San Jose Clears Out Largest Homeless Encampment 'The Jungle'

Residents complain city isn't keeping promises to provide housing for all displaced

Apr. 18, 2026 at 1:04am

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An extremely abstracted, out-of-focus photograph of a homeless encampment under a highway overpass, with soft pools of warm yellow and orange light creating a melancholy, atmospheric mood.As San Jose clears out its largest homeless encampment, 'The Jungle', some residents say the city has failed to follow through on promises of housing for all displaced.San Jose Today

San Jose has begun clearing out its largest homeless encampment, known as 'The Jungle', but some residents say the city is not following through on promises to provide housing for all of the more than 100 people being displaced. While officials say they offered temporary housing options, some say their paperwork was not submitted properly and they were left without a place to go.

Why it matters

The clearing of large homeless encampments is a common but controversial tactic used by cities to address visible homelessness, often drawing criticism that it simply moves the problem elsewhere without providing adequate long-term solutions. This situation highlights the challenges cities face in balancing public safety and sanitation concerns with the need to compassionately assist vulnerable unhoused populations.

The details

San Jose began its latest effort to clear out 'The Jungle', the city's largest homeless encampment, this week. Officials say they started warning residents two months ago and that 109 people agreed to move into temporary tiny home housing. However, some residents say the city failed to properly process their paperwork, leaving them without the promised housing placements. Unhoused advocates are calling on the city to pause the cleanup until it can guarantee housing for everyone displaced.

  • San Jose began warning residents of 'The Jungle' encampment about the upcoming cleanup around 50 days ago.
  • The city started the actual clearing of 'The Jungle' this week.

The players

The Jungle

A large homeless encampment in San Jose, California that has existed in some form since 2012.

San Jose Housing Department

The city agency responsible for the cleanup of 'The Jungle' encampment and providing housing assistance to the displaced residents.

Jasmine

A resident of 'The Jungle' who says the city should have housed everyone, not just some.

Emma

An unhoused advocate calling on the city to keep its promises and not displace people without guaranteed housing.

Maria Vargas

A resident of 'The Jungle' who says the city is giving false hope and needs to have more patience.

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What they’re saying

“So, I called her, and she said that my paperwork was not submitted, and I said 'wait a minute. What do you mean that my paperwork wasn't submitted? You said everything was cool.' yeah 'whatever' she said. And said, 'let me look into it.' I'm still waiting for a phone call back, you know?”

— Jungle resident

“Everybody's moving, everyone, the ones that did get housing got housed, but they should've just housed everybody, this doesn't make sense. It's not right.”

— Jasmine, Jungle inhabitant

“Asking the city to keep its promises, to offer everyone housing and to keep its promises and let them stay where they are until they have a guaranteed housing placement not a tent, not being sent back to the street.”

— Emma, unhoused advocate

“Have more patience with us, and to stop giving us false hope, you know, that they're gonna help everybody when they don't.”

— Maria Vargas

What’s next

The San Jose Housing Department says it will have outreach workers at The Jungle throughout the cleanup process to continue assisting those who have not yet secured housing.

The takeaway

This situation highlights the ongoing challenges cities face in addressing homelessness, as efforts to clear encampments are often criticized for failing to provide adequate long-term solutions. The complaints from The Jungle residents suggest the city may have fallen short in fully delivering on its promises of housing for all displaced individuals.