An already contentious debate on where to allocate funds for housing is growing more divisive, as San Jose leaders weigh diverting funding for hundreds of affordable homes. The San Jose City Council is considering cutting Measure E spending on affordable housing by half and reallocating those dollars to homelessness services and temporary shelters. Housing advocates said...
‘We’re tired of this life’: San Jose sweeps another homeless camp
A small army of backhoes, earthmovers, garbage trucks, pickups and police cars rolled out of Corie Court in Central San Jose Monday afternoon, after crews spent hours working to clear out a major homeless encampment along Coyote Creek. The city-led effort focused on moving out hundreds of homeless people who live near the creek bed....
UPDATE: San Jose mayor pushes more dollars for short-term housing
San Jose’s mayor wants to up the ante and divert millions more from Measure E funds toward homeless solutions. The City Council — at the direction of Mayor Matt Mahan — is considering whether to upend its original plans for Measure E spending. Last year, council voted to spend 75% of Measure E dollars on...
Silicon Valley water district sponsors state bill to help house homeless people
A new state bill would give the Santa Clara Valley Water District expanded authority to help thousands of homeless people living along creeks, streams and other district lands find housing and services. District officials say Assembly Bill 1469 would add language to the district’s governing act specifying it can assist unsheltered people, allowing it to play a...
UPDATE: San Jose college students protest mayor’s homeless plans
Holding signs reading “Stop Sweeping Us Under the Rug” and “Keep People Housed,” two San Jose State University student groups protested at City Hall today against how the city is handling homelessness. Students for Fair Housing and Students Against Sweeps are demanding a more humanitarian approach to Mayor Matt Mahan’s homeless policies. They are asking...
San Jose budget could reallocate affordable housing funds
San Jose voters passed a property transfer tax to help fund affordable housing, but the mayor wants to reallocate more than 50% of those dollars for other uses. The city manager’s budget unreleased proposal, obtained by San José Spotlight, shows that $38 million of the $70 million in Measure E funds earmarked for affordable housing...
San Jose opens homeless housing site in police parking lot
Dozens of homeless residents will be able to get off the streets, as new interim housing opens near the doorstep of the San Jose Police Department. The Guadalupe Emergency Interim Housing site, located on a former SJPD parking lot, opened Wednesday. Housing advocates and elected officials said it’s the latest project in the city’s attempt to...
Santa Clara County scores millions in HUD funding
Millions of federal dollars are funneling into Santa Clara County to help shelter and support those experiencing homelessness. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced an $11 million one-time grant to the Santa Clara County Continuum of Care coalition—a group of local government, private and nonprofit partners dedicated to ending and preventing homelessness....
San Jose breaks ground on prefab homeless housing
San Jose is breaking ground on a unique transitional housing site that will support hundreds of homeless residents when complete. Preparation is underway for a three-story, prefabricated modular project on Branham Lane and Monterey Road in the south part of the city. Planning for the site in District 2 began in 2021. It will open in April 2024 with...
San Jose mayor proposes homeless ban in parts of city
San Jose’s mayor has faced criticism for his plan to ban homeless residents from setting up camp in certain parts of the city, but he believes it’s only because people don’t fully understand it. As part of his March budget message, Mayor Matt Mahan asked the city to explore enacting no encampment zones, which would prohibit homeless camps in...