San Jose Faces Scrutiny Over Homelessness Policies Amidst Contrasting Views on Crime and Housing
San Jose is at teh center of a debate regarding its approach to homelessness, with critics like Perry drawing parallels between the policies of Mayor Matt Mahan and former President Donald Trump. Perry asserts that both leaders, despite differing rhetoric, are undermining affordable housing initiatives and resorting to punitive measures against the homeless population.
Perry challenges the notion of a crime crisis, citing FBI statistics that indicate a 40-year low in both property and violent crimes. He argues that Mahan’s policies, much like Trump’s, involve defunding affordable housing and intensifying “draconian raids” and the criminalization of homeless individuals. San Jose has notably increased its camp cleaning operations, clearing over 500 camps in the last fiscal year.
Mayor Mahan, however, defends his management’s strategy, stating that federal and state pronouncements are insufficient to resolve the housing crisis. he advocates for “sensible policies” such as the rapid creation of affordable shelters, a focus on mental health and addiction treatment, and a requirement for individuals to accept available shelter. Mahan points to a reduction in the unsheltered homeless population to 3,959 from nearly 5,000 in 2022 consequently of the city’s efforts to build temporary sites. However, the overall homeless population in San Jose has seen an increase, rising by 237 people to 6,503 residents since 2023.
Perry further contends that both trump and Mahan oppose affordable housing because it could perhaps slow rent increases and property value gratitude. He highlights that the San Jose City Council recently diverted a significant portion of funds from the money E property transfer tax, voter-approved in 2020 for permanent affordable housing, to finance temporary shelters. Perry suggests that the shared background of Trump as a real estate executive and Mahan as a former tech executive, with the tech and real estate sectors being closely linked in the Bay Area, influences their policies. He posits that their desire to clear encampments stems from a belief that visible poverty negatively impacts property values.