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Bad news for South Bay commuters—VTA may have overestimated its readiness to resume light rail service. On Tuesday, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority announced that its light rail trains are likely to start later than the end of July, as the agency previously stated. “VTA is working diligently and compassionately to restore the service we...
San Jose’s largest emergency homeless shelter closes
Homeless advocates say dozens of people are left without a roof over their heads after South Hall, one of San Jose’s largest temporary COVID-19 shelters, shut down Thursday. City officials have vowed to help find shelter for all the residents through a nonprofit partner. “Some people went to tiny homes,” homeless advocate Shaunn Cartwright told...
A tale of two San Jose rose gardens
When visitors hear “San Jose Rose Garden,” they likely picture a lush field of roses growing over a well-manicured lawn. But that’s not what they see at the Heritage Rose Garden, which has fallen victim to neglect, vandalism and even arson over the last year. “We desperately need a few new serious volunteers who will...
This Silicon Valley town is doubling its housing; residents are crying foul
In a town that has barely grown for the last two decades, Los Gatos is looking to add more housing—almost twice as many units as it needs by 2040. Officials are recommending 3,783 new housing units in the next 20 years. That’s a significant 90% increase over the town’s state-mandated housing production goal of 1,993....
San Jose to receive funding for train quiet zone
San Jose residents might get some respite from blaring trains at night thanks to new funding from the state. Senate Bill 129, authored by state Sen. Nancy Skinner of Berkeley, gives $8 million in one-time funding to partially pay for rail crossing improvements along the Warm Springs Corridor running through Japantown along Seventh, Taylor, Jackson...
No Delta variant spike in Santa Clara County—yet
One month ago, millions of Californians celebrated the end of COVID-19 restrictions and mask mandates. But a new variant of the virus poses an outbreak threat that some experts say is only a matter of time. While people took their masks off for the first time in a year, COVID-19 spread and mutated, mainly among unvaccinated people. Now,...
Teachers can’t afford to live in San Jose
Affordable housing remains elusive for young teachers in San Jose, leaving them with long commutes or forcing them to look for jobs elsewhere. The high cost of living in the Bay Area is challenging for new teachers and other employees, including cafeteria workers and groundskeepers, said San Jose Unified School District spokesperson Jennifer Maddox. “It’s...
San Jose: The second most expensive place to rent in the country
If you earn minimum wage in San Jose, you either need a roommate or a second job to afford market-rate rent. For the 44% of San Jose’s population that rents their homes, this is likely not a surprise. But a new report describes just how stratified the local rental market has become over the past...
One man’s fight against recidivism in Santa Clara County
For Johnny Lee Clarke, preventing former inmates from returning to jail is personal. Clarke, 59, spent six years in federal prison for hacking into bank accounts and writing $22,000 in bad checks when he was 24. He turned his life around and endeavors to do the same for others. Through his company CityLab Professional, Clarke teaches technical training...
Santa Clara County sees increase in value of taxable properties
The value of taxable properties in Santa Clara County rose by 4.6% since last year—showing that the pandemic’s economic impact had a limited reach. “This was not a normal business cycle,” Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone told San José Spotlight. “This was a self-imposed recession, based upon the health crisis.” The total value of...