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Darlene Gladwell spent months cultivating a blooming garden of colorful plants and flowers outside the tent she calls home in San Jose’s Watson Park. A cluster of at least half a dozen other small homeless encampments surround her along Coyote Creek. But now Gladwell could go to jail, according to a citation she received, for...
Despite San Jose’s diversity, it’s only had two mayors of color
Look around San Jose, and you’ll be reminded of the groups of communities that live in the city: Places like the Mexican Heritage Plaza and Little Saigon speak to the city’s diversity. Leadership, however, depending on who you ask, hasn’t been so diverse. Since the city began electing mayors instead of appointing them in 1967, the...
Nonprofits will have an easier time renting in San Jose under revised policy
It might soon become even easier for nonprofits to find spaces to operate in the city—welcome news for community organizations with limited resources. San Jose amended its policy on nonprofits using city-owned land with a unanimous vote Tuesday. The policy will set clearer guidelines for assisting nonprofits and other public organizations, like schools, in renting...
First 100 days: Has San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan kept his campaign promises?
On the campaign trail last year, San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan pledged to make City Hall more transparent, accountable and to bring a data-driven approach to local government. After about 100 days in office, he is still striving to achieve this Mahan recently proposed the city set measurable goals when it comes to things like...
Who will lead San Jose’s chamber of commerce?
Six months after losing its CEO amid a widespread scandal, Silicon Valley’s largest chamber of commerce is close to naming its new leader. Several front runners have emerged in the hunt for the Silicon Valley Organization’s new top boss, but the business group is keeping the process under wraps. After the resignation of CEO Matt...
What’s at stake in San Jose’s annual budget?
Every year, San Jose approves its operational budget. But what does it mean in terms of the city’s day-to-day operations — and how can the average resident understand the city’s budget documents? “Most folks may not realize how much information is in these budget documents,” said San Jose Budget Director Jim Shannon. “The city tries...
San Jose nonprofit serving homeless says city won’t clear RVs, trash
Just outside a San Jose nonprofit’s headquarters on Charles St., heaps of trash are overflowing and hazardous materials and human waste are piling up. Officials at CityTeam, a nonprofit that provides services and transitional housing to homeless residents, say they’ve appealed to the city to clean up the trash and move people who live in RVs...
Evictions in San Jose are down, but many tenants still don’t feel safe
The number of evictions in San Jose decreased in 2020 after pandemic-related protections were adopted, but many tenants lack the resources to protect themselves once eviction bans expire at the end of June. Landlord harassment, months of back rent and a struggling economy are just some of San Jose tenants’ concerns—especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. “So many...
San Jose releases Google’s $200 million community benefits plan
Google is investing $200 million in San Jose as a part of its Downtown West development, dedicated to preventing resident displacement and creating more economic opportunity for locals critics say will be forced out by rising rents. San Jose and Google released their much-anticipated development agreement Tuesday, a nearly 500-page document outlining the legal obligations...
San Jose’s maintenance backlog growing despite major efforts
San Jose is scrambling to keep up with a massive backlog of paving roads, maintaining buildings and other capital improvements, but it’s not fast enough to keep rapidly-rising costs at bay nor to keep frustrated residents appeased. In 2007, the city’s infrastructure and maintenance backlog stood at about $900 million. Since then, the backlog has ballooned to...