With an exodus of teachers fleeing pricey Silicon Valley, the city’s largest university is weighing how to create affordable housing for educators on district-owned land. San Jose State University envisions partnering with public school districts across Santa Clara County to combat the housing crisis and the soaring cost of living dilemma that has driven teachers...
Housing
Housing
San Jose officials reluctantly agree to fund major housing operator
A San Jose housing operator is receiving millions in funding to address homelessness, despite growing concerns by city officials about the nonprofit’s performance and racial profiling allegations. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to allocate $6.2 million to HomeFirst to continue operating four interim housing sites through next June. Several councilmembers shared...
Sunnyvale officials recommend novel housing project
Sunnyvale plans to add more housing near its transit hubs with a unique project that incorporates multiple bedrooms and bathrooms per apartment. The Sunnyvale Planning Commission on Monday night unanimously voted to recommend that the city council approve plans to demolish a two-floor office at 1202 Kifer Road and erect a seven-floor apartment building in...
Santa Clara County reports alarming property value trend
Santa Clara County may be about to experience one of its worst declines in property value in 15 years. New data from the Santa Clara County assessor’s office shows a significant number of properties declining in value from 2,595 last year to 19,325 this year. Aside from a brief uptick in 2020 during the first...
Milpitas leaders clash with property owner over proposed home
Tempers flared when Milpitas nixed a property owner’s plans to build a multi-story house on the city’s hillside. The Milpitas City Council on Tuesday voted 2-1 to deny property owner Sanjay Muppaneni’s request for an exception to the neighborhood’s zoning for 1339 Terra Vista Court, after a contentious back and forth. The property is located...
San Jose greenlights hotel conversion for student housing
San Jose leaders have reluctantly agreed to a plan to convert hundreds of hotel rooms into student housing amid concerns it will harm tourism. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a deal yesterday between San Jose State University and the owner of the former Fairmont Hotel, rebranded as Signia by Hilton last year, to sell...
UPDATE: South San Jose slated to get more homeless housing
San Jose is taking an offer from a legendary South Bay philanthropist to ease the city’s transitional housing shortage. The San Jose City Council today unanimously approved a five-year lease for $1 annually from John A. Sobrato to construct Via del Oro, a 150-bed interim housing project, on land he owns. Via del Oro will...
Milpitas explores commercial sites for housing
Milpitas needs to build thousands of homes in the next eight years and is eyeing old retail spaces and offices to reach its goal. The Milpitas City Council is giving input tonight on proposed zoning changes to streamline redevelopment of five identified commercial sites, referred to as Housing Opportunity Districts, which would provide more land...
Vacant Sunnyvale hotels to become a parking lot
Two Sunnyvale hotels that have sat vacant for more than a year are slated for demolition and will be replaced with a private parking lot. Zoning Administrator George Schroeder approved plans at a hearing last week for San Francisco-based Prologis to build a ground level, 90-space surface parking lot for commercial fleets at 331 and 385...
San Jose looks to cut costs at homeless housing sites
San Jose leaders are looking to cut costs while continuing to fund temporary housing solutions, a main approach of the mayor’s plan to solve homelessness. City officials are proposing several detailed recommendations to overhaul San Jose’s interim housing programs while simultaneously trimming costs, including eliminating private security during the daytime. The San Jose City Council...