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...
‘Forgotten heroes’: The plight of Silicon Valley homeless shelter workers
Employees who work at Silicon Valley’s homeless shelters are putting themselves on the frontlines of the pandemic to protect the county’s most vulnerable residents, even as many live on the margins themselves. Two homeless service providers in Santa Clara County told San José Spotlight that, between them, six of their hundreds of shelter workers have...
San Jose home sales slip in April amid coronavirus restrictions
Real estate agents are optimistic for a rebound now that they are again able to show homes to potential buyers, but long-range forecast remains uncertain
Controversial Vallco project can continue under SB 35, judge rules
Cupertino’s controversial Vallco Shopping Mall redevelopment is set to move forward after a Santa Clara County Superior Court judge on Wednesday ruled against a group of residents opposing the project. Judge Helen Williams instead ruled in favor of the city of Cupertino, which approved Palo Alto-based developer Sand Hill Property Co.’s Vallco Town Center development...