More interim housing and safe parking sites are coming to San Jose to move its homeless population off the streets. The San Jose City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved moving forward on four projects focused on safe parking and housing. A safe parking site with more than 100 parking spots for RVs and vehicle dwellers...
San Jose leader to spend night in homeless shelter
San Jose officials are being challenged by a formerly homeless resident to stay in a shelter before voting to open more—and one is up for the offer. Sketch Oppie, who sits on the San Jose’s Housing and Community Development Commission, recently asked the city council to experience what a homeless shelter is like before diverting funds...
UPDATE: San Jose sees small drop in homelessness
Santa Clara County’s homeless population is slightly lower than last year, with the biggest drop happening in San Jose. Preliminary data from the county’s point in time count found that homelessness has decreased by 4.7% over the last year in San Jose, bringing the number to approximately 6,340 homeless residents, down by about 300 people. City...
UPDATE: San Jose officials challenge mayor’s housing plan
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s controversial plan to divert millions of dollars away from affordable housing is being challenged—this time by his own colleagues. Now, the mayor is trying to get ahead of his plan being thwarted with a new spending plan. San José Spotlight obtained an early draft of a budget document being released...
Who loses in San Jose mayor’s housing plan?
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...