For every one Santa Clara County household that was housed in 2023, nearly two households became homeless, a recent report reveals. Approximately 4,297 new households experienced homelessness for the first time last year, according to the county’s year-end analysis of its 2020-25 Community Plan to End Homelessness. That’s a 24% jump from the 3,473 households...
Sunnyvale seeks bids for homeless service provider
Sunnyvale is going back to the market for homeless service providers as officials press the existing partner for results. The Sunnyvale City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a six-month contract extension to nonprofit homeless provider HomeFirst, totaling $206,710. During that time, the city plans to open submissions for other providers and have a partner picked...
Santa Clara County deputy overtime contributes to ballooning deficit
This year, a multimillion-dollar deficit won’t just threaten Santa Clara County’s essential public services — it will force county leaders to reckon with a decade-long overspending crisis in the Sheriff’s Office. Since 2013, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office has exceeded its budget by millions of dollars annually — and roughly $20 million last year...
Robinson: No bad choices in the upcoming election
Unlike November’s general election, which will pit good (President Biden) versus evil (he who will not be named), the March 5 primaries offers voters a chance to vote for the best among us. Certainly the president will win the primary. The two most contested races locally will be the U.S. Senate race and the congressional...
Silicon Valley advocates push to increase voter turnout
Voter turnout for California’s primary election is expected to be low statewide. But officials and advocates remain hopeful about Santa Clara County, as they make their final push to increase voter participation in marginalized communities. The county Registrar of Voters is expecting 45% to 55% of the estimated 81.4% of registered county voters to cast...
Q&A: Where San Jose District 4 candidates stand on issues
Out of several San Jose City Council races this election, one will be decided in the upcoming March 5 primary instead of in a November runoff. That contest is between District 4 incumbent Councilmember David Cohen and Kansen Chu, a former state assemblymember, District 4 councilmember and Berryessa Union School District board member. Unlike the...
Waite: The right candidates for San Jose City Council
Prior to the 2022 San Jose mayoral runoff, Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility opined that “Mahan …is a vocal advocate of measuring results and holding government accountable. He recognizes the failures of more than a decade of pouring money into affordable housing complexes, now costing up to $1,000,000 per door…” We are pleased that Mayor Matt...
Hundreds of homes coming to north Santa Clara neighborhood
There’s a near constant cacophony of hammering, drilling and welding near the Great America Amtrak station as Santa Clara builds up its transit-oriented housing. The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved a tentative map for another project along this busy stretch of the city. The latest development is a 21-floor, 198-condominium complex. The...
San Jose candidates claim political ads are racist
Silicon Valley election attack ads have reared once more, and some are being viewed as racist. Labor-leaning candidates and leaders are accusing the Silicon Valley Biz PAC and the California Association of Realtors PAC of racist ad tactics against left-leaning candidates running for San Jose City Council. The candidates include Kansen Chu, Domingo Candelas and...
Silicon Valley economy sees slow rebound post-pandemic
Silicon Valley is not experiencing the same booming energy and rapid growth it’s known for as the local tech economy continues adjusting to a post-pandemic reality — but researchers say the region is still a powerful hub of innovation that is fully recovering. While Silicon Valley remains a place of massive wealth, longstanding disparities persist. With...