San Jose law targeting vanlords expanded to ban homeless people camping in vehicles

San Jose City Council approved a controversial policy that prohibits renting RVs to homeless individuals and penalizes those sleeping in vehicles, with a vote of 9-1. Effective after August, the policy aims to protect property owners from the challenges posed by RVs parked on their land. Councilmember Pamela Campos, the only dissenting vote, raised concerns about police discretion in issuing trespassing citations without property owner involvement. She noted that the city’s two safe parking sites can only accommodate 128 vehicles, far fewer than the 800 RV dwellers in San Jose. District 4 Councilmember David Cohen also voiced concerns about the policy's implications for homeless residents.

He suggested a more gradual approach to implementing the trespassing policy, allowing individuals time to respond to property owner notices. The policy follows the city’s plan to establish RV tow-away zones to facilitate street cleaning efforts. Vice Mayor Pam Foley emphasized the necessity of the policy to address property owner requests for police assistance concerning recreational vehicles.