In the latest attempt to tackle the Bay Area’s growing homelessness crisis, city and county officials celebrated a milestone Monday — downtown San Jose’s first housing development dedicated exclusively to taking vulnerable residents off the streets. Villas on the Park is set to house 83 homeless residents by October 2019. And what makes the project unique is its central location, just three blocks from City Hall and one block from St. James Park, a long-standing gathering spo

The debate over rent control is at a new crossroads. Tenant advocates say they’ve collected enough signatures to ask voters in November to repeal Costa Hawkins, a state law that curbs rent control polices in some cities. We ask … what exactly is Costa Hawkins, again? https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-bay/id1350043452?mt=2&i=1000410029796# For more information on rent control in California, check out: https://www.kqed.org/news/11666426/what-you-need-to-know-about-rent-c

The housing stock they've found is limited and what is available is usually too expensive for them to afford on their own. Many are enduring brutal commutes just to find places to live that are still within driving range of their jobs. The East Bay Times has chronicled the stories of multiple renters at various income levels across the Bay Area, and all repeat the same theme: The housing stock they've found is limited, what is available is usually too expensive for them to af

Sandra Robles clutched a sign with the words “Housing Justice is Racial Justice” as she waited to speak out against rent hikes that could force her out of San Jose. A row away from her, Tom Fleissner, a longtime property owner, told city lawmakers that they’re treating landlords like they’re “evil.” The stark divide between renters and landlords in San Jose grew even wider Tuesday. For the second time in the past year, city leaders rejected a proposal to tie rent increases in

In California’s Silicon Valley, some residents lament the ways industry giants like Facebook and Google are dominating suburban communities like Mountain View, Menlo Park and Palo Alto, by altering the housing markets, creating traffic problems and bringing in a monoculture of tech workers. Special correspondent Spencer Michels reports. To learn more, watch the video: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/ever-growing-tech-giants-have-changed-the-pace-and-price-of-life-in-silicon

Every two years in January, communities across the country conduct comprehensive counts of their homeless population to gain a better understanding of the individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness, and to apply for federal funding for homeless programs. The 2017 City of San Jose Point-in-Time Count was a community-wide effort conducted on January 24th and 25th, 2017. In the weeks following the street count, a survey was administered to 331 unsheltered and shelte

On the Media’s series on poverty is grounded in the Talmudic notion that “We do not see things as they are. We see things as we are.” Brooke Gladstone traveled to Ohio to learn from people living the varied reality of poverty today, and to unpack the myths that shape our private presumptions as well as our policy decisions. In each episode, we feature the voices and complex stories of individuals, as well essential context from scholars, to lay open the tales we tell ourselve

Faced with some of the most expensive rental housing in the nation, some Bay Area residents are feeling priced out and are seeking low-cost alternatives. In Silicon Valley, a hub of computer and technology companies, some people are even turning to cars, vans and RVs for housing. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Joanne Elgart Jennings has the story. This is part of an ongoing series of reports called “Chasing the Dream,” which reports on poverty and opportunity in Ameri

Silicon Valley, the epicenter of the tech industry, is one of the wealthiest and fastest-growing regions in the country. But the rapid development and influx of tech workers has revved up competition for housing and a growing income divide. Special correspondent Scott Shafer of KQED reports on the demolition of a notorious homeless encampment in San Jose. #TentCities #Rent #rentcontrol #Homeless

Faced with some of the most expensive rental housing in the nation, some Bay Area residents are feeling priced out and are seeking low-cost alternatives. In Silicon Valley, a hub of computer and technology companies, some people are even turning to cars, vans and RVs for housing. NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Joanne Elgart Jennings has the story. This is part of an ongoing series of reports called “Chasing the Dream,” which reports on poverty and opportunity in Ameri

Reading our landlord’s renewal letter, my wife and I were hardly surprised yet still exasperated: For the second consecutive year, we’re facing a huge rent increase. A year ago, the corporation controlling our building raised our rent 20 percent, unwilling to discuss a fairer increase. Two weeks ago, we felt another gut punch: Pay another 16 percent or move out. That’s a 39 percent increase in two years. One way to balance rents and income to keep housing affordable is rent s

Every two years in January, communities across the country conduct comprehensive counts of their homeless population to gain a better understanding of the individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness, and to apply for federal funding for homeless programs. The 2015 San José Point - In-Time Count was a community-wide effort conducted on January 27th and 28th, 2015. In the weeks following the street count, a survey was administered to 626 unsheltered and sheltered ho