Hundreds of volunteers are fanning out across Santa Clara County to count how many homeless people are living on the street and find out how they got there.| San José Spotlight
Amid a tsunami of cuts to the nation’s social safety nets, a golden nugget in the congressional budget bill will allow developers to create more affordable housing. H.R. 1 provides an increase to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, the primary source of federal funding for affordable housing.| San José Spotlight
Homelessness has increased in one of the most expensive regions in the nation, a tell-tale sign of what could come. Santa Clara County has 10,711 homeless residents, up 8.2% from two years ago, according to preliminary data.| San José Spotlight
Eight years ago, Santa Clara County had less than 300 affordable apartments that served homeless individuals with disabilities. Thousands of homes have been built since then due to an affordable housing bond measure.| San José Spotlight
Federal immigration agents will be required to remove masks and identify themselves in San Jose. That’s following a unanimous decision by the San Jose City Council on Tuesday to enact the policy, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent from the vote. In addition, all law enforcement officers must wear clear identification and agency affiliation when conducting... The post San Jose approves plan for ICE agents to identify themselves appeared first on San José Spotlight.| San José Spotlight
Santa Clara residents can expect to see more advertisements in their neighborhoods as the city prepares to host major sports events next year. The Santa Clara City Council unanimously approved an advertising agreement with New York-based Outfront Media earlier this month, in preparation for the 2026 Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup at Levi’s Stadium. Outfront... The post Santa Clara looks to billboards to make money from sports events appeared first on San José Spotlight.| San José Spotlight
By Rachel Becker, Kristen Hwang, Alejandro Lazo, Cayla Mihalovich and Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters. This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. John Lauretig remembers the filthy bathrooms, the overflowing trash cans and the community of people who rallied to clean up Joshua Tree National Park the last time the U.S. Government shut down. For more than a month... The post What a government shutdown will mean for Californians, from Social Security to nat...| San José Spotlight
Workers at Regional Medical Center’s trauma unit routinely cut car crash victims out of their clothes, replace blood as it sprays from torn aortas and hold pelvic bones together as they pass along instructions over the yelling of suffering patients. Commotion and stress aren’t exactly positive features of most workplaces. But for an East San... The post East San Jose hospital back online for trauma patients appeared first on San José Spotlight.| San José Spotlight
The divisive expansion of the Palo Alto Commons assisted living facility was once again scaled back by members of the Planning and Transportation Commission, which on Wednesday signed off on just seven additional units despite City Council direction to nearly double that number. It’s the second time the commission has arrived at the number of... The post Commission doubles down on limiting Palo Alto Commons expansion appeared first on San José Spotlight.| San José Spotlight
A new state bill could bring more accountability to homeless shelters in Santa Clara County. Assembly Bill 750 aims to provide more oversight of homeless shelters across the state by requiring local governments to inspect facilities and produce yearly reports on their conditions. The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva, could also see California withhold funding... The post State bill could put Silicon Valley homeless shelters under scrutiny appeared first on San José Spot...| San José Spotlight
Dozens of people living in RVs are scrambling to find another location after San Jose cleared out Columbus Park. Last month, the city started sweeping Columbus Park where roughly 370 people lived in tents, vehicles and makeshift shelters. By Sept. 15, the park had been completely cleared and the city installed fences to prevent re-encampment.... The post San Jose homeless residents shuffled around after being swept appeared first on San José Spotlight.| San José Spotlight
Developers are attempting to use a legal escape hatch to push new housing into South County open space. But county leaders have found a loophole of their own. The Santa Clara County Planning Commission on Thursday voted 5-2 against appeals for two different projects under the same developer. To push the projects through, the developer has... The post Santa Clara County finds way to fight builder’s remedy appeared first on San José Spotlight.| San José Spotlight
Millions of dollars will turn a mostly vacant East San Jose building into a cultural gem. Local advocates describe it as a vital investment to support neighborhoods where some of the city’s most vulnerable residents live. The School of Arts and Culture at Mexican Heritage Plaza recently received $6 million from the Knight Foundation, a historic... The post East San Jose community development nets multimillion-dollar grant appeared first on San José Spotlight.| San José Spotlight
Two local elected leaders are teaming up on a plan to bring behavioral health workers directly to homeless residents living in shelters.| San José Spotlight
San Jose officials are sharing more details about the city’s first safe sleeping site for homeless residents as the March opening draws near.| San José Spotlight
After months of delay, a tiny home project in South San Jose is expanding to help more people off the streets. By this time next year, 107 units will be added to the tiny home site at 5898 Rue Ferrari, with the capacity to house up to 146 homeless people — more than doubling its current...| San José Spotlight
Fires emanating from San Jose’s homeless encampments far outnumber those coming from homes and businesses, leaving nearby residents scared for their safety and health.| San José Spotlight
A legendary San Jose philanthropist wants to lend a hand and land to ease homelessness and the city's transitional housing shortage for that population.| San José Spotlight
A South San Jose modular housing project for homeless people is finally opening after months of delay due to issues with mold, plumbing and structural safety.| San José Spotlight
As San Jose crunches the numbers in its upcoming budget, a larger than expected shortfall looms on the horizon, along with another round of department cuts and potential layoffs.| San José Spotlight
Labor leaders representing San Jose’s workforce want city officials to increase funding for essential services amid a recent reduction in the budget deficit. Less than a day after Mayor Matt Mahan revealed in his March budget message that the 2025-26 budget shortfall shrank from $60 million to $46 million, City Hall workers from various departments rallied...| San José Spotlight
San Jose officials have implemented a hiring freeze and are reviewing funding cuts across departments to soften the blow of a larger than anticipated budget shortfall.| San José Spotlight
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan said he wants to see measurable improvements in homelessness and public safety before doling out pay raises for top city officials.| San José Spotlight
As civil rights advocates, we strongly oppose Mayor Mahan’s proposal to arrest homeless individuals who refuse shelter. This policy will disproportionately harm Black and brown people, including those with disabilities, who are overrepresented in the unhoused population due to systemic racism, economic inequality, and a lack of affordable, fair, accessible, and safe housing. The racial...| San José Spotlight
Sometimes, compassion means taking action. And for many of our gravely disabled neighbors, that time is now. California’s families and communities are facing the devastating impacts of our mental health and addiction crises. Many of us see it every day—people suffering on our streets, in need of advocacy and treatment options. Fortunately, California legislators have...| San José Spotlight
Two major Bay Area business advocacy groups representing hundreds of the region's biggest companies are considering joining forces to expand their influence in critical policy areas, including artificial intelligence and housing.| San José Spotlight
By next fall, San Jose aims to have a long-awaited temporary housing site on the south side of the city for homeless individuals, though some are questioning why it's taking so long.| San José Spotlight
Homeless people are barred from living along regional waterways owned by Santa Clara County’s largest water agency — and could be charged with an infraction or misdemeanor and face up to $500 fines if they’re caught camping there.| San José Spotlight
For every one Santa Clara County household with a home in 2023, nearly two households became homeless, a recent report reveals.| San José Spotlight
A preview of Santa Clara County’s point in time count found that homelessness has decreased by 4.7% over the last year in San Jose. A preliminary count of homeless residents living on city streets and in shelters is down by about 500 people, totaling 6,340 people.| San José Spotlight
San Jose activists are rallying outside City Hall to protest a plan by officials to divert affordable housing money to shelters and sweeps.| San José Spotlight
San Jose is set to pay for more employees and police patrols to enforce "no return zones" for homeless camps along the Guadalupe River and those surrounding temporary shelter sites citywide.| San José Spotlight
A long overdue agreement between San Jose and Valley Water to building housing for homeless residents on the agency's land has been greenlit and is slated to break ground next month.| San José Spotlight
State Sen. Josh Becker has introduced Senate Bill 1395 to speed up the time it takes to build temporary housing for homeless residents in California. He stopped in San Jose recently to promote the bill.| San José Spotlight
Two-term District 9 San Jose Councilmember Pam Foley is getting a new title and role in city government: vice mayor.| San José Spotlight
More than 200 households have been given stability with the opening of two affordable housing developments near Diridon Station in San Jose.| San José Spotlight
After Google chopped down more than 800 trees in Mountain View to make way for an office project that it later abandoned, the tech behemoth has now agreed to pay up to $703,000 to plant hundreds of new trees throughout the city.| San José Spotlight
A five-year data analysis conducted by a San Jose traffic safety program shows a sharp increase in homeless traffic fatalities from 2018 to 2022.| San José Spotlight
San Jose could hand out more speeding tickets next year, thanks to a controversial bill bringing traffic cameras to several California cities.| San José Spotlight
San Jose is getting millions in federal dollars through a grant to make some of the city's most dangerous roads safer.| San José Spotlight
One of San Jose’s most dangerous roads is gearing up for a major upgrade as the city prepares a plan to improve safety and traffic flow.| San José Spotlight
San Jose’s streets have become increasingly dangerous, with traffic fatalities reaching near record levels in 2021. This year is on track to beat it.| San José Spotlight
Bicycle safety is an ongoing challenge in the Bay Area, but San Jose is working to change that with street improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.| San José Spotlight
San Jose tops the list of Silicon Valley cities with the most bicycle crashes, injuries and deaths, which is nothing to brag about. The city ranks the worst in bike safety, tallying 2,803 bike crashes last year, resulting in 38 deaths and 2,752 injuries.| San José Spotlight
San Jose has plans to increase traffic enforcement in an attempt to address the rising trend of traffic deaths, which have grown for the last several years.| San José Spotlight
As chair of the Vision Zero Task Force, I announced on Feb. 29 that the task force will be coming to a close at the end of this year. Understandably, this has left some community members and street safety advocates concerned about the future of Vision Zero in San Jose. I empathize with these concerns;...| San José Spotlight
San Jose said no to letting its firefighters participate in a state-funded cancer prevention and research program — until pressure forced the city to reverse course.| San José Spotlight
A ban on flavored tobacco is expected to drain funds for Silicon Valley groups that serve needy families. Last November California voters approved Prop. 31, which bars the sale of flavored tobacco. The unintended consequences of the state measure could reduce tax revenue for early child development programs.| San José Spotlight
San Jose has put the kibosh on flavored tobacco to reduce teen vaping. Starting Friday, San Jose’s 600-plus smoke shops can no longer sell flavored tobacco and e-cigarettes, including menthol flavored products. The ban, which the San Jose City Council unanimously passed last September, will apply to any tobacco products with an artificial or natural flavor,...| San José Spotlight
San Jose will consider reducing fines for regulated cannabis dispensaries to help them become more financially lucrative. The Public Safety, Finance and Strategic Support Committee, composed of five San Jose councilmembers, unanimously recommended reducing fines on legal dispensaries, among other ideas to ease the burden on cannabis sellers. The city council on Nov. 14 will...| San José Spotlight
San Jose officials are relaxing cannabis regulations and instead want to refocus efforts to end the black market industry.| San José Spotlight
One of Sunnyvale’s proposals to build more housing threatens to demolish several grocery stores, and city fixes haven’t patched the problem. The Sunnyvale City Council unanimously approved an overhaul of the Village Center Master Plan Tuesday. The new plan redefined how seven aging retail spaces, called village centers, will be zoned for commercial, residential and...| San José Spotlight
Santa Clara County’s second largest city just got its housing plans approved by the state, kickstarting 45 programs to increase development and put a dent in the housing crisis.| San José Spotlight
Santa Clara is going back to the drawing board again on an ambitious project to expand the city's longest transit corridor—a complex transformation that's dragged on for years.| San José Spotlight
A new housing development is one step closer to transforming the corner of a major Sunnyvale road that's home to car sales lot. The Sunnyvale Planning Commission unanimously voted to allow De Anza Properties and property owners to change their 111-home project to a mix of roughly 85 owned condos and 25 apartments for rent.| San José Spotlight
Sunnyvale Councilmember Richard Mehlinger was hit by a car while riding his bike on California Avenue Aug. 30, breaking his left thumb and right wrist. He said the incident shows the necessity and urgency of installing safety infrastructure.| San José Spotlight
Cramped within a tiny, aging section of Santa Clara County’s flagship public hospital, a team of people in cyan and navy scrubs treats the worst burn injuries in California. But a wave of massive federal spending cuts may complicate efforts to expand.| San José Spotlight
Last Friday, fire tore through the long-vacant MACSA Youth and Family Center in East San Jose. In the quiet aftermath, two familiar sights remain: the MACSA sign and the twin pillars that for decades welcomed generations of youth to a place that was more than a building.| San José Spotlight
Cupertino residents have mixed feelings about one official's frequent travels overseas and what they mean about his ability to serve the community.| San José Spotlight
Sunnyvale is taking steps to make its downtown more inviting for residents and visitors alike by beautifying its most historic block.| San José Spotlight
Sunnyvale is planning for 126 affordable apartments at 295 S. Mathilda Ave. on a 1.04-acre city-owned site, developed by MidPen Housing. Some nearby residents in a single-family neighborhood are not on board and have complained about parking and litter from the increasing density.| San José Spotlight
Downtown Sunnyvale has returned to pre-pandemic levels of foot traffic and engagement. City leaders and business owners attribute the success to a variety of factors, from its mixture of businesses to ongoing home construction.| San José Spotlight
Sunnyvale has found the blueprint for creating a prosperous downtown. Officials have figured out how to balance retail, housing and offices in the city's core, even with an aggressive plan to build out nearly 1 million square feet of new office space in downtown.| San José Spotlight
Housed inside a huge renovated warehouse, the exterior of Campo di Bocce of Los Gatos gives little indication of the remarkable scene within.| San José Spotlight
An iconic restaurant in downtown Los Gatos renowned for its fresh fish and handmade pasta is shutting its doors after nearly half a century.| San José Spotlight
Los Gatos has managed to balance its budget despite a multimillion-dollar deficit by cutting funding for programs and services, ranging from library resources to legal fees. But it might not be smooth sailing for long.| San José Spotlight
Pricey downtown Los Gatos is being primed to become more affordable to live near. The Los Gatos Planning Commission voted 4-1 April 8 to recommend the Town Council adopt zoning changes to allow developers to build 100% affordable housing near downtown along Los Gatos Boulevard, without requiring retail space in their plans. Commissioner Susan Burnett...| San José Spotlight
A high-class restaurant and furniture gallery concept could come to an empty corner of downtown Los Gatos. The Planning Commission is recommending granting a conditional use permit to RH, a luxury home goods company with plans to open a restaurant and gallery at 31 University Ave.| San José Spotlight
Multiple Silicon Valley cities are raking in money for micro-transit programs, which transit advocates say is critical for areas with sparser public transportation.| San José Spotlight
Santa Clara County officials are bridging a massive deficit through an infusion of new revenue and realigned costs to balance the upcoming fiscal year's $12.4 billion budget. But it will still require painful cuts.| San José Spotlight
Santa Clara County's largest stream of federal money and funding source for its public hospitals will be washed away if Congress follows through on its proposed $880 billion in spending cuts to Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California.| San José Spotlight
It’s cheaper to rent a home in San Jose than buy one, though renters still pay steep prices in one of the most costly cities in the nation.| San José Spotlight
Foreign workers are arriving in Silicon Valley at record levels while the general labor force is getting older and leaving in droves — driven away by soaring housing and health care costs and enabled by the seismic shifts of remote work.| San José Spotlight
Cupertino’s latest mixed-use, affordable housing project is almost ready to open its doors. The Westport Senior Apartments will add 267 homes to Cupertino's inventory for older adults.| San José Spotlight
A Cupertino assisted living facility is one step closer to being built after years of delays — but not as originally planned. The Cupertino Planning Commission unanimously recommended changes Tuesday to an older adult assisted living facility as part of the Westport development along Stevens Creek Boulevard. Modifications to the multistory building, requested by developer...| San José Spotlight
A three-alarm fire destroyed the vacant former MACSA youth center in San Jose early Friday.At about 1 a.m., San Jose firefighters responded to a large fire at the vacant building at 600 Sinclair Drive in the city's Mayfair district, officials said.| San José Spotlight
There's a new voice in San José. Introducing San José Spotlight, the city’s first nonprofit news organization dedicated to political and business reporting.| San José Spotlight
San Jose leaders are updating the city’s social media policy to ensure elected officials relinquish their online communication channels once their term ends.| San José Spotlight
San Joseans have a lot to say about their roads: It’s one of the most common complaints levied against the city. “There are lots of pockets in the city with bad roads that I just don’t feel safe biking,” said Bobby Gonzalez, a San Jose resident and avid cyclist. “Downtown’s roads are designed differently so...| San José Spotlight
The San Jose Department of Transportation has recalibrated its approach to vehicle towing and is prioritizing dealing with blighted abandoned cars.| San José Spotlight
San Jose spent millions on a mobile 311 app to improve community services, but only about 10% of residents use it according to city officials.| San José Spotlight
Butch Larson has been homeless for more than a decade. He’s set up camp near the Guadalupe River in San Jose, a spot he’s called home for three years that will be swept sooner than later.| San José Spotlight
A looming multimillion-dollar deficit will force San Jose to make cuts in the next budget. Instead of detailing what will be lost, Mayor Matt Mahan has outlined his nonnegotiables.| San José Spotlight
San Jose plans to clear homeless people living along its waterways to address issues with environmental pollution, and officials are taking steps to set aside money to make sure those people have somewhere to go.| San José Spotlight
The Sierra Club was forced to file a lawsuit against San Jose. By approving a plan from Boston Properties, Inc. to build a massive glass facade office building—16 stories, 283 feet high, 800 feet long and with three levels of underground parking that egregiously provides no setback buffer between the building and the steep banks...| San José Spotlight
Less than a week after Mayor Matt Mahan announced a bold push to arrest homeless people who refuse help, disturbing videos show San Jose police officers beating and verbally taunting an elderly homeless man — leading to a complaint from the local NAACP chapter. At least six police surrounded a homeless man on Fruitdale Avenue...| San José Spotlight
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan has long said he wants elected officials and city leaders to be accountable for eliminating homelessness and improving public safety. That's the centerpiece of his latest 2025-26 budget message.| San José Spotlight
The mayor of San Jose wants to penalize homeless people who refuse shelter by arresting or hospitalizing them, punting the service-resistant onto Santa Clara County for care.| San José Spotlight
San Jose officials have signed off on the mayor's plan to reallocate a majority of funding meant for affordable housing and put it toward temporary homeless shelters.| San José Spotlight
San Jose will add a seventh tiny home site to its temporary housing stock, giving dozens of people a roof over their head come fall. After more than two years, the Cherry Avenue tiny homes project is about to begin construction, with a planned opening in September. The $18.3-million project will provide temporary housing for...| San José Spotlight
A San Jose task force aimed at finding ways to eliminate traffic deaths is folding at the end of the year — and while road safety improvements have been made, the city still has work to do in reducing fatalities.| San José Spotlight
To save money, San Jose leaders cut a critical fire department program last year that tracked the storage of addictive painkillers for cross-trained firefighter paramedics. Nine months later, the theft of opioids from nearly two dozen fire stations has raised concerns that patients in serious pain received tampered drugs.| San José Spotlight
San Jose smoke shops will soon be monitored more closely by the city for unregulated drugs due to a new permitting system.| San José Spotlight
Although Silicon Valley has a reputation for attracting young, tech-savvy workers, the cycle may no longer be true as statistics point toward older adults shifting the dynamic and the area being ill-equipped for the looming change.| San José Spotlight
About 37 senior nutrition programs serve 16,000 older adults a free or low-priced lunch during the week across Santa Clara County. The programs keep growing every year, as the region’s aging population on a fixed income struggles to purchase affordable, nutritious food and find activities combating loneliness.| San José Spotlight
Plans for a Cupertino assisted living facility are moving forward, but with significantly less retail and parking than originally envisioned.| San José Spotlight
San Jose is updating its 311 app that tracks resident complaints to more efficiently address thousands of requests about abandoned vehicles. The 311 app is designed to be a one-stop shop for residents to report a variety of issues including blight, graffiti and potholes, or request other supportive services. Residents depend on the city to resolve issues pertaining to...| San José Spotlight
Driving through San Jose on any given day, you might be greeted by abandoned shopping carts flipped over and scattered along underpasses, near railroad tracks or on sidewalks. Now, San Jose councilmember Sergio Jimenez wants to eliminate littering carts by revamping the city’s Abandoned Shopping Cart program, a decades-old policy that hands out fines for carts run awry...| San José Spotlight
The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board has green lit San Jose’s plan through 2027 to tackle homeless encampment trash going into city waterways — further ensuring the city's compliance with environmental regulations.| San José Spotlight
