A warm and memorable Friendsgiving celebration brought together families from Santa Clara County’s support and advocacy programs at Happy Hollow Park and Zoo in San Jose, creating an atmosphere centered on unity, wellness and meaningful connection. Held on November 15, the event welcomed families participating in the Dependency Wellness Court and the Court Appointed Special Advocates program. It offered them a rare opportunity to share time together in a supportive setting designed to reduce s

San Jose officials are intensifying their response to a rapid rise in copper wire thefts that have disrupted streetlights, traffic systems and transit infrastructure across the city. The growing criminal activity has led to widespread outages, costly repairs and mounting concerns from residents, businesses and transportation agencies. The issue was the central focus of a panel discussion on November 12 that brought together leaders from broadband, business, transportation and law enforcement

The Cupertino City Council voted unanimously to appoint Tina Kapoor as the city’s next city manager, formally removing the word “interim” from her title and signaling a shift toward stability after years of leadership turnover. The decision places Kapoor at the head of the municipal administration during a period of ongoing debate over housing, development, and long-term economic planning in the Bay Area. Her appointment follows a series of frequent leadership changes that have shaped t

The City of Austin has concluded a three-week initiative aimed at addressing homelessness through both cleanup operations and social outreach. The campaign, coordinated by the city’s Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) team, sought to connect unhoused residents with essential services while restoring public areas impacted by encampments. Over the course of the operation, more than 1.3 million pounds of debris were collected from nearly 700 sites across the city, marking one of Austin??

The city of Plano, Texas, has issued a firm evacuation order for residents of the apartment community known as Evana Grove, marking what officials describe as the worst apartment complex in the city. Over the past two years, the complex accumulated nearly 1,500 code violations and faced more than $250,000 in unpaid water bills, prompting city officials to declare the property unfit for habitation and demanding that all residents relocate by Tuesday, November 4. According to the city??

New Jersey continues to stand out in the national housing market, once again placing several of its ZIP codes among the most expensive in the United States. According to recent real estate data, six New Jersey communities ranked within the top 100 priciest ZIP codes nationwide, reflecting the state’s sustained appeal among high-income residents and luxury homebuyers. At the forefront is Alpine in Bergen County, whose ZIP code 07620 tied for 13th place with the renowned Beverly Hil

San Jose’s cooling pipeline for conventional homebuilding has put unusual emphasis on one small-scale format that continues to deliver results: accessory dwelling units. Backed by a wave of California legislation that curbed local barriers and clarified property rights, ADUs—once a niche backyard project—have evolved into a central element of the city’s growth strategy. Because they are constructed on existing lots and typically require fewer discretionary approvals than multifamily p

A property collective known as Petra, which manages three apartment complexes in Washington, D.C., has been ordered to pay $700,000 after being found liable in a housing discrimination lawsuit. The legal action accused Petra of intentionally discriminating against lower-income residents in order to boost profits, violating several District housing laws. The outcome represents a significant step in the city’s continuing efforts to ensure equal access to affordable housing and to hold landlords

The San Jose metropolitan area has topped a national ranking — but for reasons that signal growing trouble for California’s housing market. According to a recent HomeAbroad report analyzing U.S. Census Bureau data, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara region recorded the steepest drop in residential construction permits among the country’s 100 largest metro areas, with a staggering 68% decline over five years. In July 2020, the region issued 1,949 building permits. By July 2025,

A plan to build one of Cupertino’s first 100 percent affordable housing projects, designed to support some of the community’s most vulnerable residents, has stirred opposition from neighbors concerned about safety and parking. The proposed project, located along Mary Avenue, aims to create 40 affordable homes on a 0.79-acre site. Out of these, 19 homes would be reserved for adults and families with children who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, while 20 u

In East San Jose, the trauma unit at Regional Medical Center is once again alive with activity. Doctors and nurses are back to doing the work they were trained for: cutting crash victims out of their clothes, replacing blood loss from torn arteries, and holding shattered bones together while shouting urgent instructions through the chaos of an emergency room. The noise and intensity may sound alarming to an outsider, but to those who work there, it represents a vital return to function after

The Washington Commanders may return to play football in the District of Columbia by 2030, but significant hurdles remain before that becomes reality. The D.C. Council is scheduled to vote on Tuesday regarding legislation that would enable a major redevelopment of the RFK Stadium site, potentially paving the way for the Commanders’ return. While city officials and proponents of the project emphasize its economic potential and promise to revitalize the area east of the Anacostia River, loca

San Jose’s Little Italy neighborhood, known for its deep cultural roots and Italian American history, is at the center of a heated dispute over a proposed street renaming. The City Council is preparing to vote on whether part of North Almaden Boulevard should be officially renamed “Little Italy Way,” but the plan has stirred frustration among property owners and confusion within the very nonprofit that has long championed the neighborhood’s heritage. The rena

It has been an eventful stretch in court for San Jose bail bondsman Hai Huynh, a figure nicknamed the “Godfather of Little Saigon” whose presence has long loomed large in the city’s Vietnamese American community. Over recent weeks, Huynh has seen momentum shift in his favor in two separate courtroom battles — one involving District 7 Councilmember Bien Doan and another with Oakland recycling executive and power broker David Duong. The overlapping cases highlight not on

As the nation continues to grapple with cuts to social safety nets, a new provision in the congressional budget bill has provided a significant boost to affordable housing efforts. The recently passed H.R. 1 includes an increase in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, which has long served as the primary federal tool for financing affordable housing projects. Starting next year, states will be able to permanently expand their tax credit allocations by 12 percent, giving developers new o

San Jose has been named the safest major city in the United States, according to a recent analysis that compared the 50 largest cities across the nation. The recognition comes from a financial technology company’s study that weighed key indicators of safety, including violent and property crime rates, traffic fatalities, drug overdose deaths and lifestyle risk factors such as excessive drinking. While the ranking places San Jose above other large metropolitan areas, city leaders and law

Portland leaders are heading overseas in hopes of finding solutions to the city’s growing housing affordability crisis. This week, around 20 people including three city councilors, their chiefs of staff, and members of the Portland Housing Bureau will travel to Vienna, Austria, to study the city’s internationally recognized social housing model. The trip is taxpayer funded and has already generated debate among residents and officials about its cost and purpose. Social h

San Jose city leaders have taken a firm stand against absentee landlords who allow properties to fall into neglect and create hazards for surrounding communities. In a unanimous decision, the City Council approved a dramatic increase in daily fines for code violations tied to blighted properties, raising the penalties from $2,500 per day to as much as $20,000 per day. The cap on cumulative fines was also lifted from $100,000 to $500,000, sending what officials

The Viet Museum in San Jose, an institution that holds deep cultural and historical value for the local Vietnamese community, has been at the center of a bitter dispute that has now escalated into a full-fledged legal battle. After being closed for months due to disagreements over leadership and governance, the future of the museum remains uncertain as lawsuits and accusations continue to mount. The conflict has pitted nonprofit leaders against one another, ra

Santa Clara County is urging support for a proposed sales tax increase that it says is critical to keeping its hospital system alive in the face of looming federal funding cuts. The measure, known as Measure A, would add a five-eighths cent sales tax and has been fast-tracked for the November 4 special election ballot. County officials warn that without additional revenue, essential public hospital services, trauma care, and safety net programs could be jeopardi