Over the years, Columbus Park has become a refuge for homeless LGBTQ+ people seeking safety in community. As San Jose gears up to sweep its largest homeless encampment, members of this population have limited options where they don’t fear being harassed. Diva came to Columbus Park two years ago, drawn to the growing LGBTQ+ population....
Navy ship to retain San Jose activist Cesar Chavez’s name
The name of San Jose activist Cesar Chavez will stay on a U.S. Navy ship, after a local lawmaker pushed the federal government to continue honoring his name and legacy. An Aug. 1 letter from U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan confirmed the federal government will not rename the USNS Cesar Chavez, a ship...
San Jose homeless residents rally against looming sweep
Homeless residents living in Columbus Park staged a protest against next Monday’s encampment sweep which will displace hundreds of people. More than four dozen community activists and unhoused residents marched from St. James Park in downtown to City Hall on Tuesday, chanting “community engagement not abatement” and “homelessness is not a crime, folks are trying...
San Jose mayor signals doubt on county sales tax measure
Santa Clara County’s three-month sprint to raise sales taxes could stage a showdown between one of California’s most progressive Board of Supervisors and one of the state’s most centrist Democrats. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has declined to state his position on Santa Clara County’s proposed five-eighths cent sales tax increase measure, which county supervisors...
San Jose’s newest councilmember sworn into office
San Jose’s newest elected representative took office at the City Council meeting Tuesday — marking a new chapter for District 3 whose prior leader is behind bars. Councilmember Anthony Tordillos took the oath of office — and his seat on the dais alongside his 10 colleagues — following applause from an audience celebrating the former...
San Jose mayor leads search for city attorney replacement
San Jose’s city attorney plans to retire later this year — and Mayor Matt Mahan is quietly leading the search for the next top lawyer to help advise and defend new city policies. City Hall sources, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, told San José Spotlight Mahan’s office is narrowing down a field of...
San Jose homeless housing won’t be ready ahead of big sweep
As San Jose gears up to dismantle its largest homeless encampment, inadequate housing has left hundreds of people with no place to go. Homeless residents living in Columbus Park said outreach workers from the city and nonprofit HomeFirst promised housing would be available when the sweep starts Aug. 18. But some of the hotels being...
ICE fears keep San Jose students away from school
It’s been a rocky year for San Jose students due to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policy. Students have dropped out of summer and afterschool enrichment programs, opting to stay home in fear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detaining their family and friends, according to people working in San Jose school...
San Jose lags on state homeless audit recommendations
It’s been over a year since the state ordered San Jose to improve the way it collects and displays data on its homeless services, but the city still has work to do. A 2024 state audit released last April gave the city seven recommendations to improve how it tracks expenses and measures effectiveness for its...
Residents claim San Jose homeless housing site unsafe, unhealthy
When San Jose’s first multi-story, modular housing site opened in February, it was hailed as an inexpensive, cutting-edge solution to end homelessness. But within months, cracks in the infrastructure at 1 Branham Lane began to show. Shower benches had fallen out, leading to injury, water from some apartments emitted a sewage smell, walls had water...