Stepped up sweeps get pushback from homeless advocates in San Jose

Homeless advocates in the South Bay are speaking out against Gov. Gavin Newsom's demand to cities to sweep encampments.

The governor threatened to pull funding from cities and counties that don't do their part to clean up encampments. But advocates and those who are unhoused said Newsom's policy is dangerous and could lead to deaths.

"Sweeps equal death. Sweeps equal mass incarceration," claimed Raymond Goins, who is unhoused.

Goins spent 18 years in prison for a robbery.  Now that he's out, he said many employers and landlords refuse to give him a chance.

"The median rent is $3,500.  As someone who's an ex-felon, I can't get a job to afford that rent. I applied for Lyft and Lyft told me I couldn't be a driver because of my felonies," said Goins.

Goins said he's been sleeping in his car for the last two months.

"Sleeping in a car is demoralizing," said Goins.  "It's like I'm back in prison all over again because my car is the same size as my jail cell."

Goins now works for the non-profit Silicon Valley Debug as a community organizer. He's saving up for an apartment.

He joined other South Bay advocates in San Jose on Friday to oppose Newsom's policy to get rid of encampments across the state . They called his policy a war on the unhoused.

They said shuffling people around without giving them places to go will only lead to more encampments.  They are demanding more affordable housing, not more sweeps.

"I appreciate and support the governor's push for accountability," San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said.

Mahan said they're building affordable housing as a long-term solution.  But in the meantime, they're offering shelter and transitional housing to get the homeless off the streets.

"Part of accountability is measuring performance and then allocating dollars where they're having an impact.  So I fully support the idea of shifting dollars where impact is being had. We cannot have a race to the bottom in which some cities are not doing anything and simply pushing homeless folks into other jurisdictions. That isn't fair.  It isn't sustainable," Mahan told CBS News Bay Area.

AJ Professional Detailing is located next to Columbus Park, and the large encampment. Co-owner Tom Jones said all sides should work together, not against each other when it comes to fixing this complex issue.

"We're in the same boat, if you're drilling a hole, you're drilling a hole in the same boat. So they need to figure it out," said Jones.

Someone broke a window at Jones' business about six months ago.  He's forced to increase security.

"We have had to secure the area with razor wire and cameras everywhere just in case, " said Jones.

He believes affordable housing will be good for the unhoused and those who work and live near the encampments.

Goins agrees, saying no one wants to live out here if they have better options.

"Within five years, I hope to own my own house with my wife and two kids," he said.

The South Bay homeless advocates are urging voters to support Regional Housing Measure 4 , a Bay Area housing bond, that they said would create the tens of thousands of affordable units.