More than 100 people packed the Camden Community Center Wednesday to speak against a West Valley hotel converting to temporary homes for homeless women and children. They stood against the walls when seats ran out, booed, shouted over each other and yelled at San Jose officials, “You’re our elected officials! You need to listen to...
San Jose residents win fight to stop housing project
City officials have sided with homeowners opposed to a proposed 17-story apartment complex that would have added hundreds of homes in West San Jose. The San Jose City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to deny plans to construct 135 homes and 15,000 square feet of commercial retail space at 826 N. Winchester Blvd. Neighborhood residents who...
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San Jose fire to resume drug oversight program after tampering
San Jose leaders are temporarily reinstating a drug oversight program they scrapped while firefighter medics internally flagged narcotics thefts and patient exposure to tampered morphine. The City Council on Tuesday approved the revival of San Jose’s paramedic coordinator program, known as Med 30, with new funding for seven months — starting in December — as...
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Homelessness takes center stage at San José Spotlight’s PolitiBeat
A regional homelessness crisis and the local shockwaves of President Donald Trump’s second term dominated discussions at San José Spotlight’s third annual, all-day political festival tackling the future of Silicon Valley. Hundreds of people converged on the Hammer Theatre in downtown San Jose last week to learn about how the region is dealing with critical...
San Jose loans housing developer $5M after political donations
City leaders are committing millions of dollars in loans to an affordable housing provider after the company’s officers donated thousands to San Jose elected officials. The San Jose City Council on June 3 unanimously approved up to $5 million in loans for the “Gateway Tower” project, a 15-story 220-apartment development between 493 S. First St....
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San Jose’s $5.5B budget tackles controversial plans
San Jose officials have agreed to green light Mayor Matt Mahan’s latest budget plans — but stopped short of tying portions of councilmembers’ pay to their perceived performance. The City Council voted Tuesday to approve a $5.5 billion proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2025-26. Several of the mayor’s proposals moved forward, including reallocating Measure...
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San Jose language programs could boost school enrollment
San Jose school districts are counting on specialized programming to slow their enrollment decline. While overall enrollment continues to fall, a number of local school districts have found a way to attract new students through transitional kindergarten and dual language immersion during the 2024-25 school year. Alum Rock Union School District in East San Jose...
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The Biz Beat: El Bazar Azteca shares Mexican art and heritage
Before opening El Bazar Azteca in San Jose three years ago, Teresa Saldana was selling her imported Talavera pottery on street corners out of a van. Even then, the bright colors of the ceramics, instantly recognizable as symbols of Mexican culture, were almost impossible to resist. “I am probably one of her first customers,” devoted...
Sources: San Jose officials used racial slurs in group chat
A group of San Jose politicians allegedly participated in an inflammatory text thread with a disgraced colleague that included racial slurs and derogatory remarks, according to law enforcement sources. Sources say the participants in the text thread, which included councilmembers and community leaders, made the remarks while discussing city meetings and public business. Mayor Matt Mahan,...
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San Jose safe parking no better than street life, residents say
Heidi White entered the Santa Teresa safe parking site 19 months ago thinking it’d be her first step out of homelessness. Instead, her health has declined and housing is still a dream. White said she hardly sees her caseworker and is never informed of when a new affordable housing development is opening. Since moving there...