Proposition 15, one of the most highly-contested issues on the ballot, has given hope to those who believe it will eventually lead to changes in how residential property taxed. The measure, if approved, would require commercial and industrial properties to be taxed based on their market value rather than the price at which they were purchased....
Santa Clara County makes it easier to building housing for agricultural workers
Citing a severe shortage of housing for farmworkers, Santa Clara County has paved the way to build more units by relaxing zoning and streamlining the permitting process. There are about 400,000 to 800,000 migrant farmworkers living and working in California. But while some counties have an idea of how many workers live in and travel...
At new San Jose shelter, Newsom announces $200 million more for homeless housing
Governor Gavin Newsom announced $200 million in additional funding for Project Homekey, a program to house the homeless, and joined Mayor Sam Liccardo Oct. 23 on Bernal Road in San Jose to celebrate the opening of one of three new emergency interim housing centers. Homekey funding has made it possible for California cities to build...
Neighbors, planners at odds over future of Diridon Station, Google development
Neighborhood leaders argue San Jose planners continue to portray them unfairly as “anti-housing and anti-development” amid Diridon area redevelopment talks, ramping up the potential for conflict with developers down the line. All they want, say members of the Diridon Area Neighborhood Group (DANG), is for the city to pursue smart development and community engagement on...
Agrihood’s urban farm housing project poised for spring groundbreaking in Santa Clara
With the final funding in place, Agrihood’s urban farm housing project in Santa Clara can move forward after years of planning. Receiving a state grant of $50 million in tax-exempt bonds from the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee on Sept. 16 put the project on track for a March or April groundbreaking, officials said. Occupancy...
Google unveils portrait of massive downtown San Jose campus
San Jose revealed scads of new details about Google’s plans to build a sprawling downtown campus with 7.3 million square feet of office space and 4,000 housing units spread out over more than 80 acres with improvements to public amenities, including 10 parks and the trails that will eventually connect them all. San Jose Downtown...
Santa Clara County sets affordable housing requirement on new developments
Housing developers who want to build in unincorporated parts of Santa Clara County next year will, for the first time, have to set aside units for low-income residents or pay an in-lieu fee. The Board of Supervisors on Oct. 6 approved the requirement that low-income housing make up 16 percent of new developments containing three...
Partner in downtown San Jose development alleges racketeering
A federal court in San Jose is expected soon to rule on a lawsuit in which a member of a local real estate consortium has charged some of his former partners with racketeering involving a downtown parcel near the proposed Google Transit Village. The case centers around an approximately 1.2-acre site at 777 West San...
UPDATE: San Jose council OKs anti-displacement plan to protect renters, landlords
Amid a housing crisis exacerbated by COVID-19, San Jose leaders approved a 10-part plan to provide rent relief and give nonprofits first dibs on property that goes on the market. The anti-displacement plan was approved Sept. 23 past the 12 a.m. curfew in a 10-1 vote. Councilmember Johnny Khamis cast the lone dissenting vote. Displacement...
Measure A housing not moving fast enough, oversight committee says
Asserting housing isn’t getting built fast enough with funds raised by the Measure A housing bond, an independent oversight committee is urging Santa Clara County to find ways to speed things up. The Measure A bond, passed in 2016, so far has generated $421 million for new projects. In March, the county allocated $137 million...