San Jose officials want to save the historically significant residence once home to a Japanese community leader, farmer and survivor of World War II internment camps in California. Preservationists pledged last week to save the North San Jose farmhouse once owned by Eiichi “Ed” Sakauye after the San Jose City Council approved 1,472 apartments and townhomes on 23...
Sunnyvale replaces homeless outreach provider
Sunnyvale will have a new outreach team assisting its homeless residents after scrutinizing the city’s previous provider. The Sunnyvale City Council unanimously approved a more than $900,000 one year contract with homeless service provider WeHOPE earlier this month. The contract begins Sept. 1 and includes a five person outreach team and the organization’s Dignity on...
Campbell unsure about affordable housing policy change
Campbell officials are hesitant about a policy change that could increase affordable housing in a city advocates say has been at the forefront of housing solutions. The Campbell Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously recommended the city refrain from expanding its inclusionary housing policy, which would require smaller projects to convert at least 15% of homes into affordable housing or...
Santa Clara County officials want to toughen eviction protections
Santa Clara County landlords are dodging a decades-old law that requires they pay to relocate evicted tenants. To combat that, county leaders could give unincorporated neighborhoods stronger eviction protections than surrounding cities. The Board of Supervisors next month will discuss expanding their 1993 tenant relocation assistance policy which covers renters in unincorporated areas. The changes...
San Jose sees safe sleeping sites as option for homeless residents
As San Jose develops plans for sanctioned homeless encampments, Mayor Matt Mahan traveled to San Diego to see what he could glean. San Diego, at the forefront of safe sleeping sites for unhoused people in California, has two sanctioned locations that support a total of 533 insulated tents. The locations provide on-site case management and resource referrals, restrooms,...
Land trust wants to keep East San Jose apartments affordable
At a time when rising rents are forcing people out of their homes, one Santa Clara County nonprofit is offering an alternative solution to keep tenants from being displaced. The South Bay Community Land Trust is looking to acquire three apartment buildings on Virginia Avenue in East San Jose to keep rent affordable — by taking...
San Jose ADU law brings back starter homes
With San Jose recently becoming the first California city to allow the sale of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) as condos, affordable housing advocates say it increases the supply of living spaces for residents once priced out. The state long restricted the sale of ADUs, also known as granny flats and backyard homes, as separate residences...
UPDATE: Bay Area $20B housing bond stripped from November ballot
A $20 billion regional housing bond that promised tens of thousands of affordable homes won’t go before voters in November. Previously known as Regional Measure 4, the bond was originally proposed and authorized by the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority (BAHFA) and sought to fund up to 90,000 affordable homes across nine Bay Area counties....
Los Gatos hardware store could stay as part of development
Bright red flyers rallying neighbors against a proposed housing development with seven stories of homes hang from a development sign in Los Gatos, where a beloved hardware store sits. Rumors have been swirling the store will be razed and the “quaint town” will be damaged — but that might not be true. The Arya, a...
San Jose homeless advocates protest Newsom’s state order
As Gov. Gavin Newsom pushes for local governments to take swift action to clear homeless camps, local housing advocates are standing together against policies they say criminalize being unhoused. Members of Helping Hands Silicon Valley, Unhoused Response Group, CHAM Deliverance Ministry and NAACP San Jose/Silicon Valley gathered Friday at a former encampment, once known as...