A homeless housing project praised by state and local leaders during the pandemic is the site of wage theft and hazardous conditions, according to interviews and documents obtained by San José Spotlight. “This was by far the worst I’ve ever seen in regards to violations from A to Z,” said Mauricio Velarde, director of compliance...
San Jose fact-check: Opportunity Housing and single-family homes
Planning Commissioner Pierluigi Oliverio is talking a lot about San Jose’s proposal to densify its single-family neighborhoods, but some residents say he isn’t educating the public as much as spreading misinformation. Faced with a housing crisis, San Jose leaders are devising a plan to allow more density in signature suburban neighborhoods. So-called Opportunity Housing allows...
Seniors empty San Jose mobile home park after years of debate
Six years after a developer revealed plans to replace a San Jose mobile home park that housed seniors with luxury condos, some residents found themselves surprised they don’t qualify for the replacement housing that was promised. While most residents seem to be happy with the agreement that allowed owners of the mobile homes in the park to either...
San Jose school district denies improper lobbying charges
Officials with San Jose’s biggest school district denied charges they improperly hired lobbying firms to push a teacher housing proposal—saying that at least one of the firms never lobbied for them at all, despite meeting with officials who would approve the plans. The allegations stem from a Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report released...
Santa Clara County should adopt technology to help homeless, audit says
Across the country groups that work with unhoused populations have ditched paper records for new technologies, but not in Silicon Valley. According to a report released last month by State Auditor Elaine Howle, the coalition of groups that work with homeless residents in Santa Clara County rely on outdated methods to track the people they...
Tiny home inspires San Jose mom to support fellow homeless people
Cindy Trinh keeps a busy schedule: The first two times San José Spotlight reached out to her, she said she couldn’t talk—she was driving to an encampment to hand out food to the homeless. One of her three children could be heard crying in the background. “Being a single mom with three kids is very...
Where should San Jose build affordable housing?
Most San Jose residents support affordable housing—but there’s less agreement on where to put it. Almost every precinct in the city backed Measure A in 2016, allowing Santa Clara County to borrow $950 million by issuing bonds to fund affordable housing. But when it comes to the details, even advocates disagree—should affordable housing be built in...
San Jose leaders to give housing developers a break on park fees
Desperate to see more housing built in San Jose, lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday to give developers a break on fees at the expense of local parks. Housing developers are required to either add parks and community centers into their project plans or pay a fee to the city that will go toward supporting parks in...
San Jose tenants and landlords in limbo as rent relief is delayed
San Jose and Santa Clara County will rely on a coalition of grassroots charity organizations led by Destination: Home and Sacred Heart Community Service to disburse $57 million in federal rent relief to landlords and tenants suffering the financial consequences of COVID-19 in Silicon Valley. But not one penny can move until the U.S. Treasury...
Some San Jose leaders ready to discuss sanctioned encampments
With homelessness on the rise, some city leaders in San Jose say it’s time to explore new ways to support those living on the streets. In a recent newsletter to his District 10 constituents, Councilmember Matt Mahan announced plans to develop a comprehensive homeless encampment management strategy. “We’ve gone far too long without actively managing...