‘Responsibility to Shelter’: SJ initiative could jail homeless residents for refusing housing

THE MAYOR OF San Jose wants to penalize homeless people who refuse shelter by arresting or hospitalizing them, punting the service-resistant onto Santa Clara County for care.

Mayor Matt Mahan unveiled his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative this past Thursday, where homeless people who choose not to accept shelter after three attempts within an 18-month period will be subject to arrest for trespassing. The goal is to send people to the behavioral health court system and compel them to get treatment. If adopted by the full San Jose City Council during the upcoming budget process, the policy would only apply to homeless people living near new shelters.