Homeless Crisis: Formerly unhoused San Jose Columbus Park residents adjusting to restrictions new home

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — Residents from an encampment in Columbus Park in San Jose are spending their first holiday season in their new home.

However, life at the Casa Linda Motel is an adjustment. It’s one of five motels the city converted over the summer to bring people who were unhoused indoors.

Joe Ortiz moved in on Aug. 19.

“It’s pretty good because we all came from the same area of the park, so we were all neighbors anyway, so it’s like a whole family still living together,” Ortiz said.

MORE: San Jose’s unhoused residents move out of encampment at Columbus Park into converted hotel

Ortiz was one of the 370 people who called Columbus Park home.

Located south of the San Jose Airport, it was the city’s largest encampments. We were there reporting throughout the dismantling process that took around three months to complete. By September, just over 600,000 pounds of trash were removed, 121 vehicles were cleared and nearly 200 people agreed to come indoors.

Ortiz had lived in his RV there for six years. To get a motel room, he had to sell his RV and enroll in an interim housing program.

“They promised us a laundry room here until we moved in, but then we moved, they said, ‘Oh, that’s not going to happen after all,'” Ortiz said.

MORE: San Jose removes over 100K pounds of trash from Columbus Park encampment cleanup

Ortiz said a mobile laundry service comes every Tuesday. He said a positive thing about living here is that the staff are great. A negative is the rules, such as no visitors for the first 100 days. He wants his three-year-old godson to visit.

“Well they decided no, that’s not going to happen. ‘Well, what we meant was…’ and now that it’s the holidays, they said, ‘Well you can have visitors, but they can’t go to your room. They have to go outside,'” Ortiz said.

Nancy Lopez was living in a tent at Columbus Park for two years. She said she is grateful for the meals that are provided here, but they’re not allowed to cook. She got a free turkey from the Salvation Army she planned on making for Thanksgiving. She said her case manager said yes, but then said no.

“Frustrated a lot, honestly. Frustrated a lot,” Lopez said.

MORE: SJ begins clearing largest encampment; all its residents to be prioritized for interim housing

We spoke with longtime homeless advocate Shaunn Cartwright

“Listen to the voices of unhoused people. They will tell you what they need, what works for them. If you want them to stay in these programs, listen to them,” Cartwright said.

She said at the end of the year and the beginning of next year, the motels will have different operators, which may be another adjustment.

“I know Bristol is starting with PATH Dec. 1. I know almost all the hotels are switching to a new provider, so if you think that the staff is nice, or case manager, it’s kind of irrelevant. New rules, new case management,” Cartwright said.

Both Ortiz and Lopez told us they’re getting pressure to move again to the tiny homes community. Both would rather stay here for the year they were told they had before they have to move again.