Sunnyvale’s new partnership with Santa Clara County Animal Services has some major glitches. The county doesn’t accept healthy stray cats. Its spay and neutering services are limited and it’s more than 40 miles away to the animal services facility in San Martin. Peter Hoang, senior management analyst with the city’s Department of Public Safety, presented...
Santa Clara County expands hotel program for homeless residents
Santa Clara County is expanding its hotel shelter program for North County homeless residents following the delayed opening of a modular housing site in Palo Alto. The county has selected WeHope, a nonprofit homeless service provider, to work with up to 40 unhoused adults who will be temporarily housed at a hotel in Sunnyvale or...
San Jose public library fights to maintain funding amid budget woes
Library advocates say they expect to ride out the upcoming San Jose budget cycle without any major cuts. But trouble could be on the horizon, with the city projecting an ongoing shortfall over the next few years. San Jose’s Library and Education Commission learned April 16 of three anticipated public library budget cuts, which include...
San Jose’s first tiny home village on private land already half full
San Jose’s newest temporary housing site will be a litmus test as to whether using private land to build shelter will be a good model for reducing homelessness. The Via Del Oro tiny home site, which can house up to 150 people and allows pets, opened Thursday. San Francisco-based nonprofit DignityMoves built the homes on...
Santa Clara County housing gets approved, but not built
Cities in Santa Clara County have approved hundreds of new homes, but construction hasn’t kept up, a data analysis by San José Spotlight shows. There’s about 37% more housing being permitted than built, and even less affordable housing, based on a countywide six-year average. Experts say rising costs and scarce resources are delaying construction, and...
UPDATE: San Jose District 3 special election recount is done
San Jose’s political balance rests in the hands of Santa Clara County election workers who finished recounting votes today in the special race for the District 3 City Council seat. As political strategists and observers looked on, election workers across six tables meticulously sorted and verified ballots at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters office...
Collins: How do we build affordable for-sale housing?
The rising cost of homeownership has placed affordable for-sale housing at the center of housing policy discussions nationwide. Building homes that middle- and low-income buyers can afford requires more than low prices — it demands thoughtful design, innovative construction methods and navigation through regulatory and financial obstacles. “Affordable by design” is gaining traction as a...
San Jose arts sector offers sizable economic boost
Downtown San Jose is a hub for cultural events — and with a menu of festivals on tap through spring and summer, local businesses should be able to capture some of the revenue stream. Cultural events such as Cinco de Mayo, San Jose Fountain Blues & Brews Festival, San Jose Jazz Summer Fest and South...
Ex-Santa Clara official appeals guilty verdict
Lawyers representing former Santa Clara Councilmember Anthony Becker filed an appeal Wednesday in his felony perjury case. According to the appeal, Becker’s lawyers are looking for a certificate of probable cause, challenging the guilty verdict jurors issued in December 2024. Jurors found Becker guilty of leaking a 2022 Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury report...
San Jose’s homelessness plan is game of musical chairs
San Jose has been doubling down on clearing homeless encampments and constructing temporary shelter, though the breakneck speed of the sweeps has left many people displaced. The San Jose City Council received a midyear report on the city’s efforts to address homelessness Tuesday. Officials have been aggressive with plans to clear homeless camps along the...