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Climate advocates and conservationists are praising Santa Clara County lawmakers for creating protections for one of the last green open spaces in the South Bay. The Board of Supervisors voted last week to drastically limit development in Coyote Valley, preserving it for open space and agriculture and helping the region achieve climate change goals. “I commit...
Unemployment continues to drop in Silicon Valley
Unemployment continues to drop in Silicon Valley, but the recovery remains lopsided for certain industries. The unemployment rate in the South Bay dropped half a percentage point to 3.1% between mid-October and mid-November, according to a recent report from Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for Regional Studies. This is within 0.3% of the March 2020...
Backbone of Silicon Valley: Raymond “RJ” Ramsey
Editor’s Note: Backbone of Silicon Valley is a first-of-its-kind video storytelling project. Our reporters spent a year documenting the plight of six essential workers in Silicon Valley—the unsung heroes who clean your house, pack your groceries and prescriptions, cook your food, work in hospitals and deliver your meals. San José Spotlight teamed up with filmmakers...
2021 in review: San Jose council’s most consequential decisions
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to upend lives in the heart of Silicon Valley, San Jose lawmakers marked 2021 as a momentous year with a wide array of major decisions that will have lasting impacts for years to come. The San Jose City Council took steps to address its growing homelessness and housing crises, while...
San Jose videographer tells stories to build bridges
Video storyteller Marlo Custodio’s childhood was at times terrifying. Yet through the angst of his upbringing, Custodio discovered his future. Custodio’s parents immigrated from the Phillipines to the United States. When Custodio was five, his father left. When he was in second grade, the family became homeless. His mother, who had suffered years of spousal...
San Jose nonprofit reopens clothes closet for those in need
The Sacred Heart Community Service Clothes Closet quietly reopened Monday after 19 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The program provides registered members with free clothing, which they can pick up twice a month at the nonprofit located at 1381 S. First St. in San Jose. For many it’s the only affordable way to get...
How will the state split San Jose’s congressional districts?
Fear of San Jose being divided into four congressional districts is no longer an issue—the city will likely only be divided into three. After aggressive campaigning by Mayor Sam Liccardo and San Jose residents, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission is moving forward with a map that minimizes the splits to the seat of Silicon Valley....
San Jose nonprofits rally behind anti-displacement housing policy
A coalition of local nonprofits and residents are pushing for a policy to prevent displacement and create a pathway to homeownership for low-income renters, amid a growing housing crisis that is pricing many out of the region. The proposed policy, named the Community Opportunity to Purchase Act (COPA), would require rental property owners to offer first...
Where can San Jose homeless residents warm up this winter?
San Jose is opening two temporary overnight warming centers to provide shelter for unhoused residents as temperatures continue to dip. The City Council voted unanimously this week to restart the annual program. The city picked two new locations this year, the Evergreen Branch Library on Aborn Road and the Leininger Center on Senter Road—both located in...
Landlords use scare tactics as Santa Clara County evictions grow
Since the statewide eviction ban ended in September, Santa Clara County landlords have been kicking tenants out of their homes in growing numbers. A total of 365 eviction lawsuits have been filed in Santa Clara County from September through Nov. 30 of this year, according to data from the Santa Clara County Superior Court. Of those,...