As COVID-19 infections spiked across Silicon Valley over the winter, evictions continued to pile up in Santa Clara County Superior Court. The combination is posing challenges for in-person court hearings. There were 234 residential evictions filed in Santa Clara County from December through Jan. 26, as well as 40 commercial evictions. Tenant defense attorneys say the...
New state law yields no housing projects in San Jose—yet
San Jose residents have yet to use a law that lets them build denser developments in single-family neighborhoods—at least for now. On Jan. 1, Senate Bill 9 went into effect across California. The law allows residents to subdivide lots to create up to four housing units per parcel. The San Jose City Council approved implementing the law last...
UPDATE: Food pantry fee waiver heads to San Jose City Council
Some San Jose food pantries could see their fees waived thanks to a proposal making its way to the City Council. The city’s Rules and Open Government Committee voted Wednesday to waive special use permit fees or find funding to cover costs for Lighthouse Ministries and other pandemic-related food pantries. The full City Council will...
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San Jose council considers cutting fees for downtown high-rise
The San Jose City Council is looking at cutting fees for a downtown high-rise, potentially saving the developer more than $4 million. Councilmembers will decide later this month whether to halve two construction taxes and waive the city’s Affordable Housing Impact Fee for The Carlysle—a proposed mixed-use tower at 51 Notre Dame Street. A Tuesday vote to...
Palo Alto offers more help to renters facing eviction
The Palo Alto City Council is expanding relocation assistance to include more renters, but the only long-time renting councilmember could not participate. The council voted 5-1 Monday to pass an emergency ordinance requiring landlords of smaller residential buildings to pay relocation assistance to tenants during evictions. An existing law already requires the owners of buildings...
Resource fair brings warm clothes, services to San Jose homeless
Worrying about the living conditions at one of the largest homeless encampments in the Bay Area, a local nonprofit hosted a resource fair this week to bring jackets, snacks and housing and health services to the neediest near San Jose’s Columbus Park. More than 120 people came strolling down Spring Street Wednesday morning for clothes and services. With...
San Jose lawmakers do an about face on food pantry fees
After a costly city permit threatened a downtown food pantry’s operation, the community stepped up to raise more than $18,000. Now, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo and Councilmember Raul Peralez are asking their council colleagues to step up too. Lighthouse Ministries, located at 309 N. 17th St., fed more than 1,000 people a day, six days a...
Not all Santa Clara County cities see new state housing law the same way
Cities across California are deciding if they are going to welcome or fight a statewide housing bill that could change the makeup of neighborhoods. Senate Bill 9, effective as of Jan. 1, allows property owners to build additional housing on an existing lot which they could then sell. Homeowners on lots larger than 1,200 square feet...
UPDATE: San Jose school district approves Glider Elementary sale to housing developer
The Oak Grove School District board of trustees voted unanimously Thursday to sell the shuttered Glider Elementary School to a housing developer, despite the pleas of numerous residents. The 9.5-acre site at 511 Cozy Drive in South San Jose is being sold to the True Life Companies for $26.6 million. The developer plans to build...
Santa Clara County plans Major League cricket stadium at fairgrounds
Santa Clara County is moving forward with plans to build a cricket stadium at the county fairgrounds. The county and Major League Cricket (MLC) announced an exclusive negotiating agreement Wednesday to move forward with lease negotiations and design approvals for a 15,000-person stadium planned to sit on 14-acres of the fairgrounds. A statement from the...