Santa Clara County officials said that a proposed amendment in a state bill would strip the county’s general fund of about $145 million annually, draining its budget for homeless services, supportive housing and child care among many programs if the proposal passes. “It’s the county’s core services that are most in jeopardy so we must...
Author: Nicholas Chan (Nicholas Chan)
Santa Clara County expands child care services during coronavirus crisis
Child care providers in Santa Clara County are struggling to stay afloat as their costs have burgeoned during the coronavirus pandemic. “These child care businesses could go away if we don’t figure out a way to get them funding as soon as possible. We need these small businesses to thrive,” Supervisor Cindy Chavez told San...
Demand for food assistance soars in Silicon Valley during COVID-19 lockdown
James Foster lined up at the Di Lac Temple in San Jose, waiting for a hot meal, fresh groceries and face masks. Foster’s wife lost her job as a therapist during the pandemic and his relative who supported them financially recently died. “We’re hurting … These folks provide a life-saving service, especially for someone my age,” said...
Santa Clara County extends eviction moratorium, approves COVID-19 cost tracker and outreach
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to extend a temporary moratorium on evictions for people who can’t pay rent due to the pandemic. The county’s moratorium, which was set to expire Sunday, will now be extended until Aug. 31 under a proposal authored by Supervisors Cindy Chavez and Joe Simitian. “The Santa...
Santa Clara County jails face challenges curbing spread of coronavirus
With physical contact often inevitable inside their walls, county jails have become battlegrounds against the coronavirus pandemic. As the public health crisis continues, Santa Clara County has implemented various measures to prevent local jails from becoming the epicenters of the coronavirus. Nonetheless, infections are bound to occur, according to Roberto Potter, a professor of criminal...
Santa Clara County approves nation’s first basic income for foster youth
The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved the nation’s first basic income program for youths who are transitioning out of foster care. The county will provide $1,000 monthly cash payments from June 2020 through May 2021. Many youths struggle to find housing and jobs as they leave foster care and transition into adulthood. County...
San Jose families carry the weight of dementia during coronavirus shutdown
Celso Castaniada often wakes up at 3 a.m. — the night has become the day. By 3:30 p.m., Castaniada becomes more confused, a symptom of dementia known as sundowning. His internal clock has gone awry since the coronavirus shutdown upended Castaniada’s routine of going to adult day care center Hearts and Minds Activity Center in...
‘Every single window was smashed:’ Asian-owned San Jose businesses targeted
San Jose Police identified Tai Van Trinh as the suspect responsible for vandalizing multiple businesses in San Jose and Milpitas on April 22. Trinh, who hasn’t been caught, allegedly smashed the glass door and windows of at least five businesses Asian-owned businesses in San Jose, including Tastea, Lee’s Sandwiches and Seven Leaves Cafe, in the...
Silicon Valley schools scramble to close enduring gaps during COVID-19
When Bay Area schools closed overnight in mid-March, Miyuki Takeda-Bajan’s daughter couldn’t afford to take time off from her studies — she had an upcoming SAT exam and AP courses. But direction from the school district was slow to arrive. The junior at Pioneer High School in San Jose’s Blossom Valley scoured the web for free testing materials...
Reports detail Silicon Valley’s housing crisis pre-coronavirus
As the stock market plunges, so may the real estate market. The coronavirus pandemic will shatter San Jose’s ambitious plans for housing growth over the next two years, some officials said. “We absolutely need to build more housing and we’re not going to make our target (of) 25,000 homes by 2022,” San Jose Councilmember Pam...