Crews are clearing a large homeless encampment that settled on Apple property in North San Jose.
The underdeveloped lot on Component Dr. was home to dozens of people experiencing homelessness until 7 a.m. on Thursday when Apple began the eviction process.
Each person on the site was given until 12 p.m. on Friday to move their things from the area, and was also offered 9 months of free temporary housing and 12 months of case management support from the electronic company.
"You could go to an interim hotel, you could go to the Boccardo Reception Center with case management or you could go to a safe parking site with case management," said Andrea Urton, the CEO of HomeFirst — a local provider of services, shelter and housing that Apple had partnered with.
Despite efforts by Apple to aid the unsheltered during their move, activists have criticized the eviction.
"It was completely disorganized," Shaunn Cartwright, founder of the Unhoused Response Group, told KCBS Radio. She believes the most valuable company in the world could have done more.
"They could have repaired all the vehicles," she said. "33 vehicles were marked that they needed repair or registration and they chose not to. They chose to just get people off their property as fast as they could."
In a statement to KCBS Radio, Apple said they have long been focused on helping to combat the housing crisis across California, stating that they have donated over $1 billion to new housing projects.
"In San Jose, we have been closely coordinating with local partners for several months to identify housing alternatives and support for families,” the multinational electronic company said. “We have ensured individuals currently on that site will have access to a range of housing options, casework resources, and other supportive services during this process."
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