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Homeless residents living inside trailers at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo set up for those with COVID-19 or at risk of contracting the deadly virus were evicted after three weeks when the trailer park was suddenly shut down on Monday. The residents were moved into hotels instead. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve...
Watch: A live chat with current and formerly homeless ‘In Your Backyard’ columnists
Six months after our first ‘In Your Backyard’ column was published, the country and San Jose are in turmoil. As the pandemic and homelessness crises converge, it has become clear a lot more people are a lot more vulnerable than we thought. The columns we published from people who have faced homelessness and prevailed have...
Housing Trust Silicon Valley CEO to lead United Way Bay Area
The United Way Bay Area officially has a new CEO, but the group’s new leader will be a familiar face for Silicon Valley housing, philanthropy and business insiders. Kevin Zwick, currently the CEO for the Housing Trust Silicon Valley, will oversee the United Way Bay Area starting July 6. The move will mark the end...
In pricey Silicon Valley, homebuyer perceptions — not prices — have changed
Silicon Valley’s notoriously expensive residential real estate sales may have seen a slump in March and April during the region’s restrictive shelter-in-place orders, but industry insiders say it’s still a seller’s market. The major change in the market during the pandemic has been perception by those hoping the novel coronavirus has helped to plunge sky-high...
Affordable housing: San Jose fee deadline may get pushed amid coronavirus
San Jose has been transitioning the way housing developers contribute to affordable units for years, but the coronavirus may stretch the process out even longer. The South Bay city has been working to move from a fee-based system to one that promotes actually building low-income units whenever possible and often comes with higher fees for...
CityView Plaza project gets key San Jose approval as some work to save a piece of history
Massive plans to redevelop CityView Plaza in downtown San Jose are a step closer to reality. The San Jose Planning Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to send Jay Paul Co.’s 3.8 million-square-foot office development proposal to the City Council with a recommendation to approve the project, which would rise on about 8.1 acres in the...
San Jose Diridon Station plan forges ahead as planners adapt to COVID-19
Developments across the region may be slowed due to the novel coronavirus, but some of the biggest land use plans in the South Bay are still inching forward, including San Jose’s Diridon Station Area Plan and Google’s Downtown West project. The two plans were originally set to get a final vote before the end of...
Advocates urge Santa Clara County to forgive rent as end of eviction moratorium looms
South Bay resident Chris Rios worries he’ll soon become homeless. His tutoring income dropped by half because of the novel coronavirus. His parents’ pay plummeted, too. They’re still waiting for federal checks intended to support those impacted by the virus. While waiting, they’ve fallen nearly $4,000 behind on rent for their three-bedroom Milpitas apartment. Santa...
South Bay homeless residents feel the pain of VTA’s service cuts
Since the coronavirus pandemic first swept across Santa Clara County, the region’s top transit agency — the Valley Transportation Authority — has made massive cuts to its bus and light rail service as transit ridership has plummeted. But for many who don’t have cars and primarily rely on public transit to get around, adjusting to...
UPDATE: San Jose OKs trailers for homeless residents amid COVID-19
Already facing a severe housing shortage, San Jose leaders worry the newest crisis plaguing the region — the coronavirus pandemic — will spread among its homeless community, one of the city’s most vulnerable populations. With more than 6,000 unhoused residents in the city, lawmakers are ramping up their efforts to contain the virus. As part...