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Weeks after San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced a program to pay homeless people cash to pick up garbage around the city, people in the program say trash was left piling up and they weren’t paid for weeks — until San José Spotlight asked about it. On Dec. 19, a day after an inquiry from...
Tombstones honor 196 homeless people who died in Silicon Valley
Row after row of makeshift tombstones filled a plaza outside a county building in San Jose, each with the name of a homeless person who died on the streets of Silicon Valley this past year. “If we don’t do this, then people just don’t recognize the enormity of the problem and how many people are...
Rent prices fall 7.7% in San Jose, but mostly from a drop in demand for luxury rentals
Apartment rent prices in San Jose are falling, but that might not do a whole lot to help renters struggling to make ends meet in the pandemic-slammed local economy. The average rent in 2020 was $2,531 a month, according to a new report from apartment finder service RentCafé. That was down 7.7% from last year, one...
Airport panel rejects San Jose’s Diridon, Google project plans
A critical airport commission unanimously voted against San Jose’s Diridon plan and Google’s downtown megacampus, taking issue with proposed building heights that would disrupt the city’s international airport. Santa Clara County Airport Land Use Commissioner Glenn Hendricks admonished San Jose for failing to answer commissioner’s questions. “I’m extremely disappointed in the city of San Jose...
Facebook, Destination: Home partner on new fund for extremely low-income housing
An affordable housing complex with 123 units in downtown San Jose is one of the first projects to be funded by a new Community Housing Fund announced Wednesday morning. The fund was launched using $150 million of a $1 billion commitment from Facebook to affordable housing, in addition to $5 million from local nonprofit Destination:...
San Jose clears homeless camp despite concerns over COVID-19
San Jose started dismantling a homeless encampment this week to make way for an upcoming trail renovation, flouting health recommendations and stoking fears the action will lead to the spread of COVID-19. While placing people in housing is the best option, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends allowing people in encampments to stay...
San Jose to hold community meeting on Diridon Station development
A study session by the San Jose Planning Commission on the Diridon Station Area Plan this week offered a peek into tonight’s much anticipated public discussion about the high-profile development. Commissioners held a study session Dec. 2 to discuss San Jose’s development plan for the 250-acre area, including Google’s proposed 80-acre campus project. Planning Division...
Housing program for South Bay veterans marks milestone
During the past five years, Destination: Home and its partners have housed 1,940 homeless veterans, making strides towards eliminating veteran homelessness in Santa Clara County. By partnering with San Jose, Santa Clara County and nonprofit organizations, Destination: Home said it reached a milestone this year: for the first time, it housed more veterans — 341...
Does San Jose’s residential building slowdown signal a recession?
San Jose has issued far fewer residential building permits this year — and it could signal a severe economic downturn. “It looks like a slowdown is coming,” said Will Smith, business agent for the IBEW 332 electricians union. “We’re potentially heading into a recession.” Smith’s observation is backed up by the latest numbers released by...
San Jose looks at ways to increase housing for middle-income workers
Middle-income wage earners, such as firefighters and teachers who often are left out San Jose’s housing equation, are the focus of a new effort being discussed at City Hall. Councilmember Johnny Khamis said the city becoming a member of the California Community Housing Agency (CalCHA), which issues government purpose bonds to finance affordable housing, might...