Homeless memorials in San Jose, Gilroy to honor those who died while living on the streets

“People die on the streets with no fanfare. ... We hope that (the memorial) gives some meaning and some closure to folks, and also brings awareness to the fact that being homeless puts you at greater risk of death.”

For years, rows of hand-painted tombstones carved from foam have been put up in San Jose to remember those who have lost their lives while living on the streets of Santa Clara County. Now, as the tradition continues in San Jose on Thursday, a memorial for homeless residents will be celebrated in Gilroy for the first time, offering a space to mourn the dead and raise awareness for the living who are still unhoused.

“People die on the streets with no fanfare. Nobody knows. Nobody asks about it,” said Jan Bernstein Chargin, an advocate with Pitstop Outreach in Gilroy who helped organize the event. “We hope that (the memorial) gives some meaning and some closure to folks, and also brings awareness to the fact that being homeless puts you at greater risk of death.”

First commemorated in 1990, National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day takes place each year on Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. Ten years ago, Santa Clara Union of the Homeless began partnering with the Silicon Valley Interreligious Council to host a memorial service in San Jose for those who had died while homeless in Santa Clara County, said Robert Aguirre, the president of the union.

As of 2022, Gilroy had 814 homeless residents — the second-largest homeless population in the county after San Jose’s 6,650 — but has not previously held a memorial. So Aguirre and members of Gilroy Homeless Union thought it was important to create a designated space to mourn. “We wanted the opportunity for people in Gilroy to be able to honor their members that have passed away,” he said.

The event in Gilroy will feature tombstones painted with the names of the deceased, as well as a public reading of their names and an opportunity for those who knew them to speak about the lives of those who have died.

“Here in Gilroy, we don’t mention the homeless. I’ve been out here for 11 years. I have seen friends who have passed away, and they’re not mentioned in the obituary,” said Toni Jo Napihaa, a homeless resident of Gilroy who will be emceeing the event in Gilroy. “I just want them to be remembered.”

For some, this is “the only tombstone that people are ever going to get and the only memorial they’re gonna get,” said Shaunn Cartwright, a member of Unhoused Response Group who spearheaded the tradition of carving and painting tombstones for the Santa Clara memorial. “For unhoused people, there often isn’t that luxury of mourning.”

Beyond offering a chance to mourn, the event also highlights the high rate of homeless mortality in the region. This year, just over 200 homeless residents have died in Santa Clara County, a decrease from the peak of over 250 in 2021. However, on average, an unhoused resident of Santa Clara County has a life expectancy 18 years shorter than someone with housing, according to an analysis of data from the Santa Clara County Coroner by the Mercury News.

A 2016 report by the Santa Clara County medical examiner notes that many homeless people may have underlying medical conditions and recommends access to “consistent medical and mental health care” for homeless populations.

For Aguirre, the memorials are directly tied to the fight for better services. “How many of those lives would be saved if there were actually affordable housing?” asked Aguirre. “How many lives would be saved if there was a treatment center for them or other services?”

The tombstones will be displayed at Arena Green Park in San Jose at 11:00 AM on Thursday, Dec. 21, then there will be a reading of names of the deceased at noon at 70 W. Hedding St. in San Jose. The ceremony in Gilroy will take place later that day, at 3 p.m., in front of Gilroy City Hall.