East San Jose residents, who face disproportionately higher rates of poverty compared to other parts of the city, will soon have a center to help them battle evictions. San Jose’s housing department plans to open an eviction help center in East San Jose in the Franklin McKinley School District, which is close to lower-income families...
Los Gatos expands housing advisory board to include residents
As the debate over Los Gatos’ plan to densify housing continues to escalate, the town is asking the public to join the policy-making process. Los Gatos is seeking up to four residents to serve on its housing element advisory board, which will help develop strategies and policies to accommodate new housing required by state law. The...
San Jose mayoral candidate opposes state housing legislation
San Jose Councilmember and mayoral candidate Dev Davis is taking a stance against two controversial state housing bills. “Adding density in an area of the city where infrastructure improvements are not made is a recipe for disaster,” Davis wrote in a memo. “These bills could dramatically affect our neighborhoods and our ability to deliver critical...
In San Jose, homeless camp services vary by location
Dumpsters that allow homeless people to keep their camps clean make a world of a difference. But getting that and other utilities can be challenging depending on where an encampment is located. Last week, San José Spotlight reported on a South San Jose homeless encampment that lacks dumpsters, hand washing stations and port-a-potties, leaving unhoused residents without a...
Illegal labor practices alleged at costly San Jose wastewater plant
San Jose is pouring more money into upgrades for a costly wastewater treatment plant, even as evidence emerges that the construction company overseeing the project employed unlicensed and uninsured contractors. In April, the City Council approved $14 million to cover new construction costs for an upgrade to the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility, the largest plant...
UPDATE: San Jose still shy of building 25K housing units by 2023
There are some “bright spots” in San Jose’s housing crisis plan, but officials say more needs to be done to reach the city’s ambitious goals to prioritize affordable housing. “The affordable housing pipeline had its best year in 2020 out of the years tracked,” reads a city memo. Despite that outlook, completed units fall far...
Bay Area mayors, advocates urge Congress to invest in housing
Local lawmakers and housing advocates are calling on Congress to invest in more housing to help end homelessness and housing insecurity in the Bay Area. A coalition of more than 20 city officials, nonprofits and philanthropy organizations sent a letter to the region’s congressional delegation Tuesday. It urges federal lawmakers to address the ongoing housing shortage...
Fake San Jose police notice highlights homeless camp tension
A fake police notice distributed at a homeless encampment in South San Jose has amped up tensions between unhoused individuals and nearby homeowners. Notices appeared late Saturday night and indicated the San Jose Police Department would conduct a clean-up in the area the following morning. The letters warned residents to take their things and leave....
Segregation in Santa Clara County: how experts define redlining
It’s tough to talk about housing in Santa Clara County without looking at the region’s history of redlining, a tool that once contributed to racial segregation and discrimination across the U.S. for decades. The term appears in conversations on topics ranging from political representation and community governance to historic districts and land use policy. A recent...
San Jose lawmaker rejects Opportunity Housing, touts smart growth
Supporters of a controversial plan to build denser housing throughout San Jose say it will help the city meet its affordable housing goals. But one councilmember says there’s a better solution: holding the city accountable for a housing plan it already has to implement. Councilmember Matt Mahan, who represents South San Jose, spoke at a news conference...