Last year, Santa Clara County created a grant to improve conditions at independent living homes. But advocates said there needs to be more oversight on who gets awarded these grants. Independent living homes house some of the most vulnerable populations in the county, including people with mental health issues. Some residents have suffered in these...
New methodology reveals drop in San Jose street homelessness
Walking trail use is up. Wildlife is returning. Large homeless camps have been dismantled. San Jose officials said the city has reached the end of the “era of encampments,” and is steaming ahead into its next era of slashing down street homelessness. San Jose has reduced unsheltered homelessness by 32% over the past 18 months, using...
Santa Clara County sees challenges for 5-year homelessness plan
Santa Clara County is charting how it plans to tackle homelessness over the next five years in one of its most challenging periods. The county’s next iteration of its Community Plan to End Homelessness, a template to guide its priorities through 2030, will focus on four key strategies: homelessness prevention, housing retention, increasing services for people on...
San Jose to create guidelines to prevent detention centers
San Jose is placing stronger controls on the development of private detention facilities within its borders in response to fears that the federal government may establish new immigration centers in the region. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to place a 45-day moratorium on any proposal to create or expand detention facilities on private land...
Amazon data center project in Gilroy upsets locals
An Amazon data center under construction in Gilroy is frustrating a local transparency group and residents who are voicing concerns about the city’s lack of openness in allowing the project to move forward. Americans for Transparency, a grassroots initiative led by Gilroy resident Georgine Scott-Codiga, filed a formal demand of violations with Gilroy asking for an...
Housing planned for former San Jose school campus
A former South San Jose elementary school is poised to become housing. True Life Companies purchased Glider Elementary School, a 9.5-acre site, from Oak Grove School District to redevelop it with 80 homes — a combination of townhomes and single-family houses. The San Jose Planning Commission on Aug. 26 voted unanimously to recommend the project,...
Redevelopment plan draws backlash in South San Jose
Residents of a South San Jose neighborhood are organizing against plans to redevelop a single-family lot, accusing the developer behind the project of misusing state housing laws. Opponents fear the precedent the project might set if it’s allowed to move forward. An LLC linked to Redwood City-based development firm Samara has filed permit applications to demolish a...
Rezoning of San Jose IBM site raises environmental concerns
Residents are voicing concern about the rezoning of the former 35-acre IBM Almaden Research Center nestled in the rolling hills of South San Jose. They fear it will attract more data centers to the region. The San Jose City Council sees it differently and voted 9-2 to approve the industrial park rezoning on Aug. 18....
Audit shows San Jose struggles to manage affordable housing
San Jose’s lack of oversight on its affordable housing portfolio has led to repeated property violations and some families making above the income limit, a city audit has found. The City Auditor’s Office found that the Housing Department didn’t complete one-third of its annual compliance reviews in 2024 and 2025, and property inspections have a...
San Jose neighborhood improvement program is back
A popular San Jose neighborhood improvement initiative that strengthens tenant rights and encourages better relationships with landlords has returned. The Responsible Landlord Engagement Initiative (RLEI) took a two-year hiatus after funds for the program ran out. The city is providing $250,000 for one year to fund the program, which is hosted under the umbrella of...