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San Jose Residents Rally Against Affordable Housing Changes

San Jose activists are rallying outside City Hall to protest a plan by officials to divert affordable housing money to shelters and sweeps.
The crowd gathered at 12:30 p.m., just an hour before the San Jose City Council is expected …

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‘Absolutely Stunned’: San Jose Mayor Inflates Costs of Not Sweeping Homeless Camps

State officials are contradicting claims made by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan in his push to redirect affordable housing money to homeless sweeps and shelters.
Mahan has argued the city faces $60,000 in daily fines per pollutant if the city …

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Campbell Development Will Add Dozens of Homes

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.
The Campbell City Council earlier this …

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Santa Clara One Step Closer to State Housing Approval

Santa Clara’s housing plans are still out of compliance with the state, but the city hopes its newest draft will be the final effort.
The Santa Clara City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to rezone more than 27 acres along …

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San Jose Commissioners Oppose Diverting Housing Funds

San Jose housing commissioners had blistering words for a proposal to divert affordable housing money to shelters and sweeps.
The Housing and Community Development Commission on Thursday voted 6-2 to reject two spending proposals that would divert funds meant for …

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San Jose Neighborhood Fights to Preserve Its Identity

After decades of residents requesting historic status, San Jose is starting the process to create a new city landmark district — the first since 2007.
The San Jose City Council earlier this month voted unanimously to nominate Alameda Park/Schiele Avenue …

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San Jose Affordable Apartments a Plus for Senior Housing Crisis

More than 100 Santa Clara County seniors struggling with the cost of living will have a place to call home in downtown San Jose within the next few years.
The San Jose City Council unanimously approved a roughly $15.2 million …

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What the Demise of Contentious Housing Law Means for San Jose

A brewing battle in the California courts may lift San Jose from the mandates of a controversial law that ended exclusionary single-family zoning statewide.
The prospect has local experts shrugging and questioning what effect, if any, Senate Bill 9 has …

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Farmworker Housing Study Oversight Committee Convenes to Review Progress

CENTRAL COAST — Despite significant progress since the release of a landmark 2018 farmworker housing study quantifying critically overcrowded housing conditions for agricultural workers in the region, thousands more homes are needed to relieve severe overcrowding, unaffordable rents and ensure …

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As May Approaches, Cal Fire Offers Fire Prevention Tips

With the month of May beginning this week, with its warmer weather, lower humidity and drying vegetation, Cal Fire is urging Bay Area homeowners to do all they can to protect against fire.

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Housing Development Could Loom Over Los Gatos Backyards

A quiet neighborhood just off bustling Los Gatos Boulevard could be forever changed if a massive housing project comes to fruition.
Benedict Lane residents voiced concerns at a Los Gatos Town Council meeting earlier this month about the height of …

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Sunnyvale Voters Likely to Support Property Transfer Tax

Sunnyvale officials may have found a new source of revenue, with a green light from residents to place a proposed tax measure on the November ballot.
A city survey collected responses from 444 Sunnyvale voters, 63% of whom supported a …

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Sunnyvale Affordable Housing Project Opens Near Downtown

Dozens of affordable homes near Sunnyvale’s downtown are ready to welcome hundreds of residents.
City officials celebrated the opening of Meridian Apartments on Tuesday. The 1.44-acre all-affordable 89-home project is a mix of apartments — from studios to three-bedrooms — …

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More Than 10K Comment on Sargent Ranch Quarry Study

Final counts reveal that more than 10,000 letters were submitted to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors during the public comment period for the Sargent Ranch Quarry Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) regarding a proposed open-pit mine at Juristac …

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San Jose Homeless Housing Planned for Sobrato Land

A homeless housing project is coming to South San Jose, and city officials want to clear the area of unsheltered encampments before it's built.
The San Jose City Council this month unanimously approved a 10-year lease for $1 annually from …

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Santa Clara County Hears Overwhelming Support for Sargent Ranch Open Space

More than 10,000 comments submitted to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voice concerns about proposed open-pit mine at Juristac’s sacred tribal land.

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Los Gatos Eases Pole Requirement for Developments

Los Gatos’ famous poles with orange netting and flags are a thing of the past on some development projects in town.
The Los Gatos Town Council on Tuesday voted 3-2 to formalize revisions to its height pole and netting policy …

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Santa Clara County to Study Ban on Artificial Turf

Santa Clara County may need an abundance of lawn mowers if artificial turf is banned on public playing fields.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted 3-2 to study the ramifications of artificial turf on county land, …

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Cupertino’s Blueprint for Housing Close to Approval

Cupertino is inches away from securing approval of its state-mandated housing plan more than a year past the deadline — and following a legal battle due to its noncompliance.
Cupertino’s housing plan has received the state’s stamp of approval on …

Featured

Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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