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. Three days after San José Spotlight broke the story about pre-built homes arriving in poor condition, the site is peppered in mold remediation signs over tarped buildings and employees working in...
Housing for San Jose homeless residents is a ‘big mess’
A multimillion-dollar effort to put homeless people in pre-built housing — that San Jose officials championed as cheap and revolutionary — is delayed due to homes arriving unfinished. The $70-million three-story modular housing project that San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and his predecessor Sam Liccardo heralded at 1 Branham Lane also has mold, plumbing and...
San Jose cuts cost of safe parking site in half
San Jose officials say they’ve found a way to cut the cost of a $16 million safe parking site for homeless residents in half, just months before it opens. City leaders announced Thursday a redesigned safe parking site planned for 1300 Berryessa Road that will offer sanctuary and services to homeless residents living in their RVs...
San Jose could fast-track homeless housing under state bill
Legislation to streamline homeless housing development is making its way through the state Senate. State Sen. Josh Becker has introduced Senate Bill 1395 to speed up the time it takes to build temporary housing in California. Becker is gathering support for his proposed legislation and came to San Jose on Monday to share his vision...
San Jose homeless residents on Microsoft land worry about sweep
About 40 homeless people are tucked away on a small parcel of land adjacent to busy Highway 237. The encampment sits around the same location where Microsoft plans to construct two data centers in San Jose near the Milpitas border. The unhoused residents said a Caltrans worker tipped them off to a looming sweep. Officials...
Santa Clara County can’t keep up with housing its homeless residents
For every one Santa Clara County household that was housed in 2023, nearly two households became homeless, a recent report reveals. Approximately 4,297 new households experienced homelessness for the first time last year, according to the county’s year-end analysis of its 2020-25 Community Plan to End Homelessness. That’s a 24% jump from the 3,473 households...
Sunnyvale seeks bids for homeless service provider
Sunnyvale is going back to the market for homeless service providers as officials press the existing partner for results. The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a six-month contract extension to nonprofit homeless provider HomeFirst, totaling $206,710. During that time, the city plans to open submissions for other providers and have a partner picked...
‘A step in the right direction’: Los Gatos places homeless residents in hotels
Ron Hilla has been homeless for about 11 years, and has seen so many of his friends die on the streets, he can’t count them all on his hands. The 65-year-old’s life fell apart when his health forced him to quit his more than 40-year career in construction, landing him on the Los Gatos Creek...
State gives San Jose money instead of tiny homes
Gov. Gavin Newsom has cut a multimillion-dollar check to San Jose as part of the state’s promise to build 200 tiny homes for the city’s homeless residents. Newsom made a $30-million promise in March 2023 to deploy the California National Guard to build 1,200 tiny homes across the state to combat growing homelessness. San Jose...