San José Spotlight

San José Spotlight is the first nonprofit news organization in the city, dedicated to providing independent coverage of political and business affairs. Our goal is to transform local journalism by creating a newsroom supported by the community, which encourages civic involvement, informs residents, and strengthens democracy. There's a need for another perspective in our community, a trustworthy source for quality local news. Our reporting aims to uncover the truth, expose misconduct, and hold those in power accountable. We serve as the community's own newsroom, relying on your support and contributions. San José Spotlight operates under the San José News Bureau, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization | Tax ID: 82-5355128. It is also fiscally sponsored by the Institute for Nonprofit News | Tax ID: 27-2614911. Contributions are tax-deductible.

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San Jose activists oppose diverting affordable housing funds

1 day ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan opened up the floor to critics of his initiatives to address homelessness Tuesday for the first time since the 2025-26 proposed budget included a reduction of funds prioritized for affordable housing.
San Jose council pushes back on plan to arrest homeless people

2 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

Mayor Matt Mahan’s initiative aimed at arresting homeless residents who refuse shelter was at the top of the city’s budget hearing Monday as he highlighted Santa Clara County’s lack of enthusiasm.
San Jose cuts parkland to add more businesses near airport

2 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

City leaders want to redevelop a strip of land underneath the flight path of San Jose Mineta International Airport, shrinking the amount of nearby parkland and open space. San Jose business owners will be encouraged to set up shop on Coleman Avenue between West Heading and West Taylor streets after the City Council voted unanimously May 6 to rezone about 10% of the 120-acre Guadalupe Gardens land.
Bramson: What does quality of life really mean when we’re all suffering?

2 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Ray Bramson

While it might seem unprecedented, we’ve been here before. The economy wobbles, markets panic and policymakers start sharpening their red pens. Budgets shrink. Programs are cut. And the people who always seem to take the hardest hits — the ones living on the edge — get shoved even further into the margins. Now, with federal safety net programs under threat, a possible recession looming and local governments bracing for painful deficits, we’re watching the cracks widen again.
San Jose tightens abandoned shopping cart policies

4 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

San Jose leaders want major retailers to take a larger role in retrieving abandoned shopping carts that end up in the city’s most blighted areas. San Jose councilmembers voted unanimously Tuesday to strengthen the city’s abandoned shopping cart regulations by requiring retail stores with more than 76 carts to install theft-prevention devices, require customers to pay a deposit for using a cart or make a deal with a cart-retrieval company.
Silicon Valley nonprofit's purchase furthers Coyote Valley legacy

5 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Lorraine Gabbert

A multimillion-dollar purchase of 207 acres by the Peninsula Open Space Trust adds a critical safety facet to the preservation of Coyote Valley in South County. The $5.5 million purchase of a former dairy farm by the nonprofit protects the northwestern ridge of Coyote Valley from future development.
San Jose official wants City Hall staffer fired for heckling

5 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

A San Jose councilmember is demanding the immediate termination of a staffer from a colleague’s office after being heckled during a recent public meeting. Vietnamese American Councilmember Bien Doan, who represents District 7, began the April 8 San Jose City Council meeting by declaring April 2025 as Displaced Vietnamese American Heritage Month. He later invited a community representative to take a picture with the mayor and council.
San Jose shrinks budget shortfall, prioritizes temporary shelters

5 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Vicente Vera

San Jose’s projected budget deficit has been reduced by almost half since initial estimates from earlier this year, but the city still faces a growing housing crisis and major deficit next year. The City Council previewed the proposed 2025-26 budget during a budget study session Wednesday, which drops the projected budget shortfall of $60 million to $35.6 million. The same can’t be said for the projected 2026-27 budget shortfall, which increased to $52.9 million.
Why Cupertino renters might lose their homes to student housing

6 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Annalise Freimarck

Rosemary Biswas has lived with her two children at McClellan Terrace Apartments in Cupertino since 2023. The aging building comes with lower rent, a godsend in a region considered one of the most expensive in the nation.
Santa Clara County leaf blower ban dropped over ICE fears

6 days ago | sanjosespotlight.com | Brandon Pho

A discussion among Santa Clara County supervisors on everyday gardening tools this week morphed into concerns about immigration witch hunts. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously axed Board President Otto Lee’s proposal for banning the use of gas-powered leaf blowers in unincorporated neighborhoods.