A piece of Alviso history just went up in flames—and some locals wonder if the blaze could’ve been prevented. The historic H.G. Wade Warehouse in Alviso was destroyed after a fire broke out in late June. For residents struggling to preserve the spirit of a neighborhood that predates the Civil War, the loss of one of their...
Cost of lumber leads Silicon Valley builders to embrace new tech
The cost of lumber skyrocketed during the pandemic, but local builders say things are looking up. “It’s still above (the) norm, but it’s coming back down,” said Russell White, general manager of Lendlease America’s design-build division. “We expect the volatility to come back within normal constraints.” The price of lumber is $756 per thousand board...
San Jose backs off plan to evict homeless residents
A flyer threatening to criminally prosecute nearly 200 homeless people living in Columbus Park sent many longtime residents scrambling—but the city says it was all a misunderstanding. Living in the crash zone of an airport flight path has its downsides, like constant threat of eviction—but the unhoused residents of the 40-acre plot of land in San Jose say the...
San Jose to decide where to prioritize affordable housing
As San Jose prepares to consider new framework for where to build affordable housing, questions remain about how to increase opportunities for low-income residents and people of color. “Certain residents aren’t afforded the opportunity to live in higher-resource areas,” said Huascar Castro, associate director of housing and transportation policy at Working Partnerships USA. “The intent of the...
Poll shows majority of San Jose residents support Opportunity Housing
Building higher and denser in San Jose has divided residents, affordable housing advocates and single-family homeowners. But a new poll shows a majority of residents support adding more housing units to suburban neighborhoods. A new poll released by affordable housing advocacy group Silicon Valley at Home finds that 56% of residents support changing zoning laws...
San Jose delays evictions by two months
San Jose tenants won’t be pushed off an eviction cliff this summer, but they’re still uncomfortably close to the edge. The City Council on Tuesday unanimously agreed to extend the local eviction moratorium that was set to expire June 30 through Aug. 31, ensuring two more months of protection for tenants who have fallen behind...
Real estate audit reveals holes in San Jose’s property management
San Jose owns more than 1,250 properties including City Hall, parks and revenue generators like the San Jose International Airport. But there’s no consolidated inventory which makes management and maintenance difficult, a recent city audit revealed. Whenever a question about a city-owned property comes up, officials have to do extensive research across departments and use...
New poll finds South Bay residents rank housing as top concern
Without her grandma’s house to fall back on, San Jose resident Gem Schou and her parents would be forced to move out of Santa Clara County or move from house to house, renting. Schou, a 19-year-old cashier, believes the housing shortage in Santa Clara County is a crisis. When she moves out of her grandma’s...
Developments ramp up in downtown San Jose opportunity zone
High-rise developments are flowing through the construction pipeline in downtown San Jose, fueled by investor money and tax incentives—and it’s going to be that way for the next few years. The spur in development is due to opportunity zones, economically challenged areas where investors can receive federal tax breaks for putting money toward revitalization. While the pandemic...
Could housing vouchers help Santa Clara County homeless?
Washington, D.C.—California was front and center during a virtual congressional hearing last week over whether expanding federal housing vouchers could help the growing homelessness crisis. The vouchers are part of a federal program to assist low-income families, elderly and disabled residents with affording housing. “Wages for those below the median income have not kept pace...