One of the first 100% affordable housing developments in Cupertino poised to serve some of the community’s most vulnerable residents is drawing backlash from the surrounding neighborhood. A local grassroots effort with more than 450 online signatures wants to stop a 40-home affordable development along Mary Avenue. The project proposes a first-of-its-kind housing mix of 19...
Santa Clara development offers hundreds of apartments
A long-awaited Santa Clara housing development is already welcoming hundreds of residents, and the developers are just getting started. Holland Partner Group, in collaboration with developer Hunter Storm and architect firm MVE + Partners, has completed 725 homes as part of the first phase of the Gateway Crossings project off Coleman Avenue. The two finished...
State bill could put Silicon Valley homeless shelters under scrutiny
A new state bill could bring more accountability to homeless shelters in Santa Clara County. Assembly Bill 750 aims to provide more oversight of homeless shelters across the state by requiring local governments to inspect facilities and produce yearly reports on their conditions. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, could also see California withhold funding...
San Jose homeless residents shuffled around after being swept
Dozens of people living in RVs are scrambling to find another location after San Jose cleared out Columbus Park. Last month, the city started sweeping Columbus Park where roughly 370 people lived in tents, vehicles and makeshift shelters. By Sept. 15, the park had been completely cleared and the city installed fences to prevent re-encampment....
Santa Clara County finds way to fight builder’s remedy
Developers are attempting to use a legal escape hatch to push new housing into South County open space. But county leaders have found a loophole of their own. The Santa Clara County Planning Commission on Thursday voted 5-2 against appeals for two different projects under the same developer. To push the projects through, the developer has...
East San Jose community development nets multimillion-dollar grant
Millions of dollars will turn a mostly vacant East San Jose building into a cultural gem. Local advocates describe it as a vital investment to support neighborhoods where some of the city’s most vulnerable residents live. The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza recently received $6 million from the Knight Foundation, a historic...
Silicon Valley officials target mental health efforts at homeless shelters
Two local elected leaders are teaming up on a plan to bring behavioral health workers directly to homeless residents living in shelters. District 2 Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong unveiled her proposal alongside San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Friday. The plan calls for adding another team of workers from the county Valley Homeless...
More Santa Clara County residents report first-time homelessness
More Santa Clara County residents are falling into homelessness for the first time as the cost of living rises. There are a record 10,711 homeless people living in the county this year, according to a count conducted in January. The county surveyed 1,534 homeless people during that time and 58% reported being newly homeless, according...
Silicon Valley community college district buys workforce housing
Dozens of Santa Clara County professors and administrative staff will be some of the first to move into affordable apartments reserved for community college employees, thanks to one school district’s unique housing approach. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District board unanimously approved a roughly $54.5 million purchase of 50 affordable apartments for staff earlier this month. The...
San Jose river trail use up after homeless sweeps
More San Jose residents are utilizing a local recreational trail following a city ban on homeless camps in the area. That’s according to city data and environmental advocates, who also say more wildlife is returning since no encampment zones took effect last year. San Jose has worked to clear homeless people living near rivers and...