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...
UPDATE: San Jose approves extending eviction ban to protect renters
San Jose leaders aren’t waiting for California to make a move this week to protect renters and acted quickly Tuesday to halt local evictions during the COVID-19 crisis. Since the state’s eviction ban is set to expire Jan. 31, the San Jose City Council voted unanimously to enact an eviction ban until March. In the...
San Jose man with heart failure, diabetes, HIV denied room under state COVID-19 program
Anthony Domondon has congestive heart failure, diabetes and HIV – but that wasn’t enough for a hotel room under the state’s program for COVID-19 vulnerable homeless people. “Basically they want me in a body bag before they give me a hotel room,” Domondon told San José Spotlight. Sitting on a curb outside a now-closed Office...
San Jose cuts water in park with large homeless population, blames needles
A San Jose park that’s home to nearly 200 homeless residents was suddenly left without water — and city leaders initially suggested needles were to blame for clogging the drain. The water has since been restored by reopening one of the park’s two restrooms. It’s a critical need, advocates say, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic....
Bay Area living out of reach for some VTA transit workers who sleep in their cars
After a long day of driving a transit bus all over Silicon Valley, Bernard Glinton curls up for a night of rest — in his SUV. The longtime bus driver has slept in his SUV for the last two years to save costs and give himself some much-needed rest. “There’s tons of people who are commuting because...
UPDATE: San Jose expands services for homeless amid COVID-19
Faced with an uptick in homeless deaths amid the pandemic, city leaders expanded shelter services for San Jose’s unhoused residents. The San Jose City Council on Jan. 12 unanimously adopted a $11.3 million expenditure plan for its Homeless, Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program, which provides homeless outreach and shelter services citywide. The budget approval allows the city...
How much do you need to earn to buy a home in San Jose? More than $240K a year
The housing market in Silicon Valley is notoriously expensive. But a new report from HSH.com shows just how much a resident needs to earn in San Jose to pay for a home. According to the study, to afford the principal, interest, taxes and insurance payments on a median-priced home, a buyer in San Jose must...
Noni Ramos ready to embrace challenging times ahead as new Housing Trust CEO
Noni Ramos has some pretty big shoes to fill — and that may be the least of the challenges facing her. Ramos is the new CEO of Housing Trust Silicon Valley. She replaces longtime head Kevin Zwick, who helped the organization grow tenfold from a shoestring operation to a major player in providing affordable housing in...
Death of San Jose man spurs questions about homeless shelter capacity
On a cold and rain-soaked December night, Ruben Eldridge Hill slept beneath the entrance of an empty office building in downtown San Jose. And by 11:40 a.m. the next morning, the 55-year-old man, who’d lived on the streets for years, was dead. No one knows yet what caused Hill’s death. But many agree that his...
Collins: How does the 2021 housing market look?
Nine months ago when our world was turned upside down with a countywide stay-at-home order, none of us could have predicted the robust housing market we have been experiencing. Many of us were assuming similar outcomes as we experienced during the last great recession, but plummeting prices and mass foreclosures never materialized. In fact, sale...