When it comes to homelessness, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and President Donald Trump see eye to eye: get homeless people off the streets and into treatment centers. Trump signed an executive order last Thursday calling to prioritize funding for cities and states that prohibit homeless encampments and drug use in public, and directing more...
San Jose mayor uses AI for work
By Matt O’Brien, AP Technology Writer Before the mayor of San Jose, California, arrives at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new business, his aides ask ChatGPT to help draft some talking points. “Elected officials do a tremendous amount of public speaking,” said Mayor Matt Mahan, whose recent itinerary has taken him from new restaurant and...
San Jose mayor redefines ‘Responsibility to Shelter’ policy
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is changing his tune when it comes to arresting homeless people who refuse shelter. Mahan held a news conference Wednesday to talk about how he is redefining his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative. When it first rolled out in March, Mahan said those who refuse shelter three times within an 18-month...
Santa Clara County critical of plan to arrest homeless people
Despite San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s claim his policy to arrest homeless people for refusing shelter is meant to connect them to treatment, there isn’t a plan for how it’s supposed to work. Since Mahan rolled out his “Responsibility to Shelter” policy in March, Santa Clara County officials and a former judge have pushed back on the...
Housing in North San Jose is underway on former Japanese farmland
Construction is underway on the first installation of a multifamily housing and retail project in North San Jose on former Japanese-owned farmland. Mayor Matt Mahan and North San Jose Councilmember David Cohen broke ground on the 0 Seely Ave. site Friday, as the area once surrounded by trees and farm structures was flattened to make...
San Jose mayor endorses Newsom’s push to illegalize encampments
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to ban homeless encampments across California, echoing San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s goal to end the era of tents and camps lining city streets, parks and waterways. In Newsom’s proposal announced Monday, he laid out a blueprint for cities to make it illegal to camp on public property for more than...
San Jose council pushes back on plan to arrest homeless people
Mayor Matt Mahan’s initiative aimed at arresting homeless residents who refuse shelter was at the top of the city’s budget hearing Monday as he highlighted Santa Clara County’s lack of enthusiasm. Police, fire and housing department officials told the San Jose City Council public safety continues to be understaffed as they dedicate more resources toward...
San Jose mayor wants new police unit to arrest homeless people
More details are emerging about San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan’s plan to arrest or hospitalize homeless people for refusing offers of shelter — and the city could create a police unit to do so. Mahan presented more details about his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative Thursday, including expanding the city’s in-house homeless outreach efforts and establishing...
UPDATE: San Jose mayor endorses Anthony Tordillos for City Council
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is endorsing Anthony Tordillos in the upcoming runoff election for the District 3 seat on the City Council. San Pedro Square business owners were formally introduced to Tordillos, 33, by Mahan Friday morning when the two held a news conference to announce the mayor’s endorsement. Tordillos narrowly beat Matthew Quevedo,...
Report: San Jose festival was behind-the-scenes nightmare
San Jose’s Vietnamese Catholic Lunar New Year festival appeared to be all smiles this year. But a recently-obtained report alleges verbal abuse, property damage, safety concerns and political weight-throwing caused misery behind the scenes. The report — submitted by History San Jose to multiple City Hall officials in February — was kept hush for months...