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Campbell resident Stacia Lumley should hear birds chirping in her backyard and feel the warm sun on her face. Instead, the songbirds are drowned out by construction noise, and the sun is partially blocked by a six-story apartment development looming over her home. Lumley has lived in her red two-story house on Moneta Way for...
San Jose officials say large homeless shelters are obsolete
Two San Jose councilmembers have an ambitious plan to house thousands of the city’s homeless residents — but some of their colleagues say it will move the city backwards. Councilmembers Bien Doan and Arjun Batra have proposed a pilot program to build massive assembly room-style homeless shelters, with the option for private rooms. While their...
Sunnyvale to accelerate its housing growth
Santa Clara County’s second largest city just got its housing plans approved by the state, kickstarting 45 programs to increase development and put a dent in the housing crisis. After three rounds of review by the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development, Sunnyvale’s housing element was approved March 6 — more than a year...
Homeless nonprofit to stop running Sunnyvale shelter
One of Santa Clara County’s largest homeless service providers is stepping back from operating a 145-bed shelter in North County. HomeFirst will stop operating the North County Shelter in Sunnyvale by the end of June, passing shelter operations to another provider which the county has yet to identify. Over the past few months, HomeFirst has...
Los Gatos inches toward more affordable housing
Los Gatos is one step closer to securing state approval for its housing plan, more than a year after the deadline and months of contention among town officials. The town submitted the latest draft of its housing element — a detailed planning document laying out how Los Gatos will accommodate more affordable and market-rate housing...
San Jose labor leader questions strength of city’s wage theft rules
San Jose officials have gotten stricter about labor protections over the last year, disqualifying companies with a history of wage theft from winning city contracts. But labor advocates say the city still isn’t doing enough to protect workers. South Bay labor leaders question whether companies with a history of lower level infractions and no state...
Historic downtown San Jose park revamp hit with major setback
The plan to turn a historic-yet-blighted downtown San Jose park into a major event venue as part of the city’s revitalization plans faces a major delay. After a four-year battle over a redesign of St. James Park between the city and the Saint Claire Club — the second oldest men’s club in California — the...
Santa Clara County may fund safe parking for homeless residents
Santa Clara County officials may help finance San Jose’s multimillion-dollar safe parking efforts and set up more sites on unused public property for the region’s homeless residents. The Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed on Tuesday to look into both possibilities and requested more information by May. Debate ensued over whether the funding could be justified...
San Jose mayor touts plan to end homelessness
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has a plan for the city’s homeless residents, ranging from temporary housing to encampment clearings, but the budget may not be able to support it. Mahan plans to push for more temporary housing, camp sweeps and a program that reconnects homeless people to their families as part of budget discussions for...
San Jose suits up to fight mold at future homeless housing site
A development site for homeless residents in South San Jose is blanketed in blue tarps to get rid of mold from months of neglect. After San José Spotlight broke the story on Sunday about pre-built homes arriving unfinished and in poor condition, the site is peppered in mold remediation signs over tarped buildings and employees...