San Jose celebrated a major win in its fight against homelessness with the grand opening of the Berryessa Safe Parking Site, hailed as the city's largest to date. According to a social media post from Mayor Matt Mahan, the site will provide a secure location for over 80 lived-in vehicles, embracing homeless individuals like Carol, who finds respite after 17 fraught years without a stable place to call home. The initiative connects its new residents to critical resources such as case management and job training.
After 17 years on the streets, Carol finally has a safe place to call home.
— Mayor Matt Mahan (@MattMahanSJ) April 11, 2025
Today, we celebrated the grand opening of Berryessa Safe Parking Site — the city’s largest to date. Carol, her RV and over 80 other lived-in vehicles are now off the streets. The people living in them… pic.twitter.com/UHDDUCcPml
Officials, having pulled back the curtain on what marks the second safe parking site in the city, tout its success as a key piece in San Jose’s larger homelessness mitigation strategy. However, supporters like homeless advocate Shaunn Cartwright argue for a more expedited approach to opening additional sites. In a report by KTVU, Cartwright expressed a pressing need for quicker action to accommodate not only current residents but also anticipate a rise in homelessness.
Offering 86 spaces for RVs, the Berryessa Safe Parking site at 1300 Berryessa Road went operational last month and has already affected lives. Carol, now a resident at the site, shared her gratitude in an interview with The Mercury News, stating, "This is the first place that had done anything to help me to get into housing (and) now that I had the encouragement and support from the community, the people who work here, the mayor’s office (and) everybody (else), I’m going to reach that goal."
Pastor Paul Bains, president of WeHOPE, which operates the site, urged people to see the human side of this crisis during the opening ceremony. Councilmember David Cohen underscored the site's impact, revealing that a significant portion of its residents are employed and the safe parking site is already facilitating better living situations for some. As per The Mercury News, there's also a demand for additional placements and hope that neighboring communities will amplify similar efforts. Mayor Mahan advocated for collaborative funding to maintain momentum in building and operating future sites.
