San Jose has long had dozens of boarded-up businesses lining the main drags of the city’s downtown core, giving way to unsightly scenes of blight, drug use and crime. As residents gripe about empty storefronts plaguing downtown’s streetscapes, Councilmember Raul Peralez, who represents downtown, has vowed to put an end to the drab storefronts by...
San Jose: Paid sick leave proposal stalls as lawmakers raise questions
The fast-moving spread of the novel coronavirus has forced millions of Bay Area residents to stay shuttered in their homes, threatening the local economy and disrupting countless lives. But the hundreds of thousands of employees in San Jose who don’t have paid sick leave could face a difficult choice of risking their health by working while...
San Jose adopts measures to help businesses amid coronavirus closures
As cancellations, school closures and mandatory quarantines ramp up, San Jose leaders are scrambling to help the city’s most vulnerable residents, fearing devastating economic consequences for residents and local small businesses that are losing income. Following last week’s call to place a moratorium on evictions for residents who can’t pay rent because of lost income,...
San Jose Public Libraries to close in wake of coronavirus pandemic
City officials are closing all San Jose Public Libraries beginning Tuesday after Santa Clara County and five other Bay Area counties issued a shelter in place mandate, ordering residents to stay at home as much as possible to decrease the spread of coronavirus. “We’re following the county of Santa Clara order along with several other...
San Jose: Senior care facilities take steps to protect residents from coronavirus
As the number of coronavirus cases continues to climb in Santa Clara County, those caring for the most vulnerable residents — senior citizens — are increasingly on edge. Senior home workers in the South Bay are wiping down commonly touched surfaces more frequently and taking inventory of items such as hand sanitizer, masks and gloves....
San Jose councilmembers unanimously approve mayor’s new budget plan
As the city copes with the ongoing economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo announced in his recent budget message that he wants to shift public dollars to prioritize housing and homelessness, while cutting back on city spending in the event of an economic downturn. The mayor’s budget message, which was...
San Jose adopts a ban on evictions amid coronavirus outbreak
Fearing severe economic consequences to vulnerable San Jose families, city lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved adopting a moratorium on evictions for residents who can’t pay rent because of lost income resulting from the coronavirus outbreak. As the virus continues to spread across the globe with new cases every day, leaders are advising residents in more than 90...
San Jose approves new zoning rules for mobile homes to bolster protections
San Jose lawmakers on Tuesday unanimously approved creating a new land use designation for mobile home parks that would prevent hundreds of low-income residents from being forced to lose their homes as developers eye the land to build extravagant new homes. The stricter redevelopment protections will apply to all 58 mobile home parks in the...
San Jose is one step closer to having an iconic landmark
Imagine it in Silicon Valley. That’s Urban Confluence Silicon Valley’s message, as the nonprofit is on the mission to honor San Jose’s history and prestige in technology and innovation, by creating an iconic landmark in the nation’s tenth largest city. The group last summer launched an international design competition to solicit ideas from the community....
Former San Jose Mayor Susan Hammer dies at age 81
Susan Hammer, the trailblazing 62nd mayor of San Jose known for her infectious laugh and push for diversity and equity, died Saturday. She was 81. Hammer’s family made the announcement Sunday afternoon, citing health reasons. Hammer, who battled Alzheimer’s disease, was surrounded by family and friends. “We are heartbroken at Mom’s passing and feel so...