San Jose’s newest temporary housing site will be a litmus test as to whether using private land to build shelter will be a good model for reducing homelessness. The Via Del Oro tiny home site, which can house up to 150 people and allows pets, opened Thursday. San Francisco-based nonprofit DignityMoves built the homes on...
Santa Clara County housing gets approved, but not built
Cities in Santa Clara County have approved hundreds of new homes, but construction hasn’t kept up, a data analysis by San José Spotlight shows. There’s about 37% more housing being permitted than built, and even less affordable housing, based on a countywide six-year average. Experts say rising costs and scarce resources are delaying construction, and...
San Jose District 3 special election recount begins
San Jose’s political balance rests in the hands of Santa Clara County election workers who are recounting votes in the special race for the District 3 City Council seat. As political strategists and observers looked on, election workers across six tables meticulously sorted and verified ballots at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office...
Ex-Santa Clara official appeals guilty verdict
Lawyers representing former Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker filed an appeal Wednesday in his felony perjury case. According to the appeal, Becker’s lawyers are looking for a certificate of probable cause, challenging the guilty verdict jurors issued in December 2024. Jurors found Becker guilty of leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report...
San Jose’s homelessness plan is game of musical chairs
San Jose has been doubling down on clearing homeless encampments and constructing temporary shelter, though the breakneck speed of the sweeps has left many people displaced. The San Jose City Council received a midyear report on the city’s efforts to address homelessness Tuesday. Officials have been aggressive with plans to clear homeless camps along the...
San Jose veterans worried about future housing
Veterans living in a substandard housing complex in East San Jose have been moved to a hotel while the property continues to be renovated. About nine veterans were relocated from 10 Kirk Ave. in February to a hotel in Milpitas while Santa Clara County works on interior renovations in two buildings. Some of the relocated...
San Jose arts officials approve mural in stunning reversal
A mural honoring Chicano historical figures will move forward after San Jose arts commissioners made a surprising decision. Dozens of supporters for a proposed mural in San Jose’s Northside neighborhood attended a San Jose Arts Commission meeting Monday at City Hall, after a clash with critics at a previous community meeting threatened to delay the...
West Valley street festivals need city support to stay afloat
The West Valley is known for its flagship festivals that bring multicultural food, live music and dancing to the streets. Those festivals come with a lofty price tag, and organizers are asking their cities for help keeping these beloved events afloat. The Campbell City Council voted 4-1 April 15 to cover 30% of the fee costs for qualifying...
Mountain View’s downtown businesses see tariffs as obstacle to staying afloat
When Sara Puga walked into her family’s Mexican restaurant last week, she encountered a shattered glass door and the possibility of a burglary. It turned out nothing was taken from Los Portales, the restaurant that her family has run for decades on Moffett Boulevard. But the break in came at a bad time, Puga said....
San Jose sweeps homeless camp near future Microsoft data center site
San Jose is sweeping dozens of RVs and tents off the Alviso-Milpitas Road parallel to Highway 237, leaving the homeless people with no place to go. Some of the unhoused individuals left once they learned a sweep was eminent, but more than a dozen people with no options remained Monday afternoon. Those with inoperable vehicles...