Dozens of people living in RVs are scrambling to find another location after San Jose cleared out Columbus Park. Last month, the city started sweeping Columbus Park where roughly 370 people lived in tents, vehicles and makeshift shelters. By Sept. 15, the park had been completely cleared and the city installed fences to prevent re-encampment....
Santa Clara County finds way to fight builder’s remedy
Developers are attempting to use a legal escape hatch to push new housing into South County open space. But county leaders have found a loophole of their own. The Santa Clara County Planning Commission on Thursday voted 5-2 against appeals for two different projects under the same developer. To push the projects through, the developer has...
Meet downtown San Jose’s new City Council team
San Jose’s newest councilman has hired an office staff of fresh faces to restore trust with District 3 residents and bring downtown out of a dark chapter after his predecessor resigned in disgrace. Councilmember Anthony Tordillos has stacked his office with people across a broad range of experience to serve residents seeking help with potholes,...
Mountain View homeless population jumps 56% in last two years
Mountain View’s homeless population spiked 56% over the past two years with the vast majority of unhoused people residing in vehicles, according to a report released by Santa Clara County this week. The number of homeless individuals in Mountain View jumped from 562 in 2023 to 879 in 2025. Countywide, the homeless population also increased...
San Jose lawmaker pushes housing bills in Congress
It’s been a busy nine months for Democratic Congressman Sam Liccardo — Silicon Valley’s newest lawmaker in the House of Representatives. The former San Jose mayor turned Congressional District 16 representative has introduced nine bills since taking office in the 119th Congress this year. They range from proposals to protect Medicaid from sweeping federal spending...
Santa Clara will be reimbursed millions for hosting Super Bowl
Santa Clara will get millions of dollars back for Super Bowl costs, thanks to an agreement between the city, a sports nonprofit and the San Francisco 49ers. The Santa Clara Stadium Authority Board — comprised of the City Council — voted 5-2 Tuesday to approve the final 2026 Super Bowl agreement, which includes a roughly...
More Santa Clara County residents report first-time homelessness
More Santa Clara County residents are falling into homelessness for the first time as the cost of living rises. There are a record 10,711 homeless people living in the county this year, according to a count conducted in January. The county surveyed 1,534 homeless people during that time and 58% reported being newly homeless, according...
Here’s how much Santa Clara is spending on city repairs
Santa Clara is slated to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to partially fix the city’s failing infrastructure. The Santa Clara City Council unanimously allocated roughly $100 million for dozens of infrastructure projects Sept. 16 as the first dollars allotted from Measure I, a $400 million bond approved by voters last year. The money will...
Former East San Jose councilmember seeks her old seat
A former state lawmaker with East San Jose roots plans to run for her previous post on the City Council. Former Assemblymember and District 5 Councilmember Nora Campos announced her campaign Tuesday to retake the council seat in next year’s citywide elections. Campos served on the council from 2001 to 2010 — and was succeeded...
San Jose school trustee enters race for California governor
San Jose is putting a hometown contender in the governor’s race. Just don’t expect the city’s political elite — or most people across the state — to recognize him. With the support of several Black community leaders, Mount Pleasant Elementary School District Trustee Derek Grasty declared his candidacy in the 2026 California governor’s race Monday...