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By Brandon Pho. San Jose Spotlight.
About 40 homeless people are hiding on a small plot of land adjacent to San Jose's busy Highway 237 in Microsoft Land.
The camp is located around the same location where Microsoft plans to build two data centers in San Jose, near the border with Milpitas. Unhoused residents said a Caltrans worker warned them of an impending raid. Caltrans, Santa Clara County and San Jose officials deny such a plan. However, someone has warned the camp and its residents are nervous.
“If we have to move in 60 days, 90 days, that's fine, that's what we'll work with. But we want to be prepared,” Ricky Robles, a 60-year-old homeless resident who has lived in the camp for two years, told San Jose Spotlight.
“We have vehicles and we would need to get them out of here. We will have to tow our cars if they don't start. Or we run the risk of being fined or having our things taken away. And then, we have to calculate knowing where to go,” he added.
Microsoft bought the 65-acre site in 2017 for $73 million to build the data centers. San Jose officials have yet to issue permits for the project, which is still under review by San Jose's planning division and other departments.
Microsoft declined to comment on the camp.
Advocates and local officials differ on when the encampment appeared, but place its origin sometime between 2021 and 2022. They agree that the encampment exploded after Milpitas city officials, in a high-profile campaign against the homeless, they pushed homeless residents out of town onto Highway 237.
“Things got worse when Milpitas cracked down,” Councilman David Cohen, whose District 4 encompasses the Highway 237 camp, told San José Spotlight. “We can't control what other cities do within their borders, but I hope everyone "Let's work together to be thoughtful and solve the problem instead of taking quick measures that make it more difficult for neighbors."
Robles said he has lived in the camp for two years due to legal battles with his brother. He tried living in various county motels and shelter programs, but had bad experiences.
Robles said he spoke to a man who appeared to work for Caltrans a few weeks ago.
“The man said, 'Hey, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to do this, but you guys should know that they're going to get you out of here,'” Robles told San José Spotlight.
Caltrans spokesman Victor Gauthier explained that the agency has no authority over the property and no plans to conduct a raid. He referred all questions to San Jose officials. Councilman Cohen said no raid is planned.
Cohen said the encampment issue highlights his push for safe parking programs in the city. A secure parking site has opened in south San Jose, where homeless people can sleep in their RVs and access services. But the program has numerous restrictions that caused the Santa Teresa VTA light rail station location to be virtually empty when it opened. It is almost full as of February 26.
A second site is scheduled to open this summer at 100 Berryessa Road. The project has suffered numerous delays.
Yolie Garcia, an organizer with the Milpitas advocacy group Hope for the Unhoused, said moving residents to safe parking will take time.
“The vehicles would have to be operational and have insurance and current registration,” García told San José Spotlight. “I hope to have all that information in the next two weeks for every car in camp.”
He said camp residents are in survival mode every day.
“Having a safe place to live, even for a short time, is everything to them, but they know that it can end in a minute and that causes them stress and post-traumatic stress disorder,” García said.
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