A ‘quiet panic’ sets in at SJ’s Columbus Park as sweep of homeless encampment looms

AFTER 19 YEARS on the streets, unhoused San Jose resident Kellie Goodman is finally moving into a home. But she’s worried about her friends who aren’t so lucky — some of whom will soon be cleared from their camps.

More than 100 homeless residents in Columbus Park in downtown San Jose have about five weeks before the city conducts a final sweep of the area. Unhoused people are living in the flight path of the Mineta San Jose International Airport, and the Federal Aviation Administration is threatening to withhold millions in funding if the city doesn’t clear the site. The FAA already granted a three month extension in May.