‘Absolutely stunned’: San Jose mayor inflates costs of not clearing homeless encampments

STATE OFFICIALS ARE contradicting claims made by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan in his push to redirect affordable housing money to homeless sweeps and shelters.

Mahan has argued the city faces $60,000 in daily fines per pollutant if the city doesn’t address pollution from homeless encampments near creeks by June 2025. It’s driving his renewed push to reallocate affordable housing dollars from Measure E toward waterway encampment removals and services. But state officials say the amount being cited would only happen if the Environmental Protection Agency pursued enforcement action through the courts. The most the water board could fine the city is $10,000, but even then it reserves fines for severe violations.