The San Jose City Council has approved a trio of housing measures intended to spur local development by adjusting certain requirements that homebuilders say have stymied new projects. Two of the measures expand incentive programs that reduce construction taxes and ease affordable housing requirements for developers. A third measure revamps San Jose’s inclusionary housing policy,...
UPDATE: San Jose council delays mobile home rent increase
Some of the last naturally affordable housing in San Jose may be preserved, after officials deferred a proposed rent increase in mobile home parks. The City Council voted 10-1 Tuesday to delay a proposed 10% space rent increase whenever a mobile home is sold and engage in community meetings with residents and park owners to...
San Jose traffic deaths dropped in 2025
San Jose’s traffic fatalities declined once again in 2025, helping the city move closer toward its goal of eliminating all road deaths over the next 15 years. Last year, 41 people died in traffic accidents on the city’s roadways, a 16% drop from 2024, when 49 people died, and the lowest figure the city has seen...
West San Jose neighborhood fed up with power outages
A string of blackouts has hit the Bay Area in recent months, but residents of one West San Jose community suspect they’ve had it worse than most. Now they’re calling for Pacific Gas and Electric to address what they said are longstanding grid reliability issues in their neighborhood. Residents of Mossbrook Circle — a U-shaped...
Aztec mural designed to protect San Jose firefighters
An East San Jose artist is invoking an Aztec deity to keep a new fire station and its firefighters safe from harm. Artist Jesse Hernandez has created two metal murals featuring Tlaloc, the Aztec rain god, displayed on the exterior of Fire Station 8, slated to open later this year. The new 5,500 square-foot, two-story...
Poll gauges support for San Jose mayor running for governor
Amid reports that San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is considering a run for California governor, someone has launched an exploratory text message poll to gauge public support. The poll — which runs dozens of questions long — describes Mahan as a Democrat with a working-class background and tech credentials, according to screenshots obtained by San...
Reported crime in San Jose fell in 2025
Reported crime figures in San Jose continued to decline in 2025, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Last year’s drop in violent crimes has accelerated a downward trend that began in 2024 after such crimes peaked the previous year. Violent crime last year fell 15% compared to 2024, while property crime dropped 7%, the...
San Jose animal shelter faces legal threat over alleged neglect
Animal welfare advocates are threatening legal action against San Jose, alleging officials have failed to correct longstanding problems at the city’s animal shelter despite a scathing 2024 audit and years of public complaints. Attorneys representing Partners in Animal Care & Compassion, a nonprofit animal rescue organization, sent the city a formal demand letter Jan. 13...
West San Jose to get Costco after judge tosses lawsuit
A Santa Clara County Superior Court judge has tossed a lawsuit seeking to block plans to bring a new Costco to a West San Jose shopping center. The decision clears the way for the hotly contested development project to move forward. The suit, backed by a resident group known as West Valley Citizens for Responsible...
San Jose bans ICE from using its properties
San Jose will prohibit federal immigration activity at dozens of city properties and vacant lots. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to ban U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from using 11 city garages and parking lots, as well as the parking areas of 75 community centers and libraries as staging areas...