More than 100 residents stood in front of San Jose City Hall with empty moving boxes and suitcases in hand on Monday to represent the increasing displacement rates in the city, as housing and cost of living prices remain high. About 20 nonprofits, including SOMOS Mayfair and the South Bay Progressive Alliance, organized the rally...
Will San Jose greenlight new affordable housing policy?
An affordable housing proposal that would enable community groups to buy multi-family homes could finally make it back to the San Jose City Council next month. The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA, would give qualified nonprofits the ability to make the first offer on multi-family residential properties in San Jose. These nonprofits would then...
State law may overshadow San Jose affordable housing policy
A controversial policy that could make affordable housing more attainable is coming back to the San Jose City Council—but it might be a moot point if a similar policy is passed at the state level. The Community Opportunity to Purchase Act, or COPA, is a policy that would give qualified nonprofits first rights to make an offer...
UPDATE: Arjun Batra wins last seat on San Jose City Council
A retired tech worker is San Jose’s newest councilmember in District 10 – filling the final vacancy on the dais. The San Jose City Council on Thursday voted to appoint Arjun Batra to the open seat after he earned six votes in a multi-round voting process. Batra has worked in leadership roles at IBM and...
San Jose celebrates lunar new year
San Jose’s Vietnamese community is celebrating Tết, or lunar new year, with an exuberant weekend festival. Leaders said it’s more than a celebration: it serves as a hub for community outreach. Dozens of festival-goers braved the bitter cold Friday evening to attend the first day of the festival at History Park. A live keyboardist played...
New laws that affect Silicon Valley
A flurry of laws will go into effect in 2023, impacting the daily lives of Silicon Valley residents. Here’s a look at the biggest changes involving housing, transportation, criminal justice and more next year. All laws go into effect Jan. 1 unless otherwise specified. Housing With the passage of AB 2011, also known as the...
San Jose Sikhs lead effort for state recognition
California Sikhs have received statewide recognition, and San Jose’s own Sikh community played a crucial role. The state Assembly approved a resolution earlier this year to recognize and promote understanding of the ethnic and religious group that totals more than 20,000 residents in Santa Clara County and more than 200,000 statewide, according to census data....
San Jose’s police dogs under fire
Santa Clara County Sheriff Sgt. Sean Allen has witnessed the results of about 200 police dog bites at the Main Jail infirmary in San Jose. Over more than two decades, he’s seen exposed and shattered bones, skin torn off faces and chunks of flesh ripped from limbs. “The dogs inflict damage similar to what you’d...
World Cup a win for downtown San Jose
The United States soccer team may have tied England at the World Cup’s Friday match, but the game was a win for San Jose regardless of the results. World Cup watch parties—organized by the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team, local businesses and the San Jose Downtown Association—have activated San Pedro Square in a way the...
Fact check: San Jose councilmember under fire for absences
San Jose Councilmember Maya Esparza’s attendance is the latest salvo fired by a realtors group backing her political opponent. The California Association of Realtors PAC sent at least two mailers claiming she missed four important votes since she took office on reducing gang crimes, affordable housing and utility hikes. The meetings, which were between June...