Tiny homes in San Jose are being hailed as a fix to a growing homelessness crisis. But two policymakers are saying the sites in their districts won’t work. The City Council this week voted 8-2 to approve a plan that would add 400 transitional homes, as the region’s housing crisis continues to push more people...
Google invests in historic San Jose house
A 112-year-old house will soon turn into affordable homes for four families thanks to a tech giant’s multi-million dollar loan. Habitat for Humanity Bay Area, which consists of the Habitat East Bay/Silicon Valley and the Habitat Greater San Francisco, is receiving the $10 million loan from Mountain View-based Google to renovate and build a number...
San Jose coalition plans one-stop homeless service center
A group of advocates, residents and religious leaders is pushing San Jose to help establish a center to provide food, medical treatment and resources to find housing and jobs for the homeless population. The coalition, headed by Lighthouse Ministries, hopes to buy a vacant building at 303 N. 15th St. that used to house the Apollo Adult Day Care and...
San Jose ends food program supporting homeless people
San Jose is winding down a hot meals program that started during the COVID-19 pandemic, and homeless advocates worry people will go hungry. The hot meals program, funded by the federal CARES Act, has helped feed homeless residents at encampments and motels throughout the pandemic that upended the lives of many in Silicon Valley. Nonprofits, food banks and...
Panel: Lack of housing is main cause for San Jose homelessness
The lack of affordable housing, systemic racism and weak safety nets continue to be the leading causes for Silicon Valley’s homeless crisis, a panel of experts last week. Hosted by San José Spotlight and nonprofit Destination: Home as part of an event series on the issue, the Thursday panel examined the root causes of homelessness—and...
Apple motel program ends, stranding San Jose homeless
About two dozen people will likely end up back on the streets of San Jose, after one of the largest tech companies in the world failed to keep its promises. A nine-month motel program paid for by Apple and managed by nonprofit Homefirst ended on Monday, causing panic for a group of homeless people. While some individuals have moved...
UPDATE: San Jose officials approve Measure E spending plan
The San Jose City Council signed off on a $65 million spending plan intended for affordable housing and homeless services. On Tuesday, Councilmembers approved allocation of funds raised through Measure E—a 2020 property transfer tax to pay for affordable housing, safe parking and programs to support the homeless. The measure is expected to produce $205...
San Jose sees homeless population grow
San Jose saw its homeless population grow 11% during the pandemic despite investments in housing and enhanced safety measures, with some advocates saying the reality on the ground is even bleaker. New data released this week shows the total number of unhoused residents in San Jose is 6,739, an 11% increase from the 2019 Santa...
San Jose reimagines park near the city’s largest homeless camp
San Jose is moving forward on plans to reimagine and rename Columbus Park, near the location of the city’s largest homeless camp. Through public meetings and surveys, residents are helping shape development of the 12.5-acre site, located at Asbury and Irene streets in San Jose. On Thursday, residents requested beautification, safe bicycle paths leading to...
South Bay land trust saves residents from displacement
For more than a year after Tafhari Siyani Benjamin Franklin moved into a fourplex on Reed Street in San Jose, the Navy veteran’s clothes were still in bins and bags. He’d watched as developments sprung up nearby and worried the property—home to formerly unhoused veterans—would be sold next. If that happened, he’d be unable to...