After several years of grappling with student homelessness, San Jose State is finally offering beds on campus for students living outdoors or in their cars. The 12-bed pilot program launched last month, provides on-campus beds for SJSU students seeking emergency housing. The beds are located in University Housing. Students facing housing insecurity can apply for...
San Jose-Google payment goes to affordable housing, rent relief
San Jose is investing $3 million from Google in various fixes for the city’s housing crisis, including pandemic-related rent relief. The City Council unanimously approved the allocation of funds on Tuesday, with $1.25 million going to tenant and landlord outreach on the eviction moratorium and rental relief programs, $1 million for affordable housing nonprofit organizations,...
UPDATE: San Jose approves plan to spread out multi-unit affordable housing
San Jose residents could soon see affordable housing crop up in unexpected neighborhoods, thanks to a new policy that will spread out multi-unit developments in the city. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of a plan that distributes affordable housing development in places near public transit and with upward mobility. City...
UPDATE: San Jose mandates proof of vaccination for large events at city buildings
San Jose sports fans will need to show proof of vaccination the next time they see the Sharks play a home game. After a chaotic recess and more than two hours of comments from dozens of anti-vaccination protesters, the San Jose City Council voted Tuesday to require proof of vaccination for events of 50 or...
Protesters shut down San Jose council meeting ahead of vaccine mandate vote
Unmasked protesters opposing San Jose’s proof of COVID-19 vaccination mandate for large events at city-owned facilities forced the suspension of council proceedings for nearly an hour. More than 100 people—many unmasked and carrying signs with anti-vaccination messages—interrupted the City Council’s opening invocation on Tuesday, given by a Buddhist monk. A city official told San José Spotlight...
San Jose fire captain looks to unseat progressive councilmember
San Jose firefighter Bien Doan says his 21 years as a firefighter taught him to never back down from a challenge. Now he’s embarking on his biggest one: knocking Councilmember Maya Esparza off her council seat. Doan, a captain with the department, confirmed he will challenge District 7 incumbent Esparza, who is up for re-election...
San Jose to receive funding for train quiet zone
San Jose residents might get some respite from blaring trains at night thanks to new funding from the state. Senate Bill 129, authored by state Sen. Nancy Skinner of Berkeley, gives $8 million in one-time funding to partially pay for rail crossing improvements along the Warm Springs Corridor running through Japantown along Seventh, Taylor, Jackson...
Dam project leaves Santa Clara County’s largest drinking water source dry
A new earthquake retrofit project will render Santa Clara County’s largest drinking water source out of service for the next decade. Amid a massive drought that’s forced local officials to impose 15% water use reductions, the Santa Clara Valley Water District held a ceremonial groundbreaking on its latest project Wednesday—a large outlet tunnel at Anderson Dam in...
UPDATE: San Jose approves penalties for encouraging sideshow spectators
Posting about sideshows and street races in San Jose on social media can now cost you up to $1,000 and six months in jail. The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a new ordinance Tuesday that will make it illegal to encourage or promote people to show up to a sideshow event. San Jose already...
UPDATE: San Jose lawmakers approve Berryessa urban village, shrink flea market
Months of negotiations, rallies and proposals ended Tuesday with the San Jose City Council voting unanimously to approve a multi-million square foot development at the site of the San Jose Flea Market. Councilmembers approved the Berryessa BART Urban Village project, a plan to rezone a 61.5-acre portion of the flea market site to include up...