For California Local members who are tired of the state's endless housing crisis, this week's edition of The Newsletter brings good news. And as always there's somethiing for everyone who would like to know what's up in their own neighborhood just below, in our carefully curated News Digest. And yes: A featured local nonprofit, and a recipe!
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By Eric Johnson
Published May 20, 2024
Construction of multifamily housing developments is set to skyrocket in the next half decade.
Image credit: Sundry Photography, Shutterstock
Here Comes the California Housing Boom
What You Should Know About the State's Ambitious Housing Plans, and How to Get Involved
Here at California Local we see what’s coming out of most of the newsrooms in ten Northern California counties and select important stories to include in our News Digest (see below). In doing so over the past couple of months, our friend and colleague Chris Neklason noticed two phrases appearing everywhere, as cities and counties raced to complete the “housing element” of their “general plans.”
We understand that not all of you are familiar with those two terms, and may not yet be aware that California is already experiencing the start of a housing boom. Folks in Santa Cruz, where Chris lives, are well aware of this fact, as downtown is in the midst of a dramatic transformation, and the same thing is happening here in Midtown Sacramento. In these two articles, Chris explains how this works, and how you can help shape the way it will all play out on the ground.
How California Manages Housing as a Public Resource
Like the 33 million acres of forest in California, the nearly 15 million units of housing in the state are tended and managed with future generations in mind. Meet the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
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Santa Clara County's Homepage |
| Direct your browser to https://santaclara.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Santa Clara County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community! | |
Recipe of the Week
Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.
See more recipes in their Taste Spring! cookbook.
Savory cherry sauce perfect for grilling season
New! Savory cherry sauce with sweet onions goes great with pork, chicken
Get to Know a Group
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The Grateful Garment Project |
The Grateful Garment Project restores dignity to victims of sexual violence by providing them with new clothing, food and vital items.
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From Our Media Allies |
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California State Parks Foundation Calls on the Legislature to Restore Library Parks Pass Funding |
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California State Parks Foundation responded to Governor Newsom's revised 2024-2025 budget and raised concern about the elimination of funding for a popular state park access program, the California State Library Parks Pass. |
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Santa Clara County Recognizes Need for Latino Health Center |
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Santa Clara County leaders are moving forward with the idea of building a Latino health and wellness center. |
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San Jose Sharks Tout Financial Benefits to City as Lease Set to Expire |
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The San Jose Sharks' SAP Center lease with the city is expiring next year, and the terms will be changing — opening the door for negotiations with both parties. |
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San Jose to Crack Down on Illicit Drugs in Smoke Shops |
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San Jose smoke shops will soon be monitored more closely by the city for unregulated drugs due to a new permitting system. |
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Federal Election Commission Gets Complaint About a Zoe Lofgren Challenger |
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Defend The Vote has filed an FEC complaint against Charlene Nijmeh for illegal coordination, breaking transparency laws, and accepting illegal in-kind contributions. |
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Health Plan Set to Open New Resource Center in Gilroy |
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Santa Clara Family Health Plan this week announced the purchase of a building for its future Community Resource Center in South Santa Clara County. |
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San Jose Commission Wants to Split Parkland for Commercial Use |
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Plans for a 40-acre park in San Jose that was previously home to hundreds of homeless residents are shrinking as officials consider other uses for the space. |
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City of Morgan Hill Will Host May 30 Economic Mobility Symposium |
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The City of Morgan Hill recently embarked on an “Economic Mobility Study” to better understand the community's needs and address existing disparities in housing and access to opportunity. |
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City Halts Negotiations on Gilroy Gardens Property |
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The City of Gilroy has halted negotiations with a company that previously showed interest in purchasing the city’s 536-acre property that includes Gilroy Gardens. |
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Alum Rock Park |
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A few miles from downtown San Jose, find history, wildlife, a diverse set of trails, and great picnic spots at California's oldest municipal park. |
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San Jose State Students Stage Protest and Call for Divestment |
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San Jose State University students have set up a dozen tents on a lawn in front of Clark Hall, calling for the school to acknowledge the death toll in Gaza from the Israel-Hamas war. |
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Old-School Advocates Preserve California Cannabis History |
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The movement to legalize cannabis began in earnest in the ’60s and ’70s, and California was at the epicenter of it all the way up until the passage of Prop. 64, which legalized weed for adult use. |
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Silicon Valley Pro-Palestinian Protesters Disrupt Google Conference |
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Protesters wearing shirts with fake blood lined the streets of Google’s Mountain View headquarters this morning during one of its largest conferences, demanding the Bay Area tech giant divest from projects that support Palestinian genocide. |
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A Look Inside: Anderson Reservoir Diversion Tunnel |
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Crews for Valley Water and various construction contractors later this month will finish digging a new 1,736-foot diversion tunnel for Anderson Reservoir—which has been about 80% complete since February. |
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San Jose Residents Rally Against Affordable Housing Changes |
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San Jose activists are rallying outside City Hall to protest a plan by officials to divert affordable housing money to shelters and sweeps. |
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County Celebrates New Ambulance Fleet at Saint Louise Regional Hospital |
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A fleet of 12 new ambulances dedicated to transporting patients among the county’s hospitals and medical offices was unveiled at Saint Louise Regional Hospital in Gilroy on May 9. |
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Campbell Development Will Add Dozens of Homes |
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A cranny of Campbell is slated for demolition to make way for a larger housing project, leaving some residents and businesses unsure if they will be able to stay in the West Valley city. |
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Recent Local News |
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• Builder's Remedy Application Filed in Palo Alto
Developer of stalled Palo Alto 63-unit apartment complex on University Avenue resorts to builder's remedy.
(05/20/2024) → Palo Alto Online• Shakespeare Returns to Cupertino in July
Free Shakespeare will return to Memorial Park this summer thanks to sponsors at the San Francisco Shakespeare Festival.
(05/17/2024) → The Mercury News• Mountain View Advances New Tax
In its May 15 meeting, the Mountain View City Council voted to proceed with placing a property transfer tax measure on the November ballot.
(05/17/2024) → Mountain View Voice• Cupertino Approves Housing Element
In its May 14 meeting, the Cupertino City Council approved its new general plan housing element which mandates the building of 4,588 new homes over the next 10 years.
(05/16/2024) → The Mercury News• Mountain View Seeks to Fund Affordable Housing Project
The City of Mountain View must cover a funding shortfall to build a 120 unit affordable housing project on Bryant Street.
(05/16/2024) → Mountain View Voice• Residential Development Proposed for Near Downtown San Jose
Plans for a 300 unit residential development on West Julian Street have been filed.
(05/16/2024) → The Mercury News• History Museum Hit With Rising Costs
Increases in construction costs for the renovation of the Palo Alto Museum have it turning to the City for help.
(05/15/2024) → Palo Alto Online• Homeless Camps Along Creeks and Rivers Targeted
The Santa Clara Valley Water District is proposing a new ordinance banning encampments along local waterways to address increasing negative impacts.
(05/14/2024) → The Mercury News• Proposals for Transit Hub Unveiled
Preliminary proposals for a rail and transit hub in downtown San Jose adjacent to Diridon Station have been released, with costs of billions of dollars projected.
(05/14/2024) → The Mercury News• Pro-Palestine Encampment Sprouts at San Jose State
On the night of May 13, students at San Jose State University set up a pro-Palestine encampment of tents and canopies and a posted list of demands.
(05/14/2024) → The Mercury News• Palo Alto Approves Wastewater Plant
In its May 13 meeting, the Palo Alto City Council approved $63 million in funding to build a wastewater purification plant adjacent to the Regional Water Quality Control Plant on Embarcadero Way.
(05/14/2024) → Mountain View Voice• Palo Alto Updates Meeting Comment Policy
Due to the increase of hateful rants over zoom during city council meetings, comments are disabled for the public for items that are not on the agenda.
(05/14/2024) → Palo Alto Online|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• Why UC Grad Students Are Going Out on Strike
The job action starting today at UC Santa Cruz isn’t about pay, but instead is in response to how UC deployed police to clear pro-Palestinian encampments on campuses.
(05/19/2024) → CalMatters• These California Schools Connect Kids to Community Services. Will They Survive Budget Cuts?
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the community school initiative with $4.1 billion in grants to connect students and their families to medical care, counseling and other services.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• Should California Doctors Report Domestic Abuse to Police? Here’s How Physician Lawmakers Voted
Pending legislation would lift requirements for California’s doctors to report all domestic abuse cases to police. The Assembly’s three physicians had different opinions.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• California’s Lagging Economy Hinders Efforts to Close State Budget Deficit
As Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators spend the next few weeks fashioning a state budget that’s plagued by a multibillion-dollar deficit, they can’t count on a booming economy to make their task easier.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• California’s Staggering Budget Deficit Squashes Hundreds of Bills
The state’s multibillion-dollar shortfall shapes which spending bills survived the ‘suspense file’ hearings by the Assembly and Senate appropriations committees.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• $20 Billion: The Delta Tunnel’s New Price Tag
The centerpiece of California’s water wars pits Gov. Newsom against local communities and environmentalists. A new report says the benefits of the tunnel exceed the cost since other water supplies would cost more.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters|
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Government Announcements |
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United States (05/17/2024) Reser's Fine Foods Announces Voluntary Recall of Single Batch of Aldi Macaroni 32 oz Salad with Use By Date of Jun/03/24 Due to Unlabeled Wheat Allergen |
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Reser's Fine Foods is voluntarily recalling a single item with a specific use by date, produced at a regional facility and distributed to ALDI. The product is the Aldi Deli Macaroni Salad 32 oz, with a Use By Date of Jun/03/24 due to an incorrect label. The incorrect label does not include an all
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United States (05/17/2024) United Supermarkets Advises Guests in New Mexico and Texas of Palmer Candy's Voluntary Recall of White Coated Confectionary Items Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination |
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United Supermarkets is advising guests about a recall by its supplier Palmer Candy of its white coated confectionary items due to possible Salmonella contamination. Palmer Candy was notified by its liquid coating supplier that there was a potential for contamination with Salmonella from an ingredie
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United States (05/17/2024) Irvington Seafood Recalls "Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Claw Meat" Because of Possible Health Risk |
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Irvington Seafood of Irvington, AL, is recalling its 1 lb. packages of "Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Claw meat" because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly
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United States (05/16/2024) Mars Petcare US, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls 315 Bags of PEDIGREE® Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food, 44 lb. Bag Size |
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Mars Petcare US is voluntarily recalling 315 bags of PEDIGREE Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food in the 44 lb. bag size only, due to the potential presence of loose metal pieces in the bag. The affected products have a Best By Date of March 4, 2025 and Lot Code 4
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United States (05/16/2024) Update to Palmer Candy Company Recall of White Confectionary Products Because of Possible Health Risk |
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The recalled confectionary items were distributed nationwide in Walmart, HyVee, Target, Dollar General, and to distributors in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wy
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State of California (05/16/2024) Ash Kalra CA Assembly 25: |
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Assemblymember Ash Kalra Releases Statement on CalCare
hallakze
Thu, 05/16/2024 - 14:59
Thursday, May 16, 2024
SACRAMENTO Today, the Assembly Committee on Appropriations held Assembly Bill (AB) 2200, the California Guaranteed Health Care for All Act, in its committee. Assemblymember Kalra releases the following statement:
I am deeply disappointed the Assembly Appropriations Committee failed to recognize the significant cost-saving potential …
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United States (05/16/2024) Sun Noodle Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg in S&S Frozen Cup Saimin |
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Sun Noodle is recalling approximately 37,158 cases of S&S CUP SAIMIN manufactured from May 9, 2023 - May 8, 2024, because they may contain undeclared egg white powder. Any product produced prior to May 9th, 2023 should have already been discarded due to expiration dates. People who have an allergy o
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City of Milpitas (05/15/2024) City of Milpitas garnered a remarkable array of awards at the annual CAPIO EPIC Award Ceremony! |
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The City of Milpitas scooped up an impressive array of awards during the annual California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) EPIC Award Ceremony
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City of Morgan Hill (05/14/2024) Teens: Youth Action Council Info |
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Do you know a teen who may be a candidate for the Youth Action Council (YAC)? Applying to YAC 2024/2025 fiscal year starts with attending the the Youth Leadership Morgan Hill Program, a four-day session from June 17-20 designed for teenagers aged 13-18.
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City of Morgan Hill (05/14/2024) Summer Access Passes On Sale |
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The Summer Access Pass is a three-month membership that grants access to the Aquatics Center and the Centennial Recreation Center from June 8 through September 1. Sign up today and get your summer fun underway!
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