San Jose to Clear Notorious 'The Jungle' Encampment in April

City plans to prioritize units at its newest interim housing site for impacted residents

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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San Jose has given notice to the homeless residents living at 'The Jungle' encampment that it will clear the site on April 15. The city plans to prioritize units at its newest interim housing facility for those impacted by the clearing. Over the last three years, San Jose has expanded its shelter and interim housing capacity faster than any other city on the West Coast, allowing it to decommission its largest encampments.

Why it matters

Clearing 'The Jungle' is part of San Jose's broader efforts to move homeless residents off the streets and into more dignified living conditions, while also addressing the environmental impact of encampments on the city's waterways. The city faces potential fines if it fails to reduce trash entering its waterways under stormwater permit requirements.

The details

San Jose estimates that nearly 100 people still inhabit 'The Jungle' property, which will have to leave by April 15 as the city takes another attempt to disband the encampment. In the last 12 months, San Jose has added more than 1,200 beds to its shelter system, bringing the total to over 2,000. The city plans to prioritize spaces at its newest Cerone Emergency Interim Housing site, completed in February, for those impacted by the encampment clearing.

  • San Jose has given notice to the homeless residents living at 'The Jungle' that it will clear the encampment on April 15, 2026.
  • Over the last three years, San Jose has expanded its shelter and interim housing capacity faster than any other city on the West Coast.

The players

Matt Mahan

The mayor of San Jose.

Jennifer Maguire

The city manager of San Jose.

Shaunn Cartwright

A homeless advocate.

Amanda Rodriguez

A spokesperson for San Jose's Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services department.

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What they’re saying

“'Over the last three years, we've expanded shelter and interim housing faster than any other city on the West Coast. That work has allowed us to decommission our largest encampments so that we can restore public spaces for community use and connect people to the services they need to return to self-sufficiency.'”

— Matt Mahan, Mayor (mercurynews.com)

“'Clearing Coyote Meadows is about balancing compassion with responsibility. Together, we are creating a San José for everyone — protecting public spaces and waterways, and strengthening the overall health, safety, and beauty of our city.'”

— Jennifer Maguire, City Manager (mercurynews.com)

“'No-encampment zones are a successful tool in keeping the City's most impacted areas clear of large encampments. While re-encampments do occur, they typically happen early in the establishment of the zone, are smaller in scale, and are addressed more quickly due to frequent monitoring by BeautifySJ staff and SJPD.'”

— Amanda Rodriguez, Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Spokesperson (mercurynews.com)

What’s next

The City Council could approve changes on March 3 to the city's procedures for granting reasonable accommodations and handling personal property at encampments, providing more clarity on how the city manages items and storage requirements.

The takeaway

San Jose's efforts to clear the notorious 'The Jungle' encampment and move residents into interim housing are part of the city's broader strategy to address homelessness by rapidly expanding shelter capacity and establishing 'no-encampment zones' to restore public spaces and protect the environment. However, the city still faces challenges in balancing compassion and responsibility as it works to connect unhoused individuals with the services they need.