Apple removed dozens of people from a large encampment on its San Jose property this week, spending millions to temporarily house them in motels.
My abridged version

Each resident was offered a nine-month stay in a motel, plus 12 months of case-management services to help with addiction, mental health, long-term housing plans and more — costing Apple millions of dollars...

...

Dozens of people were living off Component Drive on vacant land that Apple had earmarked for its North San Jose campus. As part of a $2.5 billion pledge to address the region’s housing and homelessness crises, Apple promised in 2019 to make some of that land available for affordable housing. But progress has been slow, and no plans have been formalized.

Apple wouldn’t reveal exactly how much it was spending to help encampment residents or how many people it had relocated.

...

A handful of Apple camp residents declined the company’s offer of a motel room — many because they had RVs or other vehicles they didn’t want to be separated from. For them, the city plans to open an emergency safe-parking site Tuesday on Vista Montaña, according to [ San Jose Parks and Rec].

As a third alternative, camp residents also were offered space in Santa Clara County’s largest homeless shelter, the Boccardo Regional Reception Center. A few people declined all three choices...

  • inshallah2 [none/use name]
    ·
    3 years ago

    Apple promised in 2019 to make some of that land available for affordable housing. But progress has been slow, and no plans have been formalized.

    Let's imagine...

    In 2019 a reporter asks them: "How much housing? Give us the details." Apple has no comment.

    In 2020 a reporter asks them: "How much housing? Give us the details." Apple has no comment.

    In 2021 a reporter asks them: "How much housing? Give us the details." Apple has no comment.

    In 2022 a reporter asks them: "How much housing? Give us the details." Apple has no comment.

    In 2023 a reporter asks them: "How much housing? Give us the details." Apple has no comment.

    In 2024 they start building something and there are rumors it's housing for the homeless. A reporter asks them: "How much housing? Give us the details." Apple has no comment.

    In 2025 Apple launches the Apple Ornamental Hermit Project. Each Project will house one homeless. A reporter asks them: "How much housing? How many Projects will be their be? Give us the details." Apple has no further comment.

    Garden hermit

    Garden hermits or ornamental hermits were hermits encouraged to live in purpose-built hermitages, follies, grottoes, or rockeries on the estates of wealthy landowners, primarily during the 18th century. Such hermits would be encouraged to dress like druids and remain permanently on site, where they could be fed, cared for, and consulted for advice, or viewed for entertainment.

    • eduardog3000 [he/him]
      ·
      3 years ago

      Garden hermits or ornamental hermits were hermits encouraged to live in purpose-built hermitages, follies, grottoes, or rockeries on the estates of wealthy landowners, primarily during the 18th century. Such hermits would be encouraged to dress like druids and remain permanently on site, where they could be fed, cared for, and consulted for advice, or viewed for entertainment.

      That is both fucked up and amazing.

      • bearistotle [he/him,comrade/them]
        ·
        3 years ago

        purpose-built hermitages, follies, grottoes, or rockeries on the estates of wealthy landowners

        Some of these are goddamn wild too. There was a proliferation of little weird neoclassical temples all over the British countryside for instance. Some of those were funded as "follies" just as a make work project for the poor in particularly hard economic times. Wealthy lords would feel bad about the starving poor, but not bad enough to just feed them. Instead they had to perform heavy manual labor to build a useless thing.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folly#Follies_in_18th-century_French_and_English_gardens