Santa Clara County is using its latest round of federal funding for homelessness to rapidly house people in apartments. The county received nearly $600,000 from the Emergency Solutions Grants Program, which can be used to fund shelter operations, outreach, homelessness prevention or rapid rehousing. Over the past five years, the county has received $2.5 million in these...
Palo Alto doubles down to meet climate goals
Palo Alto plans to electrify more homes, buildings and cars, as well as expand communications to the community, as part of an effort to meet its ambitious environmental goals, according to a new plan. One of the primary goals of the plan, known as Sustainability/Climate Action Plan, is to achieve an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas...
Santa Clara County buys site of future health clinic
Don’t lease — buy. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors adopted that maxim with a unanimous vote Tuesday, opting to purchase the property where the county’s new 10-story Valley Health Center campus is set to open this year on Bascom Avenue in San Jose. The health center will expand California’s second largest public hospital system with...
Wildlife corridors planned in South County’s Coyote Valley
A land preservation nonprofit and a public transit agency in Santa Clara County are creating wildlife crossings to protect animals and motorists along Coyote Valley’s busiest corridor. In response to wildlife-vehicle collisions, Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), in partnership with VTA, is constructing underpasses for animals at key points along Highway 101, Monterey Road and...
West San Jose to get Costco after judge tosses lawsuit
A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge has tossed a lawsuit seeking to block plans to bring a new Costco to a West San Jose shopping center. The decision clears the way for the hotly contested development project to move forward. The suit, backed by a resident group known as West Valley Citizens for Responsible...
San Jose bans ICE from using its properties
San Jose will prohibit federal immigration activity at dozens of city properties and vacant lots. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using 11 city garages and parking lots, as well as the parking areas of 75 community centers and libraries as staging areas...
Santa Clara County fights Trump in court
Santa Clara County has taken a stand against President Donald Trump in court over the last year, challenging efforts to end birthright citizenship, disrupt federal funding for not complying with Trump’s agenda and more. The county sued the federal administration nine times in 2025 — and has won favorable rulings in five cases. During Trump’s first...
Cupertino not meeting its housing goals
Cupertino is falling short in its state-mandated housing goals as developers roll out projects with fewer homes than expected. The upshot is Cupertino will have to add more high-density projects — a move not likely to be popular in a community that frequently resists multifamily housing. Like many California cities, Cupertino is caught between state...
Santa Clara County prioritizes children amid budget issues
Santa Clara County is working to provide safety net programs to children and their families despite budget issues stemming from federal funding cuts. The county’s children’s budget for fiscal year 2025-26 includes $1.3 billion to support the welfare of children and youth, up 2.8% from the previous fiscal year. The budget is targeted at foster care...
Former Palo Alto fire chief sues city
Just two months after he was honored by Palo Alto’s elected leaders for nearly three decades of service, retired Fire Chief Geoffrey Blackshire has filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming the city illegally withheld wages for him for more than five years. The legal dispute revolves around a 3% wage premium Blackshire said he...