The city’s lawsuit sought the injunction against 10 people, and Superior Court Judge Roberta Hayashi only granted it for seven in late April . The lawsuit alleges the individuals have a history of arrests for dealing drugs including methamphetamine and cannabis. If found loitering within 100 yards of St. James Park, the defendants would be arrested, according to the mayor’s office.

The injunction approach could be used in other parts of town seen as “hotspots” for homeless residents struggling with addiction and mental health issues, according to Mahan’s Tuesday announcement.

It’s the latest in a string of other arrest and ban policies Mahan has pushed to get the unhoused and mentally ill population off the streets.

City Attorney Nora Frimann, who sought the injunction said her office didn’t track whether these people were convicted of crimes — and focused solely on arrest history. This news outlet could not immediately confirm the seven individuals’ conviction histories.

“My office had the arrest information so I don’t know about convictions – the activities are what we were focused on enjoining, separate from any final criminal penalties,” Frimann told San Jose Spotlight.

The police department declined to answer questions about whether the individuals were ultimately convicted.

The NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley said the injunction strategy lacks proper due process.

“It allows law enforcement mechanisms themselves — not the courts — to determine innocence or guilt before due process,” NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley President Sean Allen told San Jose Spotlight. “We recognize they’re going to expand this. Holding people accountable is one thing. But we’re concerned that there’s a pattern of discrimination here. We also suspect this will increase use of force levels.”

Mahan’s office declined to comment further, beyond the statement announcing the injunction. Mahan said the reputation of St. James Park – a historic centerpiece of downtown since the late 1800s – has declined in recent years due to drug dealing and the presence of homeless people.

“We won’t tolerate public drug sales or use in San Jose,” Mahan said in the statement. “Public spaces like our historic St. James Park must be kept open and accessible for the entire public to enjoy. I want to thank City Attorney Frimann for ensuring we use every tool at our disposal to keep drug dealers out of the Park and invite the rest of the community in.”

A spokesperson for the county courts and Judge Hayashi declined to comment, saying state law prohibits judges from speaking to media about pending cases.

Frimann said the injunction method could be used again.

“Both the San Jose Municipal Code and state law provide the basis to enjoin activities that impact the public health and safety, particularly on public property such as the Park,” Frimann told San Jose Spotlight. “The City currently does not have a specific plan for another injunction, but this is a tool that can and will be used if there is a similar documented history of public nuisance activities in other areas of the City.”

“These individuals gather on Park benches and other structures to engage in illegal activities. Those gathered for illegal drug activities also consume alcohol and smoke, in violation of Park rules. Under the influence, these individuals urinate and litter in Park spaces,” the city’s lawsuit reads

There are plans to turn St. James in a different direction. Earlier this year, City Councilmembers moved forward on a three-party operating agreement for the future downtown concert venue between the city, the national Levitt Foundation and Friends of Levitt Pavilion San Jose, a local nonprofit supporting the St. James Park project. In addition to the music pavilion, the reimagined park will include a picnic grove, garden and monument walks, fountain, dog park and playground.

Allen said his organization is concerned this injunction largely targets Black and brown people and will further entice the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in San Jose, amid emboldened crackdowns under President Donald Trump. Several ICE crackdowns in East San Jose have sparked fear and calls for new, local-level protections by community leaders.

“The lack of due process and discriminatory harm – we’re seeing a connection between this and the ICE arrests,” Allen said.

Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X.

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San Jose City Council unanimously approved a $73.7 million multifamily housing revenue bond on June 10 to close the remaining gap needed to finance the $160-million affordable housing development with developer Affirmed Housing. The 191-apartment complex will be 100% affordable housing, with 128 onsite parking spaces.

“Without the city’s funds, the project would be significantly delayed. These funds are pivotal to the project’s success,” Rob Wilkins, Northern California vice president of Affirmed Housing, told San José Spotlight.

The Arcade at 1371 Kooser Road will offer 139 apartments for those making 40% to 70% of the area median income, or between $73,700 and $129,010 for a family of four. In addition,  50 apartments will be set aside for unhoused residents and those making less than 30% of the area median income, or under $55,290 for a family of four. Two apartments will be for management. The 7-story development will feature 50 three-bedroom apartments, 48 two-bedrooms, 18 1-bedrooms, and 75 studio apartments.

The building will be partially powered by solar and have energy-efficient appliances, in addition to an outdoor area for hosting barbecues, a computer room and free VTA passes for all residents.

Construction was originally scheduled to start in 2023, but Wilkins said financing took longer than expected. Construction will commence next month, with an anticipated December 2027 completion date.

Vice Mayor Pam Foley, whose District 9 includes The Arcade site, did not respond to requests for comment.

Affirmed Housing has multiple affordable developments underway. The Berryessa Transit Center project will add 195 affordable apartments to North San Jose. The developer will transform the busy transit corridor on King Road, which runs runs parallel to the site, with several miles of bus-only lanes, bike lanes and 29,000 feet of walkways.

Last year, the developer received a $38 million grant to build the Berryessa apartments. The grant came from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program, which finances projects that integrate affordable housing and environmental sustainability.

Affirmed Housing has also developed four other properties in San Jose, including Villas on the Park, San Jose’s first affordable housing development built with Measure A money, Vitalia, Fairways and Vela.

The Arcade will be the developer’s second largest project in San Jose, after the Berryessa site.

Alex Shoor, cofounder and executive director of nonprofit Catalyze SV, said the more affordable housing developed in San Jose, the better.

“Everyone is touched by the housing shortage,” Shoor told San José Spotlight. “How great will it be to have your neighbors who are homeless no longer be homeless and just be neighbors living in the apartment near you? That’s a whole lot better for everyone involved. Every homeless individual that we can get into housing in the neighborhood means they’re not on the street, on your street corner.”

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X.

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The San Jose Planning Commission held a public hearing Wednesday for Alviso neighborhood residents living near a proposed 100% affordable housing project by developer Cloud Apartments at 7 Topgolf Drive. Housing advocates with organizations like CatalyzeSV and the Greenbelt Alliance said the eight, seven-story buildings would alleviate the need for more housing and retail in the area — but not everyone agrees.

Richard Santos, a longtime Alviso resident and neighborhood advocate who represents the area on Valley Water’s board of directors, said the buildings would be a misuse of the established green space surrounding Topgolf and create traffic congestion. He also pointed to city officials finding the project to be inconsistent with existing development zoning policies in the area.

“This will not be a complimentary welcome to our laid-back community,” Santos told San José Spotlight. “During heavy traffic, 49er games and concerts, this bumper-to-bumper traffic cuts through the Alviso community … This would put our library, our kids and senior citizens in unsafe situations.”

Cloud Apartments is looking to invoke a state law known as “builder’s remedy,” which allows developers to bypass local zoning requirements when a city is late getting a state-certified housing plan.

District 4 Councilmember David Cohen, whose district includes the project, wants the developers to involve Alviso residents in the planning process.

“I have encouraged the developers of the project to engage in robust community engagement,” he told San José Spotlight. “They are attempting to invoke state laws that allow them to bypass city zoning and council input, so I hope they listen to the community feedback they receive.”

The project qualifies under builder’s remedy because San Jose’s state-mandated housing plan was out of compliance when the developer first submitted the application. Planning department officials will make a final determination at a later date.

“The purpose of the item before the Planning Commission is not to approve or deny the project but to provide an opportunity for the public and local government officials to comment,” Planning Director Chris Burton said in a recent memo. “The project proponent believes the project qualifies for Builder’s Remedy because it provides housing for low-income households.”

More than one dozen residents spoke at the planning commission meeting, with most joining Santos in opposing the project for similar concerns.

Chair Anthony Tordillos remained neutral throughout the two-hour discussion, and encouraged the developers to increase community benefits and take residents’ concerns into consideration. The project can be approved by planning department officials without additional public hearings.

“This is a very interesting project,” Tordillos said at the meeting. “We’re looking at a type of housing that we don’t often see come before the commission, a middle-income project that is not reliant on any public subsidy.”

All 780 apartments will be affordable for households making 80% of the area median income (AMI) — $159,550 per year for a family of four in Santa Clara County.

A San Jose planning department spokesperson said the developer can choose to modify the project after Wednesday’s hearing.

“Builder’s remedy is what makes this project possible as it’s not in an area zoned for housing,” spokesperson Marika Krause told San José Spotlight. “Builder’s remedy may allow the project to go through a more streamlined review process.”
Catalyze SV Executive Director Alex Shoor said his members support the project for its affordability, proximity to transit and inclusion of 16,238 square feet of commercial space.

He said he wants to see the developer lower the AMI threshold to make the apartments more accessible to lower income families.

“Our members would love to see that number come down a little bit, or diversify so we get 60%, 50% and 30% AMI on at least some of the units, because as you know, 80% of AMI is still so expensive,” Shoor told San José Spotlight. “North San Jose is an area that is prime for building new communities, some areas feel like a blank canvas.”

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About two dozen protesters from the Solidarity and Unity Network (SUN) rallied in front of Robert F. Peckham Federal Building in San Jose on Thursday to speak out against the bill, which has passed the House and is being debated in the Senate. Baked into the bill are deep cuts to programs the poorest people rely on, including Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California, food stamps, housing vouchers and more. Protesters waved signs that said “ICE out of San Jose,” “Stop War,” and “No Big Ugly Bill” as they chanted “Stand up, fight back.”

SUN is made of two dozen groups representing a myriad of issues including Amigos de Guadalupe, Asian Law Alliance, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, Jewish Voice for Peace South Bay, Laborers Local 270, Latinas Contra Cancer, Services Immigrant Rights and Education Network and more.

“If you take each one of our values, we can honestly say that Trump is working against all of those values,” Richard Hobbs, a lead organizer with SUN, told San José Spotlight. “It’s not about democracy for him, or equity or cooperation or kindness or sustainability. This bill incorporates a lot of the backsliding in our nation that we can’t afford.”

The budget proposals advancing through Congress could cost Santa Clara County up to $70 million. Trump wants Congress to work out the details of the bill to get it on his desk to sign by July 4.

The House version of the bill would slash health care programs by about $1 trillion over the next decade and require certain adults on Medi-Cal to work 80 hours a month to maintain health insurance. Due to the changes proposed to the Affordable Care Act marketplace and Medi-Cal, nearly 11 million people could lose health insurance, estimates the Congressional Budget Office. In California, about 1.7 million more people could be uninsured.

Medi-Cal represents roughly $1.9 billion in funding received by Santa Clara County this year. The county receives that money through reimbursements for patient care at county hospitals. It costs the county $4 billion, or $33%, from its $12 billion budget to run the hospitals. Half of the county hospital system’s patients pay through Medi-Cal.

“In Santa Clara County, one-third of our budget comes from the federal government,” San Jose State University professor emeritus Scott Myers-Lipton said at the rally. “The Trump cut in Medicaid will lead to even longer wait times here in Silicon Valley and an increase in infant mortality.”

Food insecurity would also rise under the bill, which would cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by nearly $300 billion over the next nine years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. That’s expected to lead to more than 7 million people losing or significantly reducing their food stamp benefits. Some parents would be required to work 80 hours a month to qualify, and it would require states to shoulder between 5% and 25% of the costs.

In Santa Clara County, participation in CalFresh is already at its highest level in a decade. As of last July, the federally funded food assistance program has more than 130,000 individuals receiving food stamps in the county, according to CalFresh data.

“We know when our children are hungry, they cannot learn,” Misrayn Mendoza with Amigos de Guadalupe said. “This is a health issue too, since food insecurity is linked to increased risk of diet related disease. SNAP helps low income households afford healthier diets.”
The bill would also shift more wealth to the highest income earners, while those at the bottom will experience the greatest loss. People at the top 10% would see their incomes increase by an additional $12,000, while the lowest 10% would see their resources decrease by about $1,600 annually due to cuts in Medi-Cal and SNAP, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. Those in the middle income bracket will experience a slight bump in income by $500 to $1,000.

“Let’s be clear, this money is not just disappearing. It’s being stolen,” Darcie Green, executive director of Latinas Contra Cancer, said. “Stolen by corrupt politicians to line the pockets of their billionaire friends.”

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X.

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The city’s decades-old mobile home rent policy states property owners cannot raise rents more than 7% without city approval — but Western Trailer Park disregarded it on the grounds that recreational vehicles are not mobile homes. Housing Director Erik Soliván updated the policy earlier this month to clarify RVs are considered mobile homes on mobile home lots. RV residents live in 15 of the 58 mobile home parks within San Jose.

Jeff Scott, spokesperson for the housing department, said the official policy has been in place for more than 40 years and always covered RVs.

“The recent technical guidance is intended to clarify applicable rules,” he told San José Spotlight. “The city of San Jose is committed to enforcement of the ordinance as we work to increase housing stability by ensuring mobile home park residents are protected from illegal rent increases.”

Soliván cited Stockton-based Harmony Communities, which manages mobile home parks including Western Trailer Park, as an example of a landlord refusing to comply because they claimed mobile home lots are out of bounds if they’re occupied by RVs. The company is also disputing with city officials over a rent increase request denied earlier this year at Golden Wheel Mobile Home Park.

Harmony Communities spokesperson Nick Ubaldi said the update supports their view that the policy doesn’t regulate RVs or RV lots.

“If the ordinance already covered RVs and RV spaces, why would an amendment be necessary?” he told San José Spotlight.

Western Trailer Park resident Cesareo Romero has lived in the park for about 19 years. He said he noticed property owners attempting to raise rent for him and his neighbors also living in RVs. With the policy update, he said they have more concrete information to reference when inquiring about any potential rent increases.

“This definitely makes me feel more protected, living in a house on wheels and all,” Romero told San José Spotlight. “I’m trying to keep myself posted on all the things going on with my neighbors, it feels good to learn about this.”
San Jose Housing & Community Development Commissioner Ali Sapirman said she wants to see mobile home park owners educated on the policy so it can help stabilize rent as intended.

“What we were seeing was landlords working through perceived loopholes in the policy, which inevitably hurts tenants,” Sapirman told San José Spotlight. “It’s a really important clarification.”

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.

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The City Council voted unanimously June 17 to approve loans totaling $72.5 million to nonprofit Community Development Partners to build an affordable housing 160-apartment complex at 525 N. Capitol Ave., of which a little more than $25.7 million is through lender Citibank. A portion will be funded by Measure E, a property transfer tax voters approved in 2020. Councilmembers made the decision without discussion.

A June 13 memo from Housing Director Erik Soliván stated $130 million will be needed to finance the project. Solivan’s memo breaks out how the project will obtain the financing through a series of loans, fees and other measures. Santa Clara County officials committed to loaning $8 million to the project in 2023 when Community Development Partners first announced the plans. Construction is expected to break ground next month and be done by April 2027.

“We need more housing for residents at all income levels in San Jose,” Deputy Housing Director San Banu told San José Spotlight. “The project at 525 N. Capitol Ave. is leveraging city financing to deliver 160 units of deeply affordable housing, including permanent supportive units for individuals who aren’t self-sufficient, and apartments set aside for military veterans.”

The apartments range from studios to three-bedrooms and 71 will be affordable to people making 30% of the area median income — $68,320 annually for a family of four in Santa Clara County. There will be 25 apartments affordable to people making 50% of the AMI and 62 for those making 60% of the AMI.

City housing officials increased the recommended loan by $5 million after Housing Trust Silicon Valley withdrew a $5 million pledge.

“There are many projects that need funding. As this project neared closing, the financing gap was filled by other sources, which allowed us to redirect our support to other affordable housing developments,” a Housing Trust Silicon Valley spokesperson told San José Spotlight.

Of the $15 million in Measure E funds dedicated to the project, about $1.7 million was allocated from the fund’s “extremely low income” housing priorities.

Councilmembers voted earlier this month to reallocate permanent affordable housing funds from Measure E in the 2025-26 budget and dedicate $39.2 million to propping up temporary shelter to address growing homelessness.

Mayor Matt Mahan made emergency interim housing a centerpiece of his budget plan this year and successfully proposed redirecting as much as 90% of Measure E dollars for temporary shelter.
Community Development Partners President Kyle Paine said they’re grateful to the city for its support.

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.

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The Rapid Engagement Support Team (REST) works to assist homeless residents caught up in sweeps. REST aids with recovering a person’s property after a sweep, providing information on how to get back towed vehicles and educating individuals on their rights. The grassroots group helps file requests to extend a disabled person’s time in an encampment, provides meals and supplies, works to find people housing and more. REST is modeled after the Rapid Response Network, a network of volunteers providing information and assistance during U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) raids.

It’s comprised of supporters and partners including the Unhoused Response Group, Community Seva,  Law Foundation of Silicon Valley, Helping Hands Silicon Valley, Hello Angels, Lighthouse Food Rescue and Distribution, Showing up for Racial Justice and more. REST is working to secure funding to create a hotline where homeless residents can dial in during a sweep and advocates can report police activity.

“The mayor has essentially declared war on homeless people, and it is important for unhoused people to be supported quickly by us first responders who can bring them what they need,” Shaunn Cartwright of Unhoused Response Group and lead organizer of REST told San José Spotlight.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is rolling out a policy to arrest homeless people who refuse shelter, and wants to create a police unit and outreach team to track and handle these cases. The city is also upping the ante on sweeps, clearing out encampments by the waterways and installing concrete K-rails to prevent re-encampment. Starting Aug. 18, the city will begin tackling the RV encampment at Columbus Park, where more than 80 vehicles have crammed into the park area and along Asbury, Irene and Spring streets. Clean up is expected to last until October.

Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services spokesperson Amanda Rodriguez said the area has become increasingly unsafe. She said outreach teams will be at the park daily as the sweep date nears.

“Between now and then, outreach workers will continue engaging with individuals in the area to help them connect with shelter, services and resources,” Rodriguez told San José Spotlight.

As San Jose is working to clear encampments near the park by the Guadalupe River from West Taylor Street to Interstate 880, advocates have been on the Guadalupe River Trail offering assistance. Helping Hands Silicon Valley has put multiple veterans into a hotel using money they received from Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Otto Lee’s office.
Cartwright assisted several transgender women on the Guadalupe River Trail who had nowhere to go and were afraid of moving into an unfamiliar area. She is trying to get one of them into New Haven Inn, an adult LGBTQ+ shelter.

“It’s also shameful that for a city and county that has so many unhoused LGBTQ people that there’s only space for 18 people in the whole county,” Cartwright said.

Assistance and intervention

Intervention is often the difference between life and death for the homeless population, as many have health conditions. Last year, nearly 200 homeless people died in the county, 50 who had cardiovascular disease and 68 who had high blood pressure, according to the coroner’s data.

Being unsheltered also exposes people to the extreme heat or cold. Last October, San Jose logged its hottest week ever recorded as temperatures spiked above 100 degrees. There were 10 documented heat-related deaths countywide — compared to zero in 2023. The Columbus Park sweep will happen during the hottest part of the year.

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At a brief Tuesday news conference outside City Hall, a coalition of activists — led by the NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley — announced they met directly with Councilmembers Peter Ortiz and Domingo Candelas over the past week. The meetings were called after law enforcement sources came forward to this news outlet saying the two participated in a provocative group chat discovered on the confiscated phone of disgraced former Councilmember Omar Torres. The sources allege the group chat’s participants used the N-word and made inflammatory remarks about their communities – and that City Hall sealed the texts from public disclosure.

“These conversations were honest, necessary and affirming of their values and commitment to standing with our communities,” Sean Allen, president of NAACP of San Jose/Silicon Valley, said. “Together we acknowledged the harm caused by the alleged content of the alleged private text chain and discussed the deeper issues in our minds.”

Officials did not take any questions at the news conference. Ortiz and Candelas each gave remarks from the podium and stood alongside activists there supporting them for their work with marginalized communities. Neither discussed any intent to release the alleged texts to the public — but Candelas said he understood the messages’ hurtful nature.

“These past couple weeks I have been meeting with several community organizations affected by these alleged messages and I’m working toward a path forward, rooted in understanding and empathy, but more importantly a commitment to social justice and healing,” Candelas said.

Ortiz said he remains committed to advocating for Black working families in San Jose.

“I will continue to always ensure Black and brown residents have a real seat at the table in every decision made at City Hall,” Ortiz said.

The group text was allegedly named “Tammany Hall,” after a powerful political machine that dominated New York state politics in the 1800s, according to the law enforcement sources. The messages also allegedly referred to Mexicans as “scraps,” a slang term used to refer to Southern California gang members. The participants of the text thread allegedly made demeaning comments about certain neighborhoods and schools in low-income areas.

Activists at the event balanced their belief that “words do matter” against a growing suspicion that San Jose law enforcement is using the texts for political gain.

“Some of the loudest calls for punishment (of Ortiz and Candelas) have come from individuals and institutions with no demonstrated concern for equity,” Allen, a former sergeant with the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office, said. “On the contrary, some of them have acted and continue to benefit from policies that harm the Black community. It is not lost on us that these alleged text messages were leaked with the intention of creating conflict between our communities.”

Rose Amador, co-founder of the historic activist group La Raza Roundtable, defended Ortiz and Candelas as champions of marginalized communities.

“Their commitment to community engagement and sustainable progress deserves full recognition and wholehearted support,” Amador said.

Mayor Matt Mahan has voiced concern about the alleged texts — as well as allegations of a City Hall cover-up. He has called for the release of the messages, if they meet the criteria for disclosure under the California Public Records Act, to maintain trust with residents.
In addition to discovering the texts as part of the investigation into Torres, law enforcement sources said city officials sent investigators their unsolicited emails warning about Torres’ actions, which resulted in them being shielded from the public.

The news conference came on the morning of the highly-anticipated special election to replace Torres, who resigned and was arrested on charges of child molestation on Election Day last November. He has since pleaded no contest with a sentencing hearing scheduled for August.

Story updated June 26 at 11:40 a.m. Original story published June 24 at 1:39 p.m.

Contact Brandon Pho at brandon@sanjosespotlight.com or @brandonphooo on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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The City Council earlier this month approved potential penalties for 111 properties that owe a total $307,000 in mandatory sidewalk repairs as of May 8 — the number has since shrunk to 82, according to city housing officials. Homeowners have about one year to make the repairs by either hiring city contractors or their own contractors. If they don’t comply, homeowners will be penalized with a lien on their 2025-26 Santa Clara County property tax statements.

“Following council’s approval of staff’s recommendations, a special assessment would be placed on the property tax bill of delinquent property owners to recover sidewalk repair costs,” John Kachmanian, San Jose deputy director of finance, said at the June 17 meeting.

City fines and repair notices have been controversial among low-income homeowners financially burdened by an average bill of $3,000 for sidewalk repairs. The repairs include fixing cracks and blemishes along the walkway to reduce blight and prevent tripping hazards. On average, homeowners take 18 months to address repair costs.

Since last year, the city’s financial hardship program meant to assist homeowners with the cost of sidewalk repairs received 289 requests for help. The city approved less than half, 124 properties, for financial hardship assistance worth almost $400,000. This is in contrast to 158 requests and 74 properties approved for $282,000 in financial assistance during the 2023-24 fiscal year.

Homeowners earning less than 80% of the area median income (AMI) and those making 50% of the AMI are eligible to have their entire costs waived.

San Jose Transportation Director John Ristow said the city usually awards the entire amount of funds allocated by the city council because of the high number of requests. Repair costs are issued most often after residents walking in the area report an “imperfection,” which leads to a city inspection. He said trees and other openings in the sidewalk hamper safety for pedestrians.

“We do over 5,000 sidewalk repairs a year, and almost 70% of those are actually done by the property owner using their own contractors, which is usually faster and cheaper and easier,” Ristow said at the meeting. “For those folks that don’t want to use their own contractors, that’s where we come in.”

The Alum Rock neighborhood in East San Jose is heavily impacted by sidewalk repair fees. Homeowners in the area said hiring their own contractors is much more cost efficient.

“We went through repairing our sidewalk a few years back. The price the city was going to charge was outrageous, so we hired people to do it,” Sherrie Haas Escamilla told San José Spotlight. “Much less expensive and the city signed off on it.”
Alum Rock resident Gilbert Garcia said he spent just under $1,500 hiring a city contractor to fix a sidewalk with tree roots growing underneath.

“I used their contractor because I didn’t want to deal with any permitting issues, and if their contractor killed the tree, then it’s the city and the contractor’s fault,” he told San José Spotlight.

Contact Vicente Vera at vicente@sanjosespotlight.com or follow @VicenteJVera on X.

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Habitat for Humanity has been renovating the historic Pallesen Apartments building, now located at the corner of Fourth and Reed streets, and will sell the condominiums to first-time buyers when the rehabilitation is complete in August. The 115-year-old building — comprised of four, 1,100 square-foot two-bedroom condos — will have a new foundation and roof, as well as new flooring, cabinets, bathrooms, appliances and more. The restoration costs about $2.6 million. Scape San Jose LLC, the previous owner, donated the building to Habitat for Humanity.

The homes are targeted for low-income families — households making up to 80% of the area median income or less than $159,550 for a family of four — and very low-income families making between 30% to 50% of the area median income, or less than $100,450 for a family of four.

The families will not be required to make a down payment. San Jose is providing $250,000 in down payment assistance, or $62,500 per condo, to lower the sales price of the homes through Measure E funds.

The condos are valued between $510,000 and $620,000, but families will pay a monthly mortgage rate of no more than 35% of their income. Monthly payments will be between $2,000 to $2,800, depending on income, and will be a fixed rate over 30 years. These payments include insurance and maintenance fees. If the family decides to move out before the home is paid off, the nonprofit will buy back the property and sell it to another low-income family.

The building has a deed restriction to remain affordable for the next 99 years, Ben Grubb, the nonprofit’s project manager, said.

“The idea is that housing can be a thing that you no longer have to worry about,” Grubb told San José Spotlight. “The difference between affordable home ownership versus affordable rental is that you’re not (just) changing the lives of two or three people. You’re changing the lives of 4, 10, 12, 24 people over the course of many years.”

Renovations were supposed to be complete by 2023, but delays in getting funding for construction pushed back the timeline, Grubb said. Santa Clara County provided $1 million in Measure A funds, a $950 million affordable housing bond approved by voters in 2016. The project also received loans from the Housing Trust Silicon Valley and Google.

The building, a Mission Revival-style fourplex built in 1910, was saved from demolition a few years ago when downtown residents and the Preservation Action Council of San Jose successfully raised $300,000 to move it to the corner of Fourth and Reed streets. The historic building was going to be knocked down to make way for a high-rise, mixed-use project in 2021.
Prior to the move, the building sat at 14 E. Reed Street for more than 100 years. It was home to Danish immigrants, who rented the rooms to local working class people. Although the house is on San Jose’s historic inventory list, it has to be part of the national registry to avoid being demolished.

“We’re trying to save neighborhoods,” Mike Sodergren, board president of the Preservation Action Council, told San José Spotlight. “We’re also trying to preserve architecture that reflects the cultural identity. When we do this, it preserves a unique sense of place.”

Contact Joyce Chu at joyce@sanjosespotlight.com or @joyce_speaks on X. 

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