The story of a highly-popular food pantry facing closure appears to have a happy ending. After facing closure for having to pay San Jose up to $15,500 for a special use permit, the organization has raised enough funding overnight to remain open. The Lighthouse Ministries Food Pantry, which serves thousands of families, seniors, disabled and...
Fire damages ‘nightmare’ house in downtown San Jose
A landlord accused of abusing city housing policies to enrich herself is now facing allegations of neglect from tenants at a building gutted by a fire last week. The fire that broke out on Jan. 9 consumed part of a blue Victorian house at 139 N. Sixth St., just a couple blocks from San Jose City...
UPDATE: Developer drops proposal for 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard
A controversial plan for a 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard in San Jose will not move forward after strong opposition from nearby residents. On Tuesday, councilmembers unanimously approved rezoning a 0.69-acre parcel at 1212 S. Winchester Blvd. from residential to commercial development, but rejected a plan to build a 119-room hotel on the plot. The...
Santa Clara County looks for volunteers to tally unhoused population
After canceling the homeless count in 2021, Santa Clara County is looking for volunteers to help gather census data next month. The biennial count is critical for understanding the homelessness crisis and identifying the needs of people on the streets. The county opted to defer the 2021 count due to COVID-19. Advocates said the lack of information has...
Santa Clara County housing bond on track despite roadblocks, civil grand jury says
A Civil Grand Jury says Santa Clara County’s $950 million housing bond is working as promised, giving it an “A” rating in a recent report—despite the small number of low-income homes built since its approval. Measure A, passed by 68% of voters in 2016, will provide funding to build 4,800 affordable homes across the county over approximately a...
San Jose homeless shelter sees COVID outbreak as omicron spreads
A COVID-19 outbreak has made its way to the Julian Street Inn housing site in downtown San Jose. This week, seven out of the 54 residents who live at the congregate shelter for homeless residents tested positive for COVID-19. This comes as positive infections are climbing in Santa Clara County as the omicron variant spreads....
Santa Clara County opens temporary shelter as cold weather persists
With more freezing temperatures and potential rain on the horizon, Santa Clara County has set up an overnight warming shelter for unhoused people in downtown San Jose. A new shelter opened Thursday night at the California Army National Guard building, located at 251 W. Hedding St. in San Jose. Shaunn Cartwright, a homeless advocate and...
Major Silicon Valley developments to watch in 2022
The pandemic couldn’t stop the steady march of development in San Jose in 2021. Tech campuses, high-rise towers and affordable housing are all in the works for next year and beyond. Here are a few of the biggest projects to watch in 2022: Google’s downtown dream Earlier this year, San Jose lawmakers approved Google’s plan to...
Advocates rally to use Santa Clara County Fairgrounds to tackle homelessness
A coalition of advocates is pushing for Santa Clara County to open up 157 acres of public land on Tully Road to provide safe parking, encampments and services to those without a home amid an exploding homelessness crisis. The Santa Clara County Fairgrounds has been underutilized for years, as county officials attempted to revitalize it...
Labor group demands more records in lawsuit against San Jose
A labor organization suing San Jose for public records has expanded its suit. It wants to determine if the city singled out a compliance director for trying to get information about a public works project. The South Bay Piping Industry Labor Management Trust filed an amended lawsuit last week in Santa Clara County Superior Court. The original suit...