A labor organization is suing San Jose for failing to turn over public records it claims are vital to its investigation of alleged wrongdoing at a massive public works project. The South Bay Piping Industry is seeking documents related to a major upgrade of the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility, according to a verified lawsuit filed on...
San Jose airport closure could poison another neighborhood
County officials are working to shut down Reid-Hillview Airport in East San Jose, citing lead exposure for surrounding residents. But shutting it down could shift the lead burden onto another low-income neighborhood: Washington-Guadalupe. Should Reid-Hillview close, some Washington-Guadalupe residents fear planes en route to Mineta San Jose International Airport will bring leaded fuel pollution to...
San Jose-Google payment goes to affordable housing, rent relief
San Jose is investing $3 million from Google in various fixes for the city’s housing crisis, including pandemic-related rent relief. The City Council unanimously approved the allocation of funds on Tuesday, with $1.25 million going to tenant and landlord outreach on the eviction moratorium and rental relief programs, $1 million for affordable housing nonprofit organizations,...
UPDATE: San Jose approves plan to spread out multi-unit affordable housing
San Jose residents could soon see affordable housing crop up in unexpected neighborhoods, thanks to a new policy that will spread out multi-unit developments in the city. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of a plan that distributes affordable housing development in places near public transit and with upward mobility. City...
Lack of census data hurts San Jose’s LGBTQ+ community
A Gallup poll found in 2015 that San Jose had one of the lowest LGBTQ+ populations of any large metropolitan area. Six years later, it’s tough to know if that’s changed—such basic information on the local LGBTQ+ population is missing because the U.S. census didn’t ask for it. In a major first, the 2020 census allowed U.S. residents to...
Has San Jose mayor accomplished his housing goals?
San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo four years ago proposed an ambitious 15-point plan to address the city’s housing crisis. And while the city has checked off many of those points over the years, it’s still shy of reaching one major housing goal. One of the plan’s most important metrics is to build 25,000 homes by...
How San Jose wants you to ditch your car
San Jose has relied on a decades-old parking space policy that has contributed to gridlock and a car-centric culture: Three out of four commuter trips in San Jose are made by one person occupying a single car. City officials are looking for ways around that. The San Jose City Council held a meeting Friday to discuss cutting...
San Jose residents protest jail plans, call for sheriff to step down
Group chants and black masks: that was the scene Friday outside the Santa Clara County Jail as more than two dozen residents and advocates protested for alternatives and reforms to the current system. Led by Silicon Valley De-Bug, protesters gathered at the corner of West Hedding Street and North San Pedro Street to amplify a...
Second Harvest food bank finds new home in North San Jose
To keep up with growing demand, Silicon Valley’s largest food bank is moving to a new home in the Alviso area of North San Jose. The new location for Second Harvest of Silicon Valley will consist of three connected single-story buildings covering approximately 250,000 square feet. The space will consolidate the food bank’s three locations to reduce costs and...
Report shows enforcement is curbing illegal fireworks in San Jose
Firework activity over Fourth of July significantly decreased compared to last year, and city leaders are taking this as a sign that recent enforcement campaigns are working. Earlier this month, members of San Jose’s Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee heard highlights from a report on illegal firework activity leading up to Fourth of July weekend. Between...