Homelessness

Homelessness

Post
Members of the San Jose City Council and leadership sitting on the dais at City Hall.

San Jose mayor pushes housing vouchers for homeless shelters

As San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan continues to prioritize funding for temporary solutions over permanent housing, he wants the city to explore a new proposal — using monies from Section 8 housing vouchers for homeless shelters. Santa Clara County Housing Authority leaders announced the plan during the April 15 joint meeting with the City Council....

Santa Clara County emergency housing vouchers in jeopardy

Santa Clara County officials are bracing for more cuts to their housing voucher programs, which subsidizes rent for low-income individuals. Last month, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) informed the county that Emergency Housing Vouchers were expiring. This pandemic-era program, which began in 2021 through a $5 billion lump sum approved by...

Grant aims to repair Santa Clara County independent living homes

Homes for people struggling with mental illness or recovering from substance use have long flown under Santa Clara County’s radar with substandard conditions and little to no accountability. The county is attempting to right some of those wrongs, starting with a grant to help landlords make much needed repairs to improve residents’ living conditions. Last...

Post
Homeless person in Columbus Park, San Jose

UPDATE: San Jose officials approve park revitalization plans

San Jose has plans to transform a dilapidated park into a family-friendly area for sports, but will first clear the area of homeless residents. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to revitalize Columbus Park, located at Asbury and Irene streets. Once a place where youth gathered in an under-resourced area, the new 9.4-acre...

Post
A man in a suit speaks at a podium at a construction site in San Jose

San Jose starts work on safe sleeping site

San Jose is breaking ground on its first sanctioned homeless encampment, which will allow 56 people to sleep in tents without fear of being swept this summer. The vacant lot at 1157 E. Taylor St. will serve as a navigation center, where participants will be given three daily meals and have access to showers, laundry facilities...

Post
safe parking site

San Jose safe parking site full one month after opening

A San Jose safe parking site for homeless people living in their vehicles is at capacity one month after opening — and two people have already moved into permanent housing. The safe parking site at 1300 Berryessa Road offers 86 spaces for individuals and families to live without fear of getting swept or towed. It’s the city’s...

Post
Cherry Avenue homeless encampment

San Jose homeless people say police citations are harassment

San Jose police continue to issue handwritten tickets to homeless people even after the department switched to electronic citations — a practice that is raising questions. Four homeless residents encamped near Cherry Avenue along the Guadalupe River said police regularly patrol the area and give out tickets for trespassing and littering. The behavior has those...