Amid a housing shortage and skyrocketing rents in Silicon Valley, homelessness continues to be a growing and seemingly intractable problem. However, for homeless veterans in Santa Clara County, this Veterans Day marks some major successes. According to newly-released data from nonprofit Destination: Home, 1,602 homeless veterans have been housed since the launch of the “All...
San Jose officials propose new property transfer tax for affordable housing
San Jose lawmakers next week could approve drafting an affordable housing tax ballot measure for the March 2020 ballot, another step to help raise revenue to tackle Silicon Valley’s growing housing and homeless crises. According to a new memo, the city manager’s office is recommending a real property transfer tax, which would apply to the...
Transit leaders approve vital agreement for BART extension
A vital agreement between the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and Bay Area Rapid Transit has finally been authorized, just in time for the completion of Phase I of the Silicon Valley expansion project – the 10-mile BART extension to Milpitas and Berryessa. The VTA Board of Directors voted unanimously Thursday to authorize VTA General Manager...
Another candidate enters San Jose City Council District 4 race
With less than four months until Election Day, a new contender has jumped into the San Jose City Council race in District 4, joining two other candidates vying to unseat Councilmember Lan Diep. Jamal Khan, 32, told San José Spotlight he is running for the council seat that covers Alviso, Berryessa and North San Jose...
Dueling endorsements in San Jose City Council race
San Jose Councilmember Sylvia Arenas and her opponent Jim Zito have nearly nothing in common. She’s a progressive Democrat. He’s a fiscally-conservative Republican. He’s earning the backing of the business lobby, including the Silicon Valley Organization, while she continues to be a labor union favorite. They differ ideologically on some social issues, how the city...
In a historic vote, San Jose approves $93M deal to preserve Coyote Valley
For generations, San Jose has been divided on whether to preserve or develop Coyote Valley, the 7,400 acres of land between the Santa Cruz mountains and the Diablo range. But for the first time in the city’s history, the conversation was finally put to rest–for good — after city leaders unanimously voted on Wednesday to...
Apple’s San Jose land promise is more complicated than it seems
When Apple announced its unprecedented $2.5 billion housing investment promise Monday, it came with — no surprise — fanfare and many of the same components other massive tech titans have promised: grants, loans and land. But Apple’s promise of making $300 million worth of land it owns in San Jose “available” for housing is not exactly like the...
A split San Jose City Council votes to weaken rent control law
Housing was at the forefront of Tuesday’s City Council meeting, as San Jose lawmakers weighed making changes to several crucial housing laws. Among them was amending the city’s Ellis Act, where lawmakers voted 6-5 in favor of reducing the number of units developers have to put back under rent control after redevelopment. Councilmembers Sergio Jimenez,...
San Jose expected to preserve northern part of Coyote Valley
For more than five decades, San Jose has been divided on whether to preserve or develop Coyote Valley, the 7,400 acres of land between the Santa Cruz mountains and the Diablo range. This week, city leaders are expected to make major moves toward preservation. San Jose elected officials on Wednesday will vote on whether to...
Major housing policies top San Jose City Council agenda
For months, some San Jose lawmakers have wanted to amend the city’s Ellis Act ordinance by tweaking how many units would have to be put back under rent control after redevelopment — a move spurred by a fear that the current law’s requirement is halting housing production in the region. Now, the City Council on...