Tech might be king in Silicon Valley but the economic effect of arts and culture on the region should not be brushed aside — it brings millions of dollars into Santa Clara County. The Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 study showed Santa Clara County’s nonprofit arts and culture industry generated $384.5 million in economic activity...
San Jose sweeps homeless providing limited services
Mary Cruz Resendez has been living on and off the streets of San Jose since 2008. Her home for the last eight months has been at Four Corners, an encampment of about 40 people at the junction of Monterey Highway and Capitol Expressway. After struggling with addiction for years, Resendez told San José Spotlight she’s now...
Silicon Valley’s hottest housing markets lose residents
Median home sale prices have skyrocketed in Silicon Valley’s hottest housing markets and residents are moving out. A new study by Joint Venture Silicon Valley found the region’s median home sale price reached a peak of $1.53 million in 2022, bolstered by three top competitive markets — Fremont, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. Heidi Young, senior...
Silicon Valley lawmakers pass a flurry of laws
This was a busy term for San Jose representatives in Sacramento. Much of their work made it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk and was signed by Oct. 14. Most will be enacted in January. They passed dozens of bills and secured millions of dollars for the South Bay. San Jose has two state senators and...
Santa Clara County families benefit from guaranteed income, report shows
A new report bolsters the importance of guaranteed basic income programs as a lifeline for families in Santa Clara County who can’t afford the necessities. More than a quarter of working families in the county do not make enough money to cover their basic needs, according to a recent study from Joint Venture Silicon Valley....
Santa Clara County reports alarming property value trend
Santa Clara County may be about to experience one of its worst declines in property value in 15 years. New data from the Santa Clara County assessor’s office shows a significant number of properties declining in value from 2,595 last year to 19,325 this year. Aside from a brief uptick in 2020 during the first...
Santa Clara County settles dispute over threats to doctors
A prolonged dispute between Santa Clara County and its doctors appears to have come to an end. Santa Clara County has settled an unfair labor practice charge with Valley Physicians Group, a union representing more than 450 doctors in the county health system. The complaint stemmed from letters threatening unionized doctors against striking over stalled...
Santa Clara County pilot program to up bail for repeat offenders
Local law enforcement agencies in Santa Clara County want higher bail for repeat offenders, in what they say is a move to reduce recidivism. A pilot program developed by the Santa Clara County District Attorney, county office of pretrial services, sheriff’s department and the San Jose Police Department will amend a form officers use when...
Silicon Valley transit agency unsure of when it will ban problem riders
Beginning next year, VTA will have the ability under state law to ban troublesome passengers who attack frontline transit employees. But there’s a catch—the transit agency won’t actually be able to wield that authority until it completes a series of critical steps. These include creating an advisory committee to define why someone could be prohibited from VTA’s...
Latino leaders who shaped Silicon Valley
Hispanic or Latino residents make up about 31% of San Jose’s population and 24.7% of Santa Clara County, according to U.S. Census data—and the impact of local leaders is visible across the region. Activists have worked for decades to give Latino residents equity, representation and access to services. The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican...