San Jose officials and homeless advocates celebrated Wednesday as the city broke ground on a new temporary housing project in a San Jose Police Department parking lot. The City Council unanimously approved the prefabricated housing project last October. Officials hope residents will be able to move in by the fall. “It’s not a secret to anyone that...
UPDATE: Santa Clara County supervisors approve millions for affordable housing
Several affordable housing projects are coming to Santa Clara County as officials race to build more homes to address growing homelessness. The Board of Supervisors approved $75.5 million on Tuesday to build six new affordable housing projects—four in San Jose, one in Mountain View and one in Sunnyvale—adding 758 apartments to the South Bay’s housing...
San Jose approves park plan to keep homeless out of flight path
San Jose is moving forward with plans to convert a 40-acre homeless encampment at the Guadalupe River Park in downtown into a recreational site. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, councilmembers unanimously approved plans to build a prototype park, Guadalupe Gardens, to help prevent homeless camps from popping up again and comply with Federal Aviation Administration...
Santa Clara County COVID spike, rent evictions equal double whammy
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...
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...