Homeless woman’s garden destroyed as City of San Jose continues sweep

(KRON) — A San Jose homeless woman is mourning the loss of her garden, after the City of San Jose trashed her plants and the camp she called home Monday morning.

The City of San Jose cleared the area as part of its ongoing, months-long effort to remove a sprawling homeless camp, which is estimated to have housed 1,000 people between downtown and the San Jose Mineta International Airport. Homeless resident Nancy Lopez told KRON4 that she wished the city would have spared her garden.

“Oh, I want to cry,” Lopez said. “Because that’s a lot of hard work. It’s a lot of hard work.”

Homeless advocate Shaunn Cartwright said that she and dozens of other people petitioned for the city to keep the garden, but received no response. The city, meanwhile, is working to revitalize the space along the Guadalupe River Trail at Columbus Park. Plans include pickleball courts and other public-friendly spaces.

Watch the full report from KRON4’s Jack Molmud in the video at the top of this story.