Los Gatos’ goal to densify its housing is too ambitious, residents say, but they can’t agree on how the town should address the issue. Democracy Tent, a group of Los Gatos residents, invited officials to a virtual meeting Monday to talk about the town’s goal to include more housing in its 2040 General Plan. Los...
San Jose tenants forced from condemned homes get some help
After being kicked out of their homes by San Jose, a group of tenants is receiving relocation payments from their former landlord, as well as temporary housing from the county. The owners of a cluster of un-permitted mobile homes near Spina Farms in South San Jose paid $30,000 to two households made homeless on July 15 after San...
Can San Jose’s segregated housing be fixed?
Housing in San Jose is racially segregated, and it’s not going to be easy figuring out how to integrate it. “The challenge is how do we integrate these spaces, and not whether or not they should be integrated,” said Mathew Reed, policy manager at housing advocacy nonprofit SV@Home. “We have a moral foundation and a...
Powerful developers, lobbyist helped hire San Jose planning director
San Jose’s new planning director was chosen by powerful developers and lobbyists—many of whom have projects pending at City Hall. San José Spotlight has learned that developers, real estate companies and land use lobbyists comprised a large portion of a committee that interviewed and recommended hiring Chris Burton, the city’s new planning director. The interviews took...
Urban farm housing project moves forward in Santa Clara
An innovative housing project in Santa Clara that will feature a large urban farm will be ready to welcome tenants in 2023, officials announced Thursday. A first-of-it’s-kind project, Agrihood will span 5.8 acres of land and include 160 mixed-income apartments, 165 homes for low-income seniors and veterans and 36 townhomes. The complex located at N. Winchester Blvd across...
‘In love with San Jose’: Gary Dillabough’s vision for revitalizing downtown
Baltimore-born venture capitalist Gary Dillabough wasn’t always involved in development—like many people in Silicon Valley, he worked in the tech industry. “I was getting ready to leave (eBay) around six or seven years ago and my boss said, ‘Hey, listen. I know you care about the environment, I know you care about construction and real...
Mountain View RV ban another blow to South Bay vehicle dwellers
A legal battle brewing in Mountain View highlights the increasingly desperate struggle among RV dwellers to find safe places to live in the South Bay. Last week, the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, the American Civil Liberties Union and the Disability Rights Advocates filed a class action lawsuit against Mountain View opposing a recent parking...
‘We’re losing everything’: The fight to keep San Jose homeless camp
Federal officials are demanding a 40-acre homeless encampment outside San Jose’s airport be dismantled. Protesters fought back at a rally Tuesday, urging the city to keep the encampment open. But the Mineta San Jose International Airport could stand to lose tens of millions of dollars if it doesn’t clear the homeless camp. Residents are pleading with city...
Water shut off for East San Jose tenants without warning
Tenants at Foxdale Village Apartments in East San Jose went without water for two days after management failed to tell them of a ruptured water main. According to several residents, taps went dry at approximately 7:30 p.m. on Saturday with no notice for when they could expect to bathe or flush their toilets. Mayra Peterson, director of asset...
San Jose boots tenants but offers no help
A lawyer contacted San Jose about several clients living in substandard housing conditions. City officials dragged their feet, allowing the tenants to live in squalor for more than a month — before abruptly kicking them out. San Jose code enforcement officers on Thursday forced 15 to 20 people, including several children, to leave several mobile...