As COVID-19 infections spiked across Silicon Valley over the winter, evictions continued to pile up in Santa Clara County Superior Court. The combination is posing challenges for in-person court hearings. There were 234 residential evictions filed in Santa Clara County from December through Jan. 26, as well as 40 commercial evictions. Tenant defense attorneys say the...
UPDATE: Food pantry fee waiver heads to San Jose City Council
Some San Jose food pantries could see their fees waived thanks to a proposal making its way to the City Council. The city’s Rules and Open Government Committee voted Wednesday to waive special use permit fees or find funding to cover costs for Lighthouse Ministries and other pandemic-related food pantries. The full City Council will...
Resource fair brings warm clothes, services to San Jose homeless
Worrying about the living conditions at one of the largest homeless encampments in the Bay Area, a local nonprofit hosted a resource fair this week to bring jackets, snacks and housing and health services to the neediest near San Jose’s Columbus Park. More than 120 people came strolling down Spring Street Wednesday morning for clothes and services. With...
San Jose lawmakers do an about face on food pantry fees
After a costly city permit threatened a downtown food pantry’s operation, the community stepped up to raise more than $18,000. Now, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Councilmember Raul Peralez are asking their council colleagues to step up too. Lighthouse Ministries, located at 309 N. 17th St., fed more than 1,000 people a day, six days a...
San Jose food pantry raises funds to pay for pricey city permit
The story of a highly-popular food pantry facing closure appears to have a happy ending. After facing closure for having to pay San Jose up to $15,500 for a special use permit, the organization has raised enough funding overnight to remain open. The Lighthouse Ministries Food Pantry, which serves thousands of families, seniors, disabled and...
Santa Clara County looks for volunteers to tally unhoused population
After canceling the homeless count in 2021, Santa Clara County is looking for volunteers to help gather census data next month. The biennial count is critical for understanding the homelessness crisis and identifying the needs of people on the streets. The county opted to defer the 2021 count due to COVID-19. Advocates said the lack of information has...
San Jose homeless shelter sees COVID outbreak as omicron spreads
A COVID-19 outbreak has made its way to the Julian Street Inn housing site in downtown San Jose. This week, seven out of the 54 residents who live at the congregate shelter for homeless residents tested positive for COVID-19. This comes as positive infections are climbing in Santa Clara County as the omicron variant spreads....
Santa Clara County opens temporary shelter as cold weather persists
With more freezing temperatures and potential rain on the horizon, Santa Clara County has set up an overnight warming shelter for unhoused people in downtown San Jose. A new shelter opened Thursday night at the California Army National Guard building, located at 251 W. Hedding St. in San Jose. Shaunn Cartwright, a homeless advocate and...
Advocates rally to use Santa Clara County Fairgrounds to tackle homelessness
A coalition of advocates is pushing for Santa Clara County to open up 157 acres of public land on Tully Road to provide safe parking, encampments and services to those without a home amid an exploding homelessness crisis. The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds has been underutilized for years, as county officials attempted to revitalize it...
In annual speech, San Jose mayor says homelessness is city’s ‘biggest failure’
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo painted a realistic picture of the city’s failures while highlighting a hopeful future at his State of the City address on Thursday. In his seventh annual address, and second virtual speech, Liccardo discussed the city’s biggest issues. He focused on homelessness, public safety, community resiliency and environmental improvements. The city’s biggest failure...