will coordinate the efforts of all the nonprofits in the park, while also bringing in volunteers to clean. Observationally, there seems to be less homeless due to the efforts by the city and county to house them during the COVID 19 pandemic. That has never resonated well with me, and I felt that we needed to take a pause and really unpack that.. But the details havent been worked out. SAN JOSE A new effort is underway to clean up debris-strewn Guadalupe River Park, while also helping the large numbers of people living there in tents and makeshift shacks. Nearby were several green garbage bags part of San Joses Cash for Trash program. The river is a popular destination during the spring through fall seasons so that you can cool off from those hot Texas days. Why have they never calculated how much urine and feces the homeless dump (no pun intended) into our environment every year. SPUR is trying to translate its new toolkit into concrete policies and projects. From 1691 to 1693, Domingo Teran de Los Rios, who maintained a colony on the river, rechristened the river as "San Agustin". The go-to spot for many during summer, this magnificent body of water stretches about 250 miles (402 kilometers) from Kerr County, Texas, to San Antonio Bay on the Gulf of Mexico. Housing proposal for unhoused leaves Santa Clara residents sharply divided I think its a shame that more families are not out enjoying what could be a beautiful trail and park, but then on the other hand, some of us outreach people will drive our cars on those trails so we can reach the unhoused easier, says Langton, a volunteer with Agape Silicon Valley. Charitable, non-profit, advocacy, volunteer, municipal, county and homeowner agents get their say but, except for Eugenes fleeting appearance, and the photo of a nameless child, the houseless are the subject of discussion but are not themselves discussants. Campus housing is well-maintained, located at walking distance to many other government-produced amenities and services at SJSU, not least of which are public sports and health facilities, restaurants, theaters, a library, a primary and specialty healthcare facility and a campus police force. "I wouldn't take my kids downtown Austin too much a lot of homeless people- some have outburst or get upset if you don't give them what they ask for-or they get into it over . (Why not?). Indeed, the park was filled with residences until the mid-70s, when the city demolished 630 homes in the 240 acres in and around the park, per FAA recommendations. New York has done it, Nevada has done it, Colorado has done it. Grappling with homelessness, California weighs extending foster care for 5 years MidnightScott17 3 yr. ago. He was a good person and I do not believe that he took his life. Why do many, mostly males not want to work? Copyright 2023 San Jose Inside. Politicians are politicians, bowing to the whim of the loudest complainers and fattest wallets. With more neighbors and businesses near Guadalupe River Park complaining about the newly erected tent city, the city's manager of homeless encampment says the city plans to clear the area. Theres this notion that the future and success of Guadalupe River Park is tied to a presence of homelessness there, Huttenhoff says. For years I wanted the city to clean up its act and deal with these people, but now that I have moved to a better place, you can keep them! Guadalupe River Park never was a popular destination for SJ residents and upkeep and maintenance were ignored by the City right from the beginning. While about 90% indicated they would take permanent affordable housing as soon as they can get it, the most frequently cited obstacles to such housing reasons were rent affordability (66%), a lack of a job or income (56%), the unavailability of such housing (40%) and a lack of money for moving costs (35%). Residents who move in would be asked to help pick up trash and maintain the park. The Guadalupe River Park Conservancy is a non-profit partner of the City of San Jose. The city had estimated that the $25 fees would yield $1.3 million, to be collected by a non-profit foundation established to distribute all fee revenue to community-based programs focused on reducing gun violence. 503 Peace Avenue. Looking statewide, it would cost $2.4 billion per year to help the 129,972 people sleeping on the streets on any given night, Liccardo says. Used to jog to willow glen then down the guadalupe part from virginia to downtown, but not possible anymore. Housing | Hundreds of homeless people have taken up residence in the Guadalupe River Park and along the riverbanks in downtown San Jose during the pandemic. You will see zero people who would pay even $112 per month let alone $1,120 for a living space. Our drug addicted need treatment. Trash piles up along the riverbanks, while tents and make-shift shacks line the trails, a stark reminder to every runner and cyclist of the citys dire homelessness crisis. Your Bay-Area nurtured sense of entitlement will only get you so far in life. One very risky thing for the unhoused to be camping out there (between Coleman and 880) is that the river rises quite high, and flows very fast, during heavy rainy periods. In that time, I got a very close-up view of thousands of homeless people and found there are distinct differences. of water per hour of activity. Every other Saturday, Todd Langton fills his 2004 Lexus with donated suppliesa mix of sleeping bags, canned goods, fruit, bottled water, hygiene kits and hundreds of hot meals. And with prices ranging from $98 per night to $204 per night, it's easy to find lodging or campsites near Guadalupe River State Park that suits your budget, too. Yes, the truth was simple as I saw stores (Safeway, Walgreens, etc.) Required fields are marked *. Gavin Newsom to wrangle funding to build shelters, including three prefabricated modular tiny home developments, where more than 300 formerly homeless people have taken up residence. " Sep 2021 What a wasted resource. See great article in Forbes magazine: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2019/09/12/why-california-keeps-making-homelessness-worse/?sh=50e5c9b45a61. A lost job (30%), alcohol or drug use (22%), divorce or separation (15%), eviction (14%), fallout with family or friends (12%) and incarceration (11%) were the six most frequently cited events or conditions leading to houselessness. The monthly rental ratesthat include housing and all amenitiesrange between $933 and $1,251 or an average of about $1,120 per living space. Likewise, unprecedented shares of students at the 33 campuses of the California State Universities and Colleges and the University of California also suffer from houselessness and food insecurity. Guadalupe River Park has for years been a magnet for homeless encampments in San Jose. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Tell others where you'll be. Turn right on Park Road 31, go 3 miles to the Park. Prepare for sun and heat. While housing homeless residents is the long-term goal, the planning policy director for urban planning nonprofit SPUR sees a more near-term future where the Guadalupe River Park and other public spaces across the country could be shared between the homeless and housed residents in harmony. The main problem with the piece, and so many others, is the lack of insight into the houseless themselves and what has made them houseless. The nonprofit provides a high school education, job training and life skills to young people ages 17 to 27. The nonprofit is visiting Guadalupe River Park twice a week. Jason Su, executive director of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy, estimates there are at least 200 unhoused residents in the core of the park, and as many as 700 if accounting for the entirety of the park, between Highways 880 and 280. We need sensibility and accountability to make progress. Overview. On November 13, 2018, the Santa Clara City Council adopted the Tasman East Specific Plan. Lets provide a better situation for them to live if were going to let them coexist in the Guadalupe Parkway.. The pandemic also has disrupted some of the parks regular clean-up programs, and piles of trash are growing along the riverbanks and throughout the trails and gardens. Three-quarters were 25 years old and above with 17% between 18-24 and 8% under age 18. You wankers in Silicon Valley dont have a clue whats happened or you dont care. Before the pandemic, I used to commute everyday on bike along the trail. Does this mean the Mayor is on the cusp of reversing his career-long commitment to almost nothing but market-based solutions for everything? Say it again, Sam, and again and again and again. God forbid you say something about it, or youll be a victim of the on-going cancel culture. This is just on a scale thats just so, so large.. 87.9k members in the SanJose community. The Guadalupe River surrounded by snow near Comfort, Texas. Your body quickly loses fluids when you're on the trail. Tubing is a great when holding group events such as reunions, bachelor/bachelorette . Its something that Ive never seen before, honestly, said Jason Su, executive director of the Guadalupe River Park Conservancy. The Guadalupe River is a prized jewel in the state of Texas. A simpler, and cheaper, solution could be creating rules that accommodate the homeless and agreeing on who will enforce them, the report suggests. Write a Review. One Ex-homeless man told me after I had refused a panhandler because I told him I give another way, Thank you for not giving him anything. (Part of the answer, no doubt, is that they dont have so many for-profit and/or non-profit actors taking a cut of rental and other revenues.). Jessica Bergner. San Jos is a river city, split neatly from north to south by the Guadalupe River, a 14-mile waterway that can flood with 14,000 cubic feet per second of water in the winter and shrink to mostly dust in the summer. Hopefully, local public safety personnel already have this on their radar, to warn campers and clear out those camps, if big wet storms come through. Just keep them contained and hidden away. How dare youits your worst nightmare. You have to take care of things now, you cant wait. The affordable housing pushers are making a boatload of money off of this with tremendous markups, and pushing it on the poor taxpayers. (Photo by Greg Ramar). It will be 16 prefabricated modules with 76 small apartments, where. Guadalupe River Trail. In the years before the COVID-19 pandemic, studies revealed that public college and university students in California at every level were experiencing houselessness and food insecurity at alarming rates. People will go deadhead roses and they may find feces or trash or condoms, or things like that, he said. As recently as a generation ago, college and university students were considered a relatively privileged segment of the U.S. population. Have a zero tolerance policy everywhere else. You can still see the outlines of the city blocks, Su says, as he walks through the park flanked by the Heritage Rose Garden on one side and an encampment on the other. Conservancy volunteers will spend hours cleaning the park, only to see it covered in trash a week later, Su said. Related Articles Langton, the volunteer who visits every other week with supplies, wants to see some of SPURs recommendations put into action. Best ends his book with Churchill's funeral, on January 30, 1965, "the great cranes along the south side of the stretch of the river between Tower Bridge and London Bridge, dipping their masts in tribute as [Churchill's funeral launch] went by, 'like giants bowed in anxious thought.' " This is the mark of a great historian. So glad I left the Northern California crap hole for sunny Florida. Walters: Is ending Californias homelessness just a matter of money? There are people who recently became homeless for a variety or reasons, many who had mental problems and the last were long term, perfectly able physically and mentally who just did not want to work. --- Predefined displays ---. The massive metal and bronze statue had been stolen from Guadalupe River Park in San Jose since the end of January, with Maharaj and the horse that he was riding chopped off and removed from the . View all Guadalupe River Park Conservancy Posts . Workers earn an average stipend of about $100 per week, which they can receive in gift cards to Target, Safeway and other stores, or apply to rent, storage units, cell phone bills and other expenses. Marisa Kendall is a housing reporter for the Bay Area News Group who covers homelessness for The Mercury News and East Bay Times. Jim Salata for congress! Housing | If they have true mental issues, they need real help. For years, hes implored government officials to adopt more housing resources, and helped organize hundreds-strong cleanup efforts, but he reached an emotional peak after seeing how run-down Arena Green has gotten in recent weeksfrom smashed art and untrimmed trees to the burning of a ranger station he helped build in the 1990s. NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas - Early morning flooding destroyed nearly 30 percent of an RV park in New Braunfels Thursday. He explained that he HAD been homeless but got so tired of seeing countless job offers on pages of paper handed out to those he was with, he could not stand watching people lie, ignore, and essentially not even try to work. Hoping that the encampments will go away, he says, isnt the solution. The thing that Im most excited about, said Jason Su, executive director of the conservancy, is that were able to address one of the biggest priorities our members have, which is the ongoing maintenance of the park, and do it in a way that also supports other priorities, such as how do we find work for youth or for unhoused residents so that they can support the park while also supporting themselves?. Those of us who understand and have an appreciation for science could clearly see, a decade ago, what the long term outcome would be of being tolerant of people illegally setting up camp on public property. Those that can work will be able to do so. Volunteers gather in a parking lot on Technology Drive near the airport to pack food and other supplies to be dropped off at homeless encampments in San Jose. That housing serves students, faculty and staff consists of a three-block area of 12.68 acres called the Campus Village. The six residence structures, built between 1960 and 2016, have vary in height between 3 and 15 stories and offer a wide range of residential/living arrangements, including efficiencies and apartment units consisting of studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom, four-bedroom and five-bedroom apartments. So how about we all pick up our trash and be responsible for our own actions? As long as the Bay Area is a place where it costs $700,000 to build an apartment , were not going to see a market-based solution for affordable housing.. The Guadalupe River rises in two forks in western Kerr County. So, what, that is me, but I am not looking for a free ride and instead, I volunteer and help local charities. https://bit.ly/3tSDHhW, Most are 2 bedroom mobile homes. By modifying the adjacent urban fabric, the river and riparian zone can be expanded and made into a high performing system that can extend outwards into downtown San Jos. Whether such changes will make the cut as cities stare down staggering budget shortfalls due to declining revenues during the pandemic, remains to be seen. oscar tshiebwe parents,