San Jose and Santa Clara County are preparing to decide how to spend more than $117 million in federal rent subsidies. That’s probably not enough to cover everything tenants owe their landlords since the beginning of the pandemic. And it hasn’t been decided exactly who will be allowed to collect their fair share of the...
Homeless families get keys to new tiny houses in Santa Clara County
For most, a 100-square-foot room would be barely enough space for a closet or a knick-knack storage room. For others, it now means getting off the street. “My daughters are very excited to have their own tiny home and are grateful to be here,” said Arely in Spanish through a translator. She did not want...
Survey finds opposition to high-density zoning in San Jose but critics say poll is flawed
Roughly half of San Jose residents surveyed in a new poll oppose an initiative to boost the number of homes allowed in single-family neighborhoods. According to initial survey results, 48% of San Jose residents are opposed to Opportunity Housing, while 24% of residents support the initiative. Roughly a quarter of residents polled said they need...
San Jose lawmaker proposes revolutionary social housing policy
Housing advocates say an ambitious bill brought to the table this week in the state Legislature seeking to establish “social housing” is the right approach to California’s crisis, but it faces plenty of obstacles, too. Assemblymember Alex Lee, whose district includes part of San Jose, on Tuesday introduced a bill asking the state to begin...
San Jose could face a lawsuit over its rent freeze
San Jose’s recent ban on rent increases could possibly land the city in court. Douglas Dennington — a land-use attorney with Rutan & Tucker LLP, representing landlords across San Jose — submitted a letter to city leaders Feb. 1 stating that landlords adamantly oppose the rent freeze and warning the city may “wish to limit...
San Jose approves rent freeze for apartments, mobile homes through June
Apartment-dwellers and mobile home residents struggling to pay rent in San Jose because of the pandemic are getting some relief. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Feb. 2 to immediately halt rent increases for residents living in rent-controlled mobile homes and apartments through June 30. Neither the state nor Santa Clara County have taken...
‘Do something!’ — San Jose business owners say they are fed up with homeless
They’ve reported gun violence, had cars stolen and watched in outrage for months as trash piles up and homeless encampments grow around them. Business and property owners in downtown San Jose are demanding the city take action to end vandalism, theft and increasing illegal camping they say is destroying their livelihood. And they are not...
Collins: How COVID-19 has influenced South Bay real estate trends
COVID-19 has affected our everyday life in almost every aspect. Homebuying is no exception. The pandemic did not necessarily create new trends but rather accelerated them. Prior to COVID-19, online shopping already had been on a considerable upward swing. The pandemic just boosted it. The same can be said about remote working or working from...
Tenants mount courthouse protest to end evictions in Santa Clara County
Dozens of tenants and their advocates blocked the entrance to the Santa Clara County Superior Court in downtown San Jose this morning to protest ongoing evictions during the pandemic. Nine protesters were arrested after sheriff’s deputies declared the demonstration unlawful. The demonstrators successfully shut down the courts in the morning but judges resumed hearing cases...
South Bay tenants, landlords anxious as evictions loom, debt piles up
Silicon Valley residents who have struggled to pay rent during the pandemic are up against a wall, hoping Sacramento lawmakers will extend an eviction ban for those hit with financial hardship. At the same time, South Bay landlords waiting on months of overdue payments are looking to state and local governments to quickly distribute $2.6...