Extreme cold predicted for Saturday morning brings concerns for vulnerable groups

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The National Weather Service has issued another cold weather advisory for early Saturday morning, and another night of cold temperatures means another night of risk for the most vulnerable populations.

Dig deeper:

On Friday, San Jose officials conducted a clean-up of Coyote Creek under Interstate 880 at Brokaw Road to clear debris from the most recent rainstorms. 

Due to the proximity of the work to a homeless encampment, advocates for the unhoused expressed concern that a sweep was taking place in the frigid temperatures. 

It turned out the clean-up was not related to the encampment, but the concern brought out advocates ready to help. 

What they're saying:

"I mean, for the people suffering the freeze, it does not mean they suddenly warm up at 9 a.m. when the freeze is over," said Shaunn Cartwright with the Unhoused Response Group.  

Cartwright responded to the site with a car full of items to help the unhoused in the cold, including hand warmers and long johns. 

"For the people who are still out here it is brutal and for them to survive this takes a lot," Cartwright said. 

Cartwright said she believes, in general, the city should have a set policy not to do any kind of unhoused enforcement or clean-up operations during hazardous weather conditions, such as in extremely cold temperatures. 

The other side:

Just a short distance away from the clean-up efforts at Coyote Creek, Fernando Reyes said life on the street is difficult when the temperatures drop.

He said he has been unhoused for 20 years, but never lived at the nearby encampment. 

Reyes said the cold "goes through your bones, it is cold like needles."

In a post on Instagram, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan announced two city-run warming centers at the Evergreen and Roosevelt community centers would be open 24-hours this week through Saturday night to help shelter from the cold. Walk-ins are welcome.