VTA has a substantial number of unvaccinated employees, but the South Bay transit agency isn’t taking any steps to require a COVID-19 vaccine. As of Tuesday, 1,258 workers are fully vaccinated, while 1,470 are at least partially vaccinated—69.37% of VTA’s workforce. The agency has about 2,100 employees. Since the public transit agency is an independent...
Prosecutor sues Santa Clara County DA for retaliation
A deputy Santa Clara County district attorney is suing his boss for allegedly retaliating against him for writing a critical op-ed. Daniel Chung filed a lawsuit in federal court Tuesday against Santa Clara County and District Attorney Jeff Rosen. The suit claims Rosen violated Chung’s freedom of speech by disciplining and demoting him after he wrote...
Santa Clara County renters, landlords prepare for life after eviction ban
As the state ban on evictions draws to a close, tenants, landlords and elected officials in Santa Clara County are bracing for an uncertain future. The eviction moratorium, which protects tenants from being kicked out for not paying rent, ends on Thursday. Starting Friday, tenants have to pay at least 25% of their owed rent from...
How San Jose renters can protect themselves after eviction ban ends
With just three days left, thousands of Santa Clara County renters are still waiting for eviction assistance, and those are the ones who have applied. As of Monday, 7,721 households in the county have filed for rent relief with the California Housing is Key program, which provides financial assistance to people who can’t pay rent...
Santa Clara County largely spared fire season devastation—for now
Santa Clara County has largely been spared some of the worst effects from California’s increasingly destructive fire season over the years. But local fire officials say that likely won’t last forever. Factors such as elevation, weather and luck have typically experienced Santa Clara County from experiencing large blazes seen elsewhere throughout the state. Though that...
Santa Clara County breakthrough COVID hospitalizations remain low
The hospitalization rate for unvaccinated Santa Clara County residents is 23 times higher than those immunized against COVID-19, new county data shows. Between July 29 and Sept. 3, 464 people were hospitalized in the county due to COVID-19. This includes both county-run and private hospitals. County officials told San José Spotlight 360 patients either were not fully...
Santa Clara County could spend $25 million on prefab homeless shelters
Building more housing is the key to fighting the growing homelessness crisis in Santa Clara County. Two officials want to give a local nonprofit $25 million to do so. Supervisors Joe Simitian and Otto Lee announced a proposal Thursday to grant LifeMoves, the region’s largest temporary housing provider, a multi-million dollar contract to help it...
Jail is no place for the mentally ill, Santa Clara County sheriff says
There’s a mental health crisis in Santa Clara County jails. Everyone agrees it’s bad, but Sheriff Laurie Smith isn’t sure people recognize just how bad it’s getting. The sheriff, who oversees the jail system, says what she sees worries her. In an exclusive interview with San José Spotlight, Smith estimates that approximately 25% of the...
Santa Clara County prepares for potential COVID boosters
Santa Clara County is ready to offer all eligible residents COVID-19 booster shots within 24 hours of federal approval, but whether the plan is needed—and to what extent—remains unknown. After intense debate Friday, vaccine advisers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rejected Pfizer’s request to add a third shot to its two-doses regimen for the general...
State opens more funding for Santa Clara County supportive housing
When Charlotte Burris first called the Santa Clara County Office of Supportive Housing to get out of the van she uses for shelter, there were only spaces for unhoused residents with COVID-19. Burris said she tested positive shortly after calling and received temporary housing, describing it as a gift in disguise. “I’ve been homeless for...