Menlo Park Could Face Millions in Fines in Housing Fight
South Bay Judge Rules San José’s Flock Cameras Don’t Invade Privacy
FIFA World Cup Matches Bring $850 Million to Bay Area, Report Says
San José Leaders Back Off Parking Rate Increase
Congressman Calls for Investigation of Russian-Owned Silicon Valley Site
‘Full-on Backlash’ Against Data Centers Occurring as San José Courts Them
Santa Clara County Leaders Commit $1 Billion to Revamp Jails
With Big Cuts Coming to SNAP, Food Banks Brace for Impact
San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods
California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts
San José Settles Lawsuit With Duong Family Waste Company
San José Police Watchdog Retires Suddenly
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"slug": "menlo-park-could-face-millions-in-fines-in-housing-fight",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A San Francisco developer is suing Menlo Park, hoping to force the city to approve a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101341/congressman-calls-for-investigation-of-russian-owned-silicon-valley-site\">high-rise development\u003c/a> with hundreds of residences, retail and office space and a hotel, on the site of the former Sunset Magazine headquarters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit, filed in San Mateo County Superior Court late last week, asks a judge to require the wealthy Peninsula enclave to greenlight the project under the authority of a bevy of state housing laws passed in recent years meant to increase production of homes and limit local officials’ ability to thwart them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legal battle could expose the city to several million dollars in fines under some of the newest state housing laws, and could also serve as a cautionary tale to other municipalities about the penalties for running afoul of California’s web of housing regulations aimed at combating a decadeslong housing shortage and affordability crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Office has already weighed in on the fight, warning Menlo Park in a July letter that it has mishandled the project application from N17 Development and violated state housing laws in the process, which the city has rebuffed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We regret having to bring this lawsuit, but we had no choice given the city has done nothing but throw roadblocks in our way to delay and deny the project, arrogantly breaking state housing laws,” Oisín Heneghan, the founder of N17, said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102903\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED-1536x960.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerial rendering shows what the proposed Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The property, which once served as a physical link to the California suburban lifestyle that was for years depicted in the pages of Sunset, has drawn recent scrutiny from South Bay \u003ca href=\"https://liccardo.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/liccardo.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/quill-letter-l39585-80-willow-road-development-letter-to-treasury-version-1-09-23-2026-08-51-pm.pdf\">Rep. Sam Liccardo\u003c/a>, because he said it is owned by a “Russian oligarch,” and could be used to store ill-gotten wealth or evade sanctions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even before Liccardo raised those concerns about owner Vitaly Yusufov, son of a former Russian energy minister, the project sparked years of controversy in the small Peninsula city because of its massive size and height, which many residents and elected officials said was inappropriate for the area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heneghan’s company is proposing to demolish the existing buildings to create a mixed-use project with a total of 665 apartments or condos, with roughly 100 of them to be priced below market-rate, along with 332,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room hotel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tallest buildings in the plans would range from 301 feet to as high as 458 feet, according to the city. The project, called Willow Park, would be built on a 6.7-acre piece of land at 80 Willow Road that sits at the corner of Middlefield Road and backs up to San Francisquito Creek.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project was proposed in late 2023 under a unique provision of state law known as the “Builder’s Remedy,” which allows developers to bypass most local discretionary review and have a project fast-tracked when a city or county hasn’t received certification of its long-term housing plan from the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit claims the project should be considered “by right” and eligible for a streamlined review by city planners, and is also eligible for a series of waivers and concessions that would brush aside local development requirements like height limits, because it provides enough affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering shows what a pool deck area in a portion of the Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“In other words, the city is not permitted to say no to the project. Yet over the course of nearly three years, the city has repeatedly refused to comply with state housing reform laws with respect to the project, drawing admonishments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Attorney General,” the lawsuit said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“While its elected officials have talked a good game, Menlo Park is actually one of the most hostile cities to building new and affordable housing in the nation,” Heneghan said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit, echoing in part Bonta’s July letter, said the city unlawfully changed its reasoning at different points in the review process to deny the project a streamlined approval. It seeks a refund of roughly $300,000 in legal fees the city asked the developer to pay in connection with the review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under AB 712, which went into effect in January, if a city loses a court battle over a housing application debating state housing reform laws, after receiving a notice like the one Menlo Park did from Bonta, the courts must impose fines of $10,000 per housing unit in the project against the city, and potentially more under other provisions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That could mean at least $6.65 million in fines for Menlo Park, a city with a population of only 32,000 and a roughly $90 million annual budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chris Elmendorf, a law professor at UC Davis, said if Menlo Park loses the case, it would make the risks of the newest housing laws “much more vivid” for leaders around California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That will be a huge warning shot to all cities,” Elmendorf said. “Once the Attorney General or [the California Housing and Community Development Department] gets that letter in the record, you are at serious risk of big-time fiscal consequences.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heneghan’s company has tried to negotiate with the city over a path forward until recently, but he claims the city has rejected those efforts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Betsy Nash said the city strongly disagrees with Bonta and Heneghan that the project is eligible for streamlined review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are not rejecting the project. We are continuing our review in the standard way,” she said in an interview. Nash noted that the city selected a consultant to do an environmental impact report for the project, costs for which are typically footed by the developer. She said N17 has declined to pay for the EIR, which has contributed to the stalled review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We believe on such a massive project that is on the banks of an environmentally sensitive creek with major impacts to our infrastructure, that we need to go through the regular environmental impact review process,” Nash said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city leaders also believe the project is not considered a housing project under recently updated state laws because it includes hotel space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a Sept. 29 closed session meeting of the council, the city manager sent an Oct. 1 response letter to Bonta, disagreeing with his office’s interpretation, and taking issue with his office sending a warning notice that “unlocks potentially catastrophic financial penalties against the city” without visiting the site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter also said the city does not believe the project from N17 will help stem the housing crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1230\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/2-v07-scaled-e1791329526834.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103248\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering of what the proposed Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt that the vast majority of the housing in this project would\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>be affordable only to the very wealthiest residents of the Bay Area,” the letter said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From 2015-23, the city built or approved 2,349 homes, exceeding its state-mandated housing goals in all income categories except moderate, where it built or approved about three-fourths of what was needed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the current 2023-31 housing cycle, the state tasked the city with building or approving nearly 3,000 homes. Menlo Park had hit about 40% of that overall goal at the end of last year, though for homes in lower-income categories, it had achieved less than 30% of the goal, and less than 20% for very low-income homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the legal wrangling over the details of the Willow Park project and the timing around certain housing laws is very specific to this case, Elmendorf said the issue helps illustrate how far the pendulum has swung in the state for housing production.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that a project that five years ago would have been seen as preposterous is now a project that Menlo Park is very much on its back foot in trying to fend off, and stands to lose a ton of money on in court,” he said, “is a testament to how the legislature and officialdom generally within the state government has come to view the appropriate balance between local control and the state’s interest in the need for more housing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit, filed in San Mateo County Superior Court late last week, asks a judge to require the wealthy Peninsula enclave to greenlight the project under the authority of a bevy of state housing laws passed in recent years meant to increase production of homes and limit local officials’ ability to thwart them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The legal battle could expose the city to several million dollars in fines under some of the newest state housing laws, and could also serve as a cautionary tale to other municipalities about the penalties for running afoul of California’s web of housing regulations aimed at combating a decadeslong housing shortage and affordability crisis. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Office has already weighed in on the fight, warning Menlo Park in a July letter that it has mishandled the project application from N17 Development and violated state housing laws in the process, which the city has rebuffed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We regret having to bring this lawsuit, but we had no choice given the city has done nothing but throw roadblocks in our way to delay and deny the project, arrogantly breaking state housing laws,” Oisín Heneghan, the founder of N17, said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102903\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED-1536x960.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerial rendering shows what the proposed Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The property, which once served as a physical link to the California suburban lifestyle that was for years depicted in the pages of Sunset, has drawn recent scrutiny from South Bay \u003ca href=\"https://liccardo.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/liccardo.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/quill-letter-l39585-80-willow-road-development-letter-to-treasury-version-1-09-23-2026-08-51-pm.pdf\">Rep. Sam Liccardo\u003c/a>, because he said it is owned by a “Russian oligarch,” and could be used to store ill-gotten wealth or evade sanctions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even before Liccardo raised those concerns about owner Vitaly Yusufov, son of a former Russian energy minister, the project sparked years of controversy in the small Peninsula city because of its massive size and height, which many residents and elected officials said was inappropriate for the area.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heneghan’s company is proposing to demolish the existing buildings to create a mixed-use project with a total of 665 apartments or condos, with roughly 100 of them to be priced below market-rate, along with 332,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room hotel.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The tallest buildings in the plans would range from 301 feet to as high as 458 feet, according to the city. The project, called Willow Park, would be built on a 6.7-acre piece of land at 80 Willow Road that sits at the corner of Middlefield Road and backs up to San Francisquito Creek.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The project was proposed in late 2023 under a unique provision of state law known as the “Builder’s Remedy,” which allows developers to bypass most local discretionary review and have a project fast-tracked when a city or county hasn’t received certification of its long-term housing plan from the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit claims the project should be considered “by right” and eligible for a streamlined review by city planners, and is also eligible for a series of waivers and concessions that would brush aside local development requirements like height limits, because it provides enough affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering shows what a pool deck area in a portion of the Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102902\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering shows what a pool deck area in a portion of the Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In other words, the city is not permitted to say no to the project. Yet over the course of nearly three years, the city has repeatedly refused to comply with state housing reform laws with respect to the project, drawing admonishments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Attorney General,” the lawsuit said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In other words, the city is not permitted to say no to the project. Yet over the course of nearly three years, the city has repeatedly refused to comply with state housing reform laws with respect to the project, drawing admonishments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Attorney General,” the lawsuit said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“While its elected officials have talked a good game, Menlo Park is actually one of the most hostile cities to building new and affordable housing in the nation,” Heneghan said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“While its elected officials have talked a good game, Menlo Park is actually one of the most hostile cities to building new and affordable housing in the nation,” Heneghan said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit, echoing in part Bonta’s July letter, said the city unlawfully changed its reasoning at different points in the review process to deny the project a streamlined approval. It seeks a refund of roughly $300,000 in legal fees the city asked the developer to pay in connection with the review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The lawsuit, echoing in part Bonta’s July letter, said the city unlawfully changed its reasoning at different points in the review process to deny the project a streamlined approval. It seeks a refund of roughly $300,000 in legal fees the city asked the developer to pay in connection with the review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under AB 712, which went into effect in January, if a city loses a court battle over a housing application debating state housing reform laws, after receiving a notice like the one Menlo Park did from Bonta, the courts must impose fines of $10,000 per housing unit in the project against the city, and potentially more under other provisions. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under AB 712, which went into effect in January, if a city loses a court battle over a housing application debating state housing reform laws, after receiving a notice like the one Menlo Park did from Bonta, the courts must impose fines of $10,000 per housing unit in the project against the city, and potentially more under other provisions. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That could mean at least $6.65 million in fines for Menlo Park, a city with a population of only 32,000 and a roughly $90 million annual budget. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That could mean at least $6.65 million in fines for Menlo Park, a city with a population of only 32,000 and a roughly $90 million annual budget. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chris Elmendorf, a law professor at UC Davis, said if Menlo Park loses the case, it would make the risks of the newest housing laws “much more vivid” for leaders around California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chris Elmendorf, a law professor at UC Davis, said if Menlo Park loses the case, it would make the risks of the newest housing laws “much more vivid” for leaders around California. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“That will be a huge warning shot to all cities,” Elmendorf said. “Once the Attorney General or [the California Housing and Community Development Department] gets that letter in the record, you are at serious risk of big-time fiscal consequences.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“That will be a huge warning shot to all cities,” Elmendorf said. “Once the Attorney General or [the California Housing and Community Development Department] gets that letter in the record, you are at serious risk of big-time fiscal consequences.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heneghan’s company has tried to negotiate with the city over a path forward until recently, but he claims the city has rejected those efforts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Betsy Nash said the city strongly disagrees with Bonta and Heneghan that the project is eligible for streamlined review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are not rejecting the project. We are continuing our review in the standard way,” she said in an interview. Nash noted that the city selected a consultant to do an environmental impact report for the project, costs for which are typically footed by the developer. She said N17 has declined to pay for the EIR, which has contributed to the stalled review. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are not rejecting the project. We are continuing our review in the standard way,” she said in an interview. Nash noted that the city selected a consultant to do an environmental impact report for the project, costs for which are typically footed by the developer. She said N17 has declined to pay for the EIR, which has contributed to the stalled review. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We believe on such a massive project that is on the banks of an environmentally sensitive creek with major impacts to our infrastructure, that we need to go through the regular environmental impact review process,” Nash said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We believe on such a massive project that is on the banks of an environmentally sensitive creek with major impacts to our infrastructure, that we need to go through the regular environmental impact review process,” Nash said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city leaders also believe the project is not considered a housing project under recently updated state laws because it includes hotel space. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city leaders also believe the project is not considered a housing project under recently updated state laws because it includes hotel space. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After a Sept. 29 closed session meeting of the council, the city manager sent an Oct. 1 response letter to Bonta, disagreeing with his office’s interpretation, and taking issue with his office sending a warning notice that “unlocks potentially catastrophic financial penalties against the city” without visiting the site. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After a Sept. 29 closed session meeting of the council, the city manager sent an Oct. 1 response letter to Bonta, disagreeing with his office’s interpretation, and taking issue with his office sending a warning notice that “unlocks potentially catastrophic financial penalties against the city” without visiting the site. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The letter also said the city does not believe the project from N17 will help stem the housing crisis. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The letter also said the city does not believe the project from N17 will help stem the housing crisis. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/2-v07-scaled-e1791329526834.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103248\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering of what the proposed Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/2-v07-scaled-e1791329526834.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103248\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering of what the proposed Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt that the vast majority of the housing in this project would\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt that the vast majority of the housing in this project would\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>be affordable only to the very wealthiest residents of the Bay Area,” the letter said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>be affordable only to the very wealthiest residents of the Bay Area,” the letter said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>From 2015-23, the city built or approved 2,349 homes, exceeding its state-mandated housing goals in all income categories except moderate, where it built or approved about three-fourths of what was needed. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>From 2015-23, the city built or approved 2,349 homes, exceeding its state-mandated housing goals in all income categories except moderate, where it built or approved about three-fourths of what was needed. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the current 2023-31 housing cycle, the state tasked the city with building or approving nearly 3,000 homes. Menlo Park had hit about 40% of that overall goal at the end of last year, though for homes in lower-income categories, it had achieved less than 30% of the goal, and less than 20% for very low-income homes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the current 2023-31 housing cycle, the state tasked the city with building or approving nearly 3,000 homes. Menlo Park had hit about 40% of that overall goal at the end of last year, though for homes in lower-income categories, it had achieved less than 30% of the goal, and less than 20% for very low-income homes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While the legal wrangling over the details of the Willow Park project and the timing around certain housing laws is very specific to this case, Elmendorf said the issue helps illustrate how far the pendulum has swung in the state for housing production.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While the legal wrangling over the details of the Willow Park project and the timing around certain housing laws is very specific to this case, Elmendorf said the issue helps illustrate how far the pendulum has swung in the state for housing production.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The fact that a project that five years ago would have been seen as preposterous is now a project that Menlo Park is very much on its back foot in trying to fend off, and stands to lose a ton of money on in court,” he said, “is a testament to how the legislature and officialdom generally within the state government has come to view the appropriate balance between local control and the state’s interest in the need for more housing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The fact that a project that five years ago would have been seen as preposterous is now a project that Menlo Park is very much on its back foot in trying to fend off, and stands to lose a ton of money on in court,” he said, “is a testament to how the legislature and officialdom generally within the state government has come to view the appropriate balance between local control and the state’s interest in the need for more housing.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A developer seeking to build high-rises on the former Sunset Magazine headquarters property is suing Menlo Park.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A San Francisco developer is suing Menlo Park, hoping to force the city to approve a proposed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101341/congressman-calls-for-investigation-of-russian-owned-silicon-valley-site\">high-rise development\u003c/a> with hundreds of residences, retail and office space and a hotel, on the site of the former Sunset Magazine headquarters.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit, filed in San Mateo County Superior Court late last week, asks a judge to require the wealthy Peninsula enclave to greenlight the project under the authority of a bevy of state housing laws passed in recent years meant to increase production of homes and limit local officials’ ability to thwart them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The legal battle could expose the city to several million dollars in fines under some of the newest state housing laws, and could also serve as a cautionary tale to other municipalities about the penalties for running afoul of California’s web of housing regulations aimed at combating a decadeslong housing shortage and affordability crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s Office has already weighed in on the fight, warning Menlo Park in a July letter that it has mishandled the project application from N17 Development and violated state housing laws in the process, which the city has rebuffed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We regret having to bring this lawsuit, but we had no choice given the city has done nothing but throw roadblocks in our way to delay and deny the project, arrogantly breaking state housing laws,” Oisín Heneghan, the founder of N17, said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1250\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102903\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-03-KQED-1536x960.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An aerial rendering shows what the proposed Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>The property, which once served as a physical link to the California suburban lifestyle that was for years depicted in the pages of Sunset, has drawn recent scrutiny from South Bay \u003ca href=\"https://liccardo.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/liccardo.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/quill-letter-l39585-80-willow-road-development-letter-to-treasury-version-1-09-23-2026-08-51-pm.pdf\">Rep. Sam Liccardo\u003c/a>, because he said it is owned by a “Russian oligarch,” and could be used to store ill-gotten wealth or evade sanctions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even before Liccardo raised those concerns about owner Vitaly Yusufov, son of a former Russian energy minister, the project sparked years of controversy in the small Peninsula city because of its massive size and height, which many residents and elected officials said was inappropriate for the area.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heneghan’s company is proposing to demolish the existing buildings to create a mixed-use project with a total of 665 apartments or condos, with roughly 100 of them to be priced below market-rate, along with 332,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room hotel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The tallest buildings in the plans would range from 301 feet to as high as 458 feet, according to the city. The project, called Willow Park, would be built on a 6.7-acre piece of land at 80 Willow Road that sits at the corner of Middlefield Road and backs up to San Francisquito Creek.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project was proposed in late 2023 under a unique provision of state law known as the “Builder’s Remedy,” which allows developers to bypass most local discretionary review and have a project fast-tracked when a city or county hasn’t received certification of its long-term housing plan from the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit claims the project should be considered “by right” and eligible for a streamlined review by city planners, and is also eligible for a series of waivers and concessions that would brush aside local development requirements like height limits, because it provides enough affordable housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1126\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12102902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-1536x865.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261005-Menlo-Park-lawsuit-02-KQED-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering shows what a pool deck area in a portion of the Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“In other words, the city is not permitted to say no to the project. Yet over the course of nearly three years, the city has repeatedly refused to comply with state housing reform laws with respect to the project, drawing admonishments from the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Attorney General,” the lawsuit said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“While its elected officials have talked a good game, Menlo Park is actually one of the most hostile cities to building new and affordable housing in the nation,” Heneghan said in the statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit, echoing in part Bonta’s July letter, said the city unlawfully changed its reasoning at different points in the review process to deny the project a streamlined approval. It seeks a refund of roughly $300,000 in legal fees the city asked the developer to pay in connection with the review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under AB 712, which went into effect in January, if a city loses a court battle over a housing application debating state housing reform laws, after receiving a notice like the one Menlo Park did from Bonta, the courts must impose fines of $10,000 per housing unit in the project against the city, and potentially more under other provisions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That could mean at least $6.65 million in fines for Menlo Park, a city with a population of only 32,000 and a roughly $90 million annual budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chris Elmendorf, a law professor at UC Davis, said if Menlo Park loses the case, it would make the risks of the newest housing laws “much more vivid” for leaders around California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“That will be a huge warning shot to all cities,” Elmendorf said. “Once the Attorney General or [the California Housing and Community Development Department] gets that letter in the record, you are at serious risk of big-time fiscal consequences.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heneghan’s company has tried to negotiate with the city over a path forward until recently, but he claims the city has rejected those efforts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Betsy Nash said the city strongly disagrees with Bonta and Heneghan that the project is eligible for streamlined review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are not rejecting the project. We are continuing our review in the standard way,” she said in an interview. Nash noted that the city selected a consultant to do an environmental impact report for the project, costs for which are typically footed by the developer. She said N17 has declined to pay for the EIR, which has contributed to the stalled review. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We believe on such a massive project that is on the banks of an environmentally sensitive creek with major impacts to our infrastructure, that we need to go through the regular environmental impact review process,” Nash said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city leaders also believe the project is not considered a housing project under recently updated state laws because it includes hotel space. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a Sept. 29 closed session meeting of the council, the city manager sent an Oct. 1 response letter to Bonta, disagreeing with his office’s interpretation, and taking issue with his office sending a warning notice that “unlocks potentially catastrophic financial penalties against the city” without visiting the site. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The letter also said the city does not believe the project from N17 will help stem the housing crisis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-image\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"aligncenter size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1230\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/2-v07-scaled-e1791329526834.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12103248\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A digital rendering of what the proposed Willow Park development at 80 Willow Road in Menlo Park could look like. (Courtesy of N17 Development)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/div>\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is no doubt that the vast majority of the housing in this project would\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>be affordable only to the very wealthiest residents of the Bay Area,” the letter said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>From 2015-23, the city built or approved 2,349 homes, exceeding its state-mandated housing goals in all income categories except moderate, where it built or approved about three-fourths of what was needed. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the current 2023-31 housing cycle, the state tasked the city with building or approving nearly 3,000 homes. Menlo Park had hit about 40% of that overall goal at the end of last year, though for homes in lower-income categories, it had achieved less than 30% of the goal, and less than 20% for very low-income homes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While the legal wrangling over the details of the Willow Park project and the timing around certain housing laws is very specific to this case, Elmendorf said the issue helps illustrate how far the pendulum has swung in the state for housing production.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that a project that five years ago would have been seen as preposterous is now a project that Menlo Park is very much on its back foot in trying to fend off, and stands to lose a ton of money on in court,” he said, “is a testament to how the legislature and officialdom generally within the state government has come to view the appropriate balance between local control and the state’s interest in the need for more housing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "south-bay-judge-rules-san-joses-flock-cameras-dont-invade-privacy",
"title": "South Bay Judge Rules San José’s Flock Cameras Don’t Invade Privacy ",
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"headTitle": "South Bay Judge Rules San José’s Flock Cameras Don’t Invade Privacy | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A judge dismissed a lawsuit against San José over its massive network of automated license plate readers. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>A Santa Clara County judge has dismissed a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">lawsuit\u003c/a> challenging San José’s massive license plate reader network, dealing a major blow to advocates for privacy and civil liberties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a ruling on Friday, Judge Jeffrey El-Hajj said that the city’s arsenal of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983813/san-jose-adding-hundreds-of-license-plate-readers-amid-privacy-and-efficacy-concerns\">nearly 500\u003c/a> Flock automated license plate readers, which scan hundreds of millions of plates every year, does not violate people’s right to privacy, as the lawsuit alleged. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>El-Hajj’s ruling leans on a decision from a state appeals court in 2024 that said a set of traffic surveillance cameras in San Diego was not an invasion of privacy. The decision this month sides with San José, which argued in a January filing that the lawsuit didn’t have a firm enough legal footing to continue. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12078559\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260402-FLOCK-SECURITY-CAMERA-FILE-MD-02-KQED_1-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock camera monitors the intersection at McKee Road and North White Road in San José on April 2, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are pleased with the court’s decision as it validates that the city’s deployment and oversight of its ALPR system meets required constitutional privacy standards,” City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood said in an emailed statement on Monday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed the lawsuit on behalf of the California chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations, known as CAIR-CA, and the Services, Immigrant Rights and Education Network, known as SIREN. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit said the city’s nearly 500 license plate readers and its searchable AI-powered database that stores plate and car information for a month amount to a “deeply invasive” mass surveillance system that violates residents’ rights to privacy under the California Constitution. The group argued that a warrant should be required before such searches could take place. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When the lawsuit was first filed, San José was keeping that information for a year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andrew Crocker, the surveillance litigation director for the EFF, said the group is disappointed in the ruling and that the plaintiffs may file an appeal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re considering all our options about how to proceed in this case, but we think that the tide is turning against ALPRs both in the courts and in just public sentiment around the country,” Crocker said Monday. “We can see folks objecting to existing ALPR networks and trying to block them being further expanded.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the question of how large, connected networks of ALPRs like the one in San José fare against the rights of residents under the U.S. and state constitutions “is a cutting-edge issue” that courts are wrangling with currently. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You can see courts around the country, including a federal district court in \u003ca href=\"https://local21news.com/news/local/judge-rules-police-conducted-unconstitutional-search-using-flock-cameras-automatic-license-plate-reader-alpr-federal-district-court-ruling-california-oklahoma-fourth-amendment-privacy-law\">Oklahoma\u003c/a>, coming to a different conclusion and saying that ALPRs are a violation of the Fourth Amendment because they invade people’s expectation of privacy against being tracked everywhere they drive,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The court decision in Santa Clara County comes only weeks after officials revealed that a San José police officer was fired for abusing the city’s license plate reader network to help his family member track the whereabouts of a woman who accused the family member of domestic violence.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the wake of that revelation, Mayor Matt Mahan said he’ll petition state lawmakers to make it a crime to abuse such systems. Mahan and Vice Mayor Pam Foley also put forth a proposal to beef up audits of police searches and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12101186/its-not-illegal-for-california-police-to-misuse-flock-data-san-jose-leaders-want-to-change-that\">tighten restrictions\u003c/a> on how police can access the database, barring them from using personal devices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has also reduced the amount of time it retains license plate and car information from one year to 30 days, and has barred the cameras from recording outside places of worship, reproductive health clinics and other sensitive locations, officials said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Crocker said the restrictions don’t go nearly far enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Clearly these cities are recognizing there’s a problem, and I don’t think that restrictions like this are going to solve that problem. Really any use of ALPRs is harmful, and the only way to stop the risk of this kind of abuse is to end their use in these cities,” Crocker said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Short of that, they could get a warrant, they could go before a court and present probable cause to run these searches, which is what we’re seeking in this lawsuit,” he said. “San José has not done that. San Francisco has not done that. So it’s insufficient, and it’s very likely that we will see further abuse of these systems.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alcala Wood said the city’s use of the readers seeks “to balance the use of a significant crime detection and community safety tool with stringent protection of individual privacy rights.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man with a fluorescent yellow coat holds a black machine.\" class=\"wp-image-11984097\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/04/SAN-JOSE-LICENSE-PLATE-READERS-11-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Flock Safety worker holds up a new automated license plate reader that was being installed in East San José on April 23, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José is also still facing a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12080233/san-jose-residents-sue-city-saying-flock-safety-cameras-allow-mass-surveillance\">similar lawsuit\u003c/a> against the license plate reader network in federal court, where three residents have sued over privacy rights under the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The residents are seeking class-action status on behalf of all who live in the city who have or will have their license plate scanned. The city is also seeking a dismissal in that case, which is pending. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After media reports revealed that federal agencies like Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were able to access data from vast local Flock camera networks across the country, more than two dozen cities and counties across the U.S. — including Santa Clara County, along with Santa Cruz and Los Altos Hills — cut contracts with or distanced themselves from Flock. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Other cities, like Oakland and San Francisco, have doubled down on their contracts, lauding the technology’s benefits to aid in investigations. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While Flock is the largest single purveyor of such cameras and software, Crocker said many cities and counties also maintain large networks of license plate readers from other vendors, and it’s those types of mass surveillance systems in general that “give rise to this invasion of privacy, these harms and the risk of abuse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "fifa-world-cup-matches-bring-850-million-to-bay-area-report-says",
"title": "FIFA World Cup Matches Bring $850 Million to Bay Area, Report Says",
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"headTitle": "FIFA World Cup Matches Bring $850 Million to Bay Area, Report Says | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">FIFA World Cup\u003c/a> generated roughly $850 million in economic impact in the Bay Area, according to a new report released by regional organizers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report was unveiled Thursday by the Bay Area Host Committee, a nonprofit formed to bring major sporting events to the region, with a board of directors made up of heads of local professional sports teams, whose venues often host events or play supporting roles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The estimated figure is based on metrics evaluating spending by visitors, teams and companies on things like hotels, food, transportation and events, and the wages earned by workers in the region related to the World Cup. The report was prepared for the host committee by Boston Consulting Group. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 elevated our global reputation, strengthened community bonds and will pay dividends for years to come,” Zaileen Janmohamed, the president & CEO of the host committee, said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fans leave the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world’s attention on our region showcased the Bay Area as a premier destination for major international events, brought neighbors together through watch parties and shared celebration, and will continue to fuel future tourism as visitors who experienced our hospitality choose to return and recommend the Bay to friends and family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report said the lion’s share of the impacts — about $410 million — were seen in Santa Clara County. Levi’s Stadium, in the city of Santa Clara, was designated as the sole venue for all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089303/us-fans-geared-up-for-teams-bay-area-world-cup-match-against-bosnia\">six World Cup matches\u003c/a> played in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The stadium was stripped of its branding under FIFA rules, and temporarily dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About $240 million of the boost was felt in San Francisco County, and the remaining $200 million was spread among eight other Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matches and supporting events and celebrations supported “approximately 5,100 jobs across the region and drew an estimated 240,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, underscoring the tournament’s reach across the region’s hospitality, retail and service sectors,” the host committee’s statement said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This success was a true team effort, and I could not be more excited for the major sports events to come in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the eye-popping totals proffered by organizations like the host committee are frequently called into question by economics experts and academics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for events like the World Cup, with multiple matches with days in between each, Noll said visitors would likely stay for longer and spend money here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. national men’s team soccer fans walk toward the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The boost from the World Cup was undeniable in downtown San José, where the San José Earthquakes hosted a watch party for all 104 matches over 39 days at San Pedro Square Market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closed streets and massive viewing screens, along with special permission from the city to allow outdoor drinking, drew thousands of people into the area for matches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan’s office said the watch parties, activities and entertainment options in downtown brought 1 million cumulative visits to the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While most of the celebrations were peaceful, police reported some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089204/1-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-downtown-san-jose-shooting\">shootings\u003c/a> and stabbings in the area following some of the events, and huge crowds forced organizers to relocate one viewing party to nearby Discovery Meadow to allow for more space. World Cup events were also canceled at Spark Social in San Francisco after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089502/world-cup-commotion-in-san-jose-2-stabbed-several-arrests-after-mexico-win\">shooting\u003c/a> in the Mission Bay neighborhood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Bay Area Host Committee \u003ca href=\"https://bayareahostcommittee.com/newsroom/bay-area-host-committee-launches-leadership-council-to-cement-the-future-of-a-permanent-sustainable-sports-commission\">launched\u003c/a> a Leadership Council and Corporate Membership Program in support of turning the committee into a “permanent, sustainable sports commission that will secure, support and celebrate major sporting events in the region for decades to come.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The region is set to host the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 at Chase Center, and the MLB All-Star Game will return to Oracle Park in 2028. Janmohamed said, with the coming events, “We will continue the incredible momentum of the past two years and directly increase positive economic impact for the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fans leave the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report said the lion’s share of the impacts — about $410 million — were seen in Santa Clara County. Levi’s Stadium, in the city of Santa Clara, was designated as the sole venue for all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089303/us-fans-geared-up-for-teams-bay-area-world-cup-match-against-bosnia\">six World Cup matches\u003c/a> played in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The stadium was stripped of its branding under FIFA rules, and temporarily dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About $240 million of the boost was felt in San Francisco County, and the remaining $200 million was spread among eight other Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The matches and supporting events and celebrations supported “approximately 5,100 jobs across the region and drew an estimated 240,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, underscoring the tournament’s reach across the region’s hospitality, retail and service sectors,” the host committee’s statement said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This success was a true team effort, and I could not be more excited for the major sports events to come in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But for events like the World Cup, with multiple matches with days in between each, Noll said visitors would likely stay for longer and spend money here. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The boost from the World Cup was undeniable in downtown San José, where the San José Earthquakes hosted a watch party for all 104 matches over 39 days at San Pedro Square Market. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Closed streets and massive viewing screens, along with special permission from the city to allow outdoor drinking, drew thousands of people into the area for matches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan’s office said the watch parties, activities and entertainment options in downtown brought 1 million cumulative visits to the area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While most of the celebrations were peaceful, police reported some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089204/1-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-downtown-san-jose-shooting\">shootings\u003c/a> and stabbings in the area following some of the events, and huge crowds forced organizers to relocate one viewing party to nearby Discovery Meadow to allow for more space. World Cup events were also canceled at Spark Social in San Francisco after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089502/world-cup-commotion-in-san-jose-2-stabbed-several-arrests-after-mexico-win\">shooting\u003c/a> in the Mission Bay neighborhood. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June, the Bay Area Host Committee \u003ca href=\"https://bayareahostcommittee.com/newsroom/bay-area-host-committee-launches-leadership-council-to-cement-the-future-of-a-permanent-sustainable-sports-commission\">launched\u003c/a> a Leadership Council and Corporate Membership Program in support of turning the committee into a “permanent, sustainable sports commission that will secure, support and celebrate major sporting events in the region for decades to come.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The region is set to host the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 at Chase Center, and the MLB All-Star Game will return to Oracle Park in 2028. Janmohamed said, with the coming events, “We will continue the incredible momentum of the past two years and directly increase positive economic impact for the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The region is set to host the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 at Chase Center, and the MLB All-Star Game will return to Oracle Park in 2028. Janmohamed said, with the coming events, “We will continue the incredible momentum of the past two years and directly increase positive economic impact for the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The FIFA World Cup brought matches, team base camps, fan watch parties and events to the region. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/world-cup\">FIFA World Cup\u003c/a> generated roughly $850 million in economic impact in the Bay Area, according to a new report released by regional organizers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report was unveiled Thursday by the Bay Area Host Committee, a nonprofit formed to bring major sporting events to the region, with a board of directors made up of heads of local professional sports teams, whose venues often host events or play supporting roles.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The estimated figure is based on metrics evaluating spending by visitors, teams and companies on things like hotels, food, transportation and events, and the wages earned by workers in the region related to the World Cup. The report was prepared for the host committee by Boston Consulting Group. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Hosting FIFA World Cup 2026 elevated our global reputation, strengthened community bonds and will pay dividends for years to come,” Zaileen Janmohamed, the president & CEO of the host committee, said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12089715\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WORLDCUPUSALEVIS-41-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Fans leave the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world’s attention on our region showcased the Bay Area as a premier destination for major international events, brought neighbors together through watch parties and shared celebration, and will continue to fuel future tourism as visitors who experienced our hospitality choose to return and recommend the Bay to friends and family,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report said the lion’s share of the impacts — about $410 million — were seen in Santa Clara County. Levi’s Stadium, in the city of Santa Clara, was designated as the sole venue for all \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089303/us-fans-geared-up-for-teams-bay-area-world-cup-match-against-bosnia\">six World Cup matches\u003c/a> played in Northern California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The stadium was stripped of its branding under FIFA rules, and temporarily dubbed \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086949/levis-stadium-is-no-more-san-francisco-bay-area-stadium-hosts-world-cup\">San Francisco Bay Area Stadium\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About $240 million of the boost was felt in San Francisco County, and the remaining $200 million was spread among eight other Bay Area counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma, according to the report. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The matches and supporting events and celebrations supported “approximately 5,100 jobs across the region and drew an estimated 240,000 visitors from outside the Bay Area, underscoring the tournament’s reach across the region’s hospitality, retail and service sectors,” the host committee’s statement said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $850 million figure exceeded the committee’s previous projections for economic impact, which the organization pegged at $480 million to $630 million. It attributed the increase to higher-than-anticipated daily visitor spending.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The world saw what we’ve known all along — the Bay Area is a world-class sports [region] that excels in bringing people together, welcoming fans from around the globe and delivering an extraordinary World Cup experience,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This success was a true team effort, and I could not be more excited for the major sports events to come in the Bay Area.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The combined events of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game at Chase Center in San Francisco, and Super Bowl LX and the World Cup matches at Levi’s Stadium, generated roughly $1.9 billion for the region in total, according to the host committee. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, the eye-popping totals proffered by organizations like the host committee are frequently called into question by economics experts and academics. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roger Noll, a professor emeritus of economics at Stanford University, previously characterized the estimates in such reports as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12086953/the-world-cup-has-arrived-in-the-san-francisco-bay-area-is-anyone-else-coming\">“grossly overstated”\u003c/a> and said they serve mainly as public relations or advertising to help justify the large logistical lift, interruptions to public life and costs of hosting major events in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The report prepared for the Super Bowl and other similar events often do not account for mitigating factors, such as the “substitution effect” of people who choose not to visit the Bay Area for business or tourism when major events are held here to avoid higher hotel prices and congestion, he said previously.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But for events like the World Cup, with multiple matches with days in between each, Noll said visitors would likely stay for longer and spend money here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091977\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260701-WorldCupUSALevis-01-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. national men’s team soccer fans walk toward the San Francisco Bay Area stadium for the FIFA World Cup game between the USA and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, on July 1, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The boost from the World Cup was undeniable in downtown San José, where the San José Earthquakes hosted a watch party for all 104 matches over 39 days at San Pedro Square Market. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Closed streets and massive viewing screens, along with special permission from the city to allow outdoor drinking, drew thousands of people into the area for matches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mayor Matt Mahan’s office said the watch parties, activities and entertainment options in downtown brought 1 million cumulative visits to the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While most of the celebrations were peaceful, police reported some \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089204/1-dead-1-critically-hurt-in-downtown-san-jose-shooting\">shootings\u003c/a> and stabbings in the area following some of the events, and huge crowds forced organizers to relocate one viewing party to nearby Discovery Meadow to allow for more space. World Cup events were also canceled at Spark Social in San Francisco after a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12089502/world-cup-commotion-in-san-jose-2-stabbed-several-arrests-after-mexico-win\">shooting\u003c/a> in the Mission Bay neighborhood. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June, the Bay Area Host Committee \u003ca href=\"https://bayareahostcommittee.com/newsroom/bay-area-host-committee-launches-leadership-council-to-cement-the-future-of-a-permanent-sustainable-sports-commission\">launched\u003c/a> a Leadership Council and Corporate Membership Program in support of turning the committee into a “permanent, sustainable sports commission that will secure, support and celebrate major sporting events in the region for decades to come.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The region is set to host the WNBA All-Star Game in 2027 at Chase Center, and the MLB All-Star Game will return to Oracle Park in 2028. Janmohamed said, with the coming events, “We will continue the incredible momentum of the past two years and directly increase positive economic impact for the Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-leaders-consider-increasing-parking-rates",
"title": "San José Leaders Back Off Parking Rate Increase",
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"headTitle": "San José Leaders Back Off Parking Rate Increase | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> City Council balked at raising parking meter rates and extending parking enforcement hours over broad concerns about the potential harm to downtown businesses and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision follows months of discussion and outreach by city staff prompted by a backlash in June, when San José quietly tried to double parking meter rates as part of the annual budget, much to the chagrin of downtown business advocates, restaurant and bar owners and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking meter in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to help shore up ongoing budget deficits, and to account for the rising cost of providing parking infrastructure, city transportation officials this month proposed a phased plan that would bump the city’s downtown parking meters rates to $3 per hour next year, and $4 per hour beginning in 2030. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brendan Rawson, the director of San Jose Jazz, referenced a 2026 City Pulse report from \u003ca href=\"https://www.gensler.com/doc/research-city-pulse-survey-2026.pdf\">Gensler\u003c/a>, saying that San José’s downtown ranked near the bottom in several categories including vibrancy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Parking is the gatekeeper issue that holds many residents back from even giving downtown a try. This proposal to raid the parking fund in order to pay for a recurring general fund deficit is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Rawson told the council at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials tried to approve a quicker doubling of parking meter rates in the downtown core in June, with an item tucked into the consent calendar section of a City Council meeting agenda, a portion of the agenda for items that are considered routine and typically not discussed in depth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the frustration from business owners, advocates and downtown residents stemmed from what they described as a poor process with limited outreach and consideration of the impacts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> City Council balked at raising parking meter rates and extending parking enforcement hours over broad concerns about the potential harm to downtown businesses and workers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> City Council balked at raising parking meter rates and extending parking enforcement hours over broad concerns about the potential harm to downtown businesses and workers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The decision follows months of discussion and outreach by city staff prompted by a backlash in June, when San José quietly tried to double parking meter rates as part of the annual budget, much to the chagrin of downtown business advocates, restaurant and bar owners and workers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The decision follows months of discussion and outreach by city staff prompted by a backlash in June, when San José quietly tried to double parking meter rates as part of the annual budget, much to the chagrin of downtown business advocates, restaurant and bar owners and workers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking meter in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088568\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking meter in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an effort to help shore up ongoing budget deficits, and to account for the rising cost of providing parking infrastructure, city transportation officials this month proposed a phased plan that would bump the city’s downtown parking meters rates to $3 per hour next year, and $4 per hour beginning in 2030. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an effort to help shore up ongoing budget deficits, and to account for the rising cost of providing parking infrastructure, city transportation officials this month proposed a phased plan that would bump the city’s downtown parking meters rates to $3 per hour next year, and $4 per hour beginning in 2030. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brendan Rawson, the director of San Jose Jazz, referenced a 2026 City Pulse report from \u003ca href=\"https://www.gensler.com/doc/research-city-pulse-survey-2026.pdf\">Gensler\u003c/a>, saying that San José’s downtown ranked near the bottom in several categories including vibrancy. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Brendan Rawson, the director of San Jose Jazz, referenced a 2026 City Pulse report from \u003ca href=\"https://www.gensler.com/doc/research-city-pulse-survey-2026.pdf\">Gensler\u003c/a>, saying that San José’s downtown ranked near the bottom in several categories including vibrancy. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Parking is the gatekeeper issue that holds many residents back from even giving downtown a try. This proposal to raid the parking fund in order to pay for a recurring general fund deficit is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Rawson told the council at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Parking is the gatekeeper issue that holds many residents back from even giving downtown a try. This proposal to raid the parking fund in order to pay for a recurring general fund deficit is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Rawson told the council at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City officials tried to approve a quicker doubling of parking meter rates in the downtown core in June, with an item tucked into the consent calendar section of a City Council meeting agenda, a portion of the agenda for items that are considered routine and typically not discussed in depth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Much of the frustration from business owners, advocates and downtown residents stemmed from what they described as a poor process with limited outreach and consideration of the impacts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "The San José City Council opposed increasing parking meter rates over concerns about impacts on downtown businesses. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/san-jose\">San José\u003c/a> City Council balked at raising parking meter rates and extending parking enforcement hours over broad concerns about the potential harm to downtown businesses and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After a nearly two-hour meeting, city leaders chose instead Tuesday to increase special event and hourly rates for city parking garages, but to leave city meters at their current rate of $2 per hour, with parking enforcement hours continuing to end at 6 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Councilmember George Casey said the proposed policy change didn’t seem to consider the impact on small businesses downtown, which often operate on thin margins, and whose customers and employees often rely on metered parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These small business owners have come into our downtown where we don’t, frankly, have the critical mass we’d like to see. And when we take steps that would negatively impact their businesses, I take umbrage with it,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The decision follows months of discussion and outreach by city staff prompted by a backlash in June, when San José quietly tried to double parking meter rates as part of the annual budget, much to the chagrin of downtown business advocates, restaurant and bar owners and workers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088568\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-07-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking meter in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an effort to help shore up ongoing budget deficits, and to account for the rising cost of providing parking infrastructure, city transportation officials this month proposed a phased plan that would bump the city’s downtown parking meters rates to $3 per hour next year, and $4 per hour beginning in 2030. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Outside of downtown, rates would have increased from $2 per hour to $3 per hour in 2030, and the hours downtown meters are active would have extended until 9 p.m. beginning in 2028, according to city reports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city has pulled $1.2 million from parking funds to help support the city’s general fund, a move approved by the council to help close a $50 million shortfall in the current budget, and expects to continue redirecting a similar amount to the general fund in coming years. City officials also said some of the additional revenue would go back into making upgrades to parking structures and upgrading meters. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brendan Rawson, the director of San Jose Jazz, referenced a 2026 City Pulse report from \u003ca href=\"https://www.gensler.com/doc/research-city-pulse-survey-2026.pdf\">Gensler\u003c/a>, saying that San José’s downtown ranked near the bottom in several categories including vibrancy. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Parking is the gatekeeper issue that holds many residents back from even giving downtown a try. This proposal to raid the parking fund in order to pay for a recurring general fund deficit is penny-wise and pound-foolish,” Rawson told the council at the meeting. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After two different split votes, with Mayor Matt Mahan absent, the council couldn’t come to an agreement on any meter rate increases, including a compromise proposal from Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, who suggested limiting increases to just $3. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think part of what has made this process challenging is that we’re trying to balance a number of goals, some of which feel like they are competing with one another,” Tordillos said, noting the need for revenue to support the general fund, parking facilities maintenance and future improvements, and the need to protect businesses who are still in a long tail of post-pandemic recovery. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council ultimately supported portions of a plan from Tordillos that directed staff to come back next year with a detailed parking analysis, and a pathway to lessen the transfer of parking funds to the general fund in the future. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city hasn’t raised downtown parking meter rates since 2014, according to Colin Heyne, a spokesperson for San José’s Department of Transportation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We know people don’t want to pay more for parking. So this is something that we’ve just dealt with for many years, even as costs have gone up,” Heyne said. “But with this budget deficit, we felt it was finally time to pull the bandage off.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088569\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-11-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking sign in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials tried to approve a quicker doubling of parking meter rates in the downtown core in June, with an item tucked into the consent calendar section of a City Council meeting agenda, a portion of the agenda for items that are considered routine and typically not discussed in depth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But residents, business owners and the San José Downtown Association raised concerns, and said they weren’t consulted about such a change. The council ultimately put the idea on hold, and asked transportation staff to come up with a different plan, resulting in the phased proposal. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Much of the frustration from business owners, advocates and downtown residents stemmed from what they described as a poor process with limited outreach and consideration of the impacts. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Alan “Gumby” Marques, a longtime downtown business owner and former downtown association interim president, told the council he couldn’t support what appeared to be a tax on businesses in the area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This process has been broken. If there was anything that ever demonstrated that San José was an opaque black box, this process has made that so,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088567\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-05-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A parking compliance vehicle in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Parking enforcement officers have also seen increases in drivers parking their cars in 2-hour restricted spots well beyond those time limits, by continually feeding the meter, officials said. The city wanted to increase prices in part to encourage more turnover downtown for curbside spots near businesses, which are considered “premier customer parking,” Heyne said, and push people who need to park for longer times to city garages, which would cost less per hour. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tamiko Rast, vice chair of the city’s Downtown Parking Board, and CEO of the Japantown Business Association, vocally opposed extending the hours and supported higher hikes on city garage event rates. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Rast said many people do not park in city garages currently because they feel that they aren’t clean or as safe as curbside parking. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If people feel safe coming to our garages and they have a clean walkway up the stairwells, I don’t think the price is going to matter as much as you would think. But right now, it’s a combination of a higher price and low quality that I think people will notice,” she said, noting some garages, like The Globe garage on South Third Street, smell like urine or other unpleasant odors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the proposal the council shot down was to widen the hours that parking meters are active and require payment. Meters in the city are currently active Monday through Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but the city’s plan would have extended the downtown enforcement time until 9 p.m.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088566\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260623-SJParking-04-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Parking meters in San José on June 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Brian Kurtz, CEO of the San José Downtown Association, said the area has not rebounded nearly enough since the pandemic to justify the changes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The idea of increasing parking rates and adding additional barriers of entry for the same visitors that we’re attempting to attract in downtown, I think it’s detrimental to downtown’s progress at the end of the day,” Kurtz said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heyne said the city planned to use some of the revenue from the increased rates to help pay for a series of ongoing maintenance needs and targeted improvements, including parking garage painting, floor resurfacing and lighting, expanding of security patrols and the installation of an additional elevator at the Second and San Carlos garage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One portion of the city proposal that found broad support from the downtown association and the council is a plan to expand a program for some lower-wage downtown employees to receive discounted monthly parking at city garages, in an attempt to help protect workers from the pinch of higher parking costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://parksj.org/info-for-businesses/\">program\u003c/a> currently offers a half-price discount on city parking garage monthly permit rates to employees working in meter districts who earn no more than 30% over the minimum wage of $18.45 per hour. Under the proposal, the city program would expand to include people who earn up to 50% more than minimum wage, and would exclude tips from the threshold. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re hoping that one outcome of this whole process is that more people are aware of this program and more people take advantage of it,” Heyne said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "congressman-calls-for-investigation-of-russian-owned-silicon-valley-site",
"title": "Congressman Calls for Investigation of Russian-Owned Silicon Valley Site",
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"headTitle": "Congressman Calls for Investigation of Russian-Owned Silicon Valley Site | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Silicon Valley \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sam-liccardo\">Congressman Sam Liccardo\u003c/a> is calling for a federal investigation and potential sanctions against the owners and backers of a high-rise development proposal at the former Sunset Magazine headquarters in Menlo Park, which has sparked years of controversy in the wealthy city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Liccardo \u003ca href=\"https://liccardo.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/liccardo.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/quill-letter-l39585-80-willow-road-development-letter-to-treasury-version-1-09-23-2026-08-51-pm.pdf\">wrote a letter\u003c/a> this week to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, raising security concerns and urging federal agencies to look into the property’s owner, Russian businessman Vitaly Yusufov, along with the proposed project’s financiers and developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Public sources raise serious questions about Vitaly Yusufov’s ties to the Russian government and individuals linked to organized crime, warranting immediate review by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS), and, ultimately, consideration for sanctions,” Liccardo wrote in his Sept. 23 letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12070783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 20, 2026. (Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vitaly Yusofov is the son of Igor Yusofov, the former Energy Minister of the Russian Federation, and he was previously sanctioned by Ukraine and has also been documented as a business agent for former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in real estate matters, Liccardo wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Liccardo also referenced Vitaly Yusufov’s 2009 purchase of shipyards in Germany, with financing that was later linked to organized crime leaders, including Aslan Gagiec, “known as ‘Dzhako the Bloody,’ a Russian organized crime figure connected to 56 contract killings.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The property, a 6.7-acre piece of land at 80 Willow Road that sits at the corner of Middlefield Road, backs up to San Francisquito Creek. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mid-century, California Ranch-style building on the site once housed Sunset Magazine, on grounds featuring trees, succulents, a center courtyard, lawns and gardens that its former editor-in-chief described as “enchanting” in an opinion piece advocating for its demolition and redevelopment to support denser housing in the pricey region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The dream of idyllic suburban life that Sunset’s building represents is dead, dead, dead — unsustainable and unaffordable for all but the very few. Why hang on?” Peggy Northrop wrote in \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2026/08/22/sunset-magazine-menlo-park-campus-torn-down/\">\u003cem>The San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A 2025 piece by Sunset staff members \u003ca href=\"https://sunset.com/lifestyle/sunset-menlo-park-campus-preservation\">called for preserving\u003c/a> the historic building and the grounds because it’s “a place that has shaped the way we live, eat and dream in the West for generations.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based development company N17, headed by Oisín Heneghan, is proposing to demolish the existing buildings to create a mixed-use project with a total of 665 apartments or condos, with roughly 100 of them to be priced below market-rate, along with 332,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room hotel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While a proposed preschool building in the plans would be 22 feet tall, the other three buildings would range from 301 feet tall to as high as 458 feet tall, \u003ca href=\"https://www.menlopark.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Development/Projects/Under-review/80-Willow-Road\">according to the city\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12065389\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Sam Liccardo speaks during a press conference in San José about changes to a federal housing program’s funding by the Trump administration on Nov. 24, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The staggering height of the towers has prompted significant pushback, including from local and state officials like state Sen. Josh Becker and San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The residents group \u003ca href=\"https://menloforward.org/\">Menlo Forward\u003c/a> calls the towers “wildly out of scale” with the existing community, noting they would become the tallest buildings in the state outside of major metropolitan areas in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project was proposed in 2023 under a narrow provision of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11981595/controversial-california-law-meant-to-spur-new-housing-could-get-more-teeth\">state law\u003c/a> known as the “Builder’s Remedy,” which allows developers to bypass much of local discretionary review to fast-track a project when a city or county hasn’t received certification of its long-term housing plan from the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta and an attorney for the developer, David H. Blackwell, wrote to the city this summer alleging it has \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_july-29-letter.pdf&url_hash=88e87650c5c29a02171ca2d70c47bc2a&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">violated\u003c/a> several state housing law provisions, including changing its reasoning to deny a streamlined approval process for the project, and requiring the developer to pay for the city’s legal review work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Blackwell \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_aug-3-letter.pdf&url_hash=fcae285382058f3b4f5234775e14fac0&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">wrote\u003c/a> that the developer plans to sue the city if the project is not approved by Oct. 27, which is 90 days after Bonta’s letter, under rights granted to a developer under state housing laws. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city also faced a legal threat last year from the pro-housing development group, YIMBY Law, over some of the same violations alleged by Bonta. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058864\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Attorney General Rob Bonta is briefed by members of his Civil Rights Enforcement Section on litigation challenging the Trump administration at his offices in downtown Los Angeles, California, on March 11, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Menlo Park Mayor Betsy Nash, however, has pushed back on Bonta’s crackdown. She penned a letter to him last month that was republished on the local news site \u003ca href=\"https://www.almanacnews.com/guest-opinion/2026/09/14/guest-opinion-ag-bonta-come-see-for-yourself-why-menlo-park-skyscraper-project-is-wrong-for-willow-road-site/\">The Almanac\u003c/a>, inviting him to tour the area and arguing the city’s past housing certifications were unfairly held up by the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nash, in an emailed statement to KQED, said the city “applauds” Liccardo for raising concerns about the project backers and national security. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Menlo Park shares these concerns, and we are surprised the Attorney General of California has not flagged these apparent issues. We hope federal officials will investigate for potential illegality, corruption and national security issues,” Nash said. “In addition, we believe that the massive commercial development proposed for the site would further compound infrastructure challenges in Menlo Park, while not delivering the housing that we need.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heneghan, in an email to KQED, said he was surprised by Liccardo’s letter, and said it is being spurred by anti-housing sentiment in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is based on false reporting and what can only be described as NIMBY fan fiction,” Heneghan said, using an acronym for Not In My Backyard, which is commonly used to refer to residents who oppose new housing projects. “The NIMBY lobby is creating more and more sensational, desperate narratives to try to block these new homes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said the proposed project would increase housing stock, and create temporary construction jobs and permanent public spaces including restaurants, retail, sports facilities and a school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These same people have been fighting housing since Jimmy Carter was president, then wonder why their grandkids live in Texas or Florida, where homes are actually affordable,” Heneghan said of the project’s opponents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a suit and tie speak behind a podium, with a blue-lit screen behind hime that says 'Decision 2024'\" class=\"wp-image-12012243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former San José Mayor Sam Liccardo debates Assemblymember Evan Low at the NBC offices in San José on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Camille Cohen for KQED/POOL)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Liccardo’s letter doesn’t address concerns about the physical size or fit of the proposed project, instead focusing on issues such as its proximity to sensitive hubs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Given the very high concentration of defense tech, artificial intelligence and quantum computing companies and research centers in the region, we believe federal agencies should review the property, its ownership and its financial backing to ensure Kremlin officials and their proxies cannot obtain sensitive information about critical U.S. companies and their employees,” Liccardo wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He raised the prospect that the project’s proponents could use domestic real estate holdings like this one to “facilitate sanctions evasion” and generate wealth, which the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned about in early 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yusufov could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, Liccardo told KQED he wants more housing in the area, “but Russian oligarchs with ties to the Kremlin and criminal networks should not control assets in our country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need a federal investigation in order to support the implementation of sanctions that would stop Mr. Yusufov from being able to build in our community,” Liccardo said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Liccardo \u003ca href=\"https://liccardo.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/liccardo.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/quill-letter-l39585-80-willow-road-development-letter-to-treasury-version-1-09-23-2026-08-51-pm.pdf\">wrote a letter\u003c/a> this week to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, raising security concerns and urging federal agencies to look into the property’s owner, Russian businessman Vitaly Yusufov, along with the proposed project’s financiers and developers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Vitaly Yusofov is the son of Igor Yusofov, the former Energy Minister of the Russian Federation, and he was previously sanctioned by Ukraine and has also been documented as a business agent for former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in real estate matters, Liccardo wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Liccardo also referenced Vitaly Yusufov’s 2009 purchase of shipyards in Germany, with financing that was later linked to organized crime leaders, including Aslan Gagiec, “known as ‘Dzhako the Bloody,’ a Russian organized crime figure connected to 56 contract killings.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The property, a 6.7-acre piece of land at 80 Willow Road that sits at the corner of Middlefield Road, backs up to San Francisquito Creek. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The mid-century, California Ranch-style building on the site once housed Sunset Magazine, on grounds featuring trees, succulents, a center courtyard, lawns and gardens that its former editor-in-chief described as “enchanting” in an opinion piece advocating for its demolition and redevelopment to support denser housing in the pricey region. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The dream of idyllic suburban life that Sunset’s building represents is dead, dead, dead — unsustainable and unaffordable for all but the very few. Why hang on?” Peggy Northrop wrote in \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2026/08/22/sunset-magazine-menlo-park-campus-torn-down/\">\u003cem>The San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A 2025 piece by Sunset staff members \u003ca href=\"https://sunset.com/lifestyle/sunset-menlo-park-campus-preservation\">called for preserving\u003c/a> the historic building and the grounds because it’s “a place that has shaped the way we live, eat and dream in the West for generations.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based development company N17, headed by Oisín Heneghan, is proposing to demolish the existing buildings to create a mixed-use project with a total of 665 apartments or condos, with roughly 100 of them to be priced below market-rate, along with 332,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room hotel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based development company N17, headed by Oisín Heneghan, is proposing to demolish the existing buildings to create a mixed-use project with a total of 665 apartments or condos, with roughly 100 of them to be priced below market-rate, along with 332,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room hotel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While a proposed preschool building in the plans would be 22 feet tall, the other three buildings would range from 301 feet tall to as high as 458 feet tall, \u003ca href=\"https://www.menlopark.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Development/Projects/Under-review/80-Willow-Road\">according to the city\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12065389\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Sam Liccardo speaks during a press conference in San José about changes to a federal housing program’s funding by the Trump administration on Nov. 24, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12065389\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Sam Liccardo speaks during a press conference in San José about changes to a federal housing program’s funding by the Trump administration on Nov. 24, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The staggering height of the towers has prompted significant pushback, including from local and state officials like state Sen. Josh Becker and San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The residents group \u003ca href=\"https://menloforward.org/\">Menlo Forward\u003c/a> calls the towers “wildly out of scale” with the existing community, noting they would become the tallest buildings in the state outside of major metropolitan areas in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The project was proposed in 2023 under a narrow provision of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11981595/controversial-california-law-meant-to-spur-new-housing-could-get-more-teeth\">state law\u003c/a> known as the “Builder’s Remedy,” which allows developers to bypass much of local discretionary review to fast-track a project when a city or county hasn’t received certification of its long-term housing plan from the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta and an attorney for the developer, David H. Blackwell, wrote to the city this summer alleging it has \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_july-29-letter.pdf&url_hash=88e87650c5c29a02171ca2d70c47bc2a&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">violated\u003c/a> several state housing law provisions, including changing its reasoning to deny a streamlined approval process for the project, and requiring the developer to pay for the city’s legal review work. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta and an attorney for the developer, David H. Blackwell, wrote to the city this summer alleging it has \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_july-29-letter.pdf&url_hash=88e87650c5c29a02171ca2d70c47bc2a&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">violated\u003c/a> several state housing law provisions, including changing its reasoning to deny a streamlined approval process for the project, and requiring the developer to pay for the city’s legal review work. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Blackwell \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_aug-3-letter.pdf&url_hash=fcae285382058f3b4f5234775e14fac0&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">wrote\u003c/a> that the developer plans to sue the city if the project is not approved by Oct. 27, which is 90 days after Bonta’s letter, under rights granted to a developer under state housing laws. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Blackwell \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_aug-3-letter.pdf&url_hash=fcae285382058f3b4f5234775e14fac0&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">wrote\u003c/a> that the developer plans to sue the city if the project is not approved by Oct. 27, which is 90 days after Bonta’s letter, under rights granted to a developer under state housing laws. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city also faced a legal threat last year from the pro-housing development group, YIMBY Law, over some of the same violations alleged by Bonta. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city also faced a legal threat last year from the pro-housing development group, YIMBY Law, over some of the same violations alleged by Bonta. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058864\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Attorney General Rob Bonta is briefed by members of his Civil Rights Enforcement Section on litigation challenging the Trump administration at his offices in downtown Los Angeles, California, on March 11, 2025. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Menlo Park Mayor Betsy Nash, however, has pushed back on Bonta’s crackdown. She penned a letter to him last month that was republished on the local news site \u003ca href=\"https://www.almanacnews.com/guest-opinion/2026/09/14/guest-opinion-ag-bonta-come-see-for-yourself-why-menlo-park-skyscraper-project-is-wrong-for-willow-road-site/\">The Almanac\u003c/a>, inviting him to tour the area and arguing the city’s past housing certifications were unfairly held up by the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Menlo Park Mayor Betsy Nash, however, has pushed back on Bonta’s crackdown. She penned a letter to him last month that was republished on the local news site \u003ca href=\"https://www.almanacnews.com/guest-opinion/2026/09/14/guest-opinion-ag-bonta-come-see-for-yourself-why-menlo-park-skyscraper-project-is-wrong-for-willow-road-site/\">The Almanac\u003c/a>, inviting him to tour the area and arguing the city’s past housing certifications were unfairly held up by the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nash, in an emailed statement to KQED, said the city “applauds” Liccardo for raising concerns about the project backers and national security. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Menlo Park shares these concerns, and we are surprised the Attorney General of California has not flagged these apparent issues. We hope federal officials will investigate for potential illegality, corruption and national security issues,” Nash said. “In addition, we believe that the massive commercial development proposed for the site would further compound infrastructure challenges in Menlo Park, while not delivering the housing that we need.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Menlo Park shares these concerns, and we are surprised the Attorney General of California has not flagged these apparent issues. We hope federal officials will investigate for potential illegality, corruption and national security issues,” Nash said. “In addition, we believe that the massive commercial development proposed for the site would further compound infrastructure challenges in Menlo Park, while not delivering the housing that we need.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Heneghan, in an email to KQED, said he was surprised by Liccardo’s letter, and said it is being spurred by anti-housing sentiment in the region. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Heneghan, in an email to KQED, said he was surprised by Liccardo’s letter, and said it is being spurred by anti-housing sentiment in the region. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is based on false reporting and what can only be described as NIMBY fan fiction,” Heneghan said, using an acronym for Not In My Backyard, which is commonly used to refer to residents who oppose new housing projects. “The NIMBY lobby is creating more and more sensational, desperate narratives to try to block these new homes.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said the proposed project would increase housing stock, and create temporary construction jobs and permanent public spaces including restaurants, retail, sports facilities and a school. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“These same people have been fighting housing since Jimmy Carter was president, then wonder why their grandkids live in Texas or Florida, where homes are actually affordable,” Heneghan said of the project’s opponents.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“These same people have been fighting housing since Jimmy Carter was president, then wonder why their grandkids live in Texas or Florida, where homes are actually affordable,” Heneghan said of the project’s opponents.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Liccardo’s letter doesn’t address concerns about the physical size or fit of the proposed project, instead focusing on issues such as its proximity to sensitive hubs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Given the very high concentration of defense tech, artificial intelligence and quantum computing companies and research centers in the region, we believe federal agencies should review the property, its ownership and its financial backing to ensure Kremlin officials and their proxies cannot obtain sensitive information about critical U.S. companies and their employees,” Liccardo wrote. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Given the very high concentration of defense tech, artificial intelligence and quantum computing companies and research centers in the region, we believe federal agencies should review the property, its ownership and its financial backing to ensure Kremlin officials and their proxies cannot obtain sensitive information about critical U.S. companies and their employees,” Liccardo wrote. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He raised the prospect that the project’s proponents could use domestic real estate holdings like this one to “facilitate sanctions evasion” and generate wealth, which the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned about in early 2023. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He raised the prospect that the project’s proponents could use domestic real estate holdings like this one to “facilitate sanctions evasion” and generate wealth, which the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned about in early 2023. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yusufov could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a statement, Liccardo told KQED he wants more housing in the area, “but Russian oligarchs with ties to the Kremlin and criminal networks should not control assets in our country.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a statement, Liccardo told KQED he wants more housing in the area, “but Russian oligarchs with ties to the Kremlin and criminal networks should not control assets in our country.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We need a federal investigation in order to support the implementation of sanctions that would stop Mr. Yusufov from being able to build in our community,” Liccardo said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Rep. Sam Liccardo wants federal agencies to investigate the Russian backers of a proposed controversial development in Menlo Park.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Silicon Valley \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sam-liccardo\">Congressman Sam Liccardo\u003c/a> is calling for a federal investigation and potential sanctions against the owners and backers of a high-rise development proposal at the former Sunset Magazine headquarters in Menlo Park, which has sparked years of controversy in the wealthy city.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Liccardo \u003ca href=\"https://liccardo.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/liccardo.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/quill-letter-l39585-80-willow-road-development-letter-to-treasury-version-1-09-23-2026-08-51-pm.pdf\">wrote a letter\u003c/a> this week to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, raising security concerns and urging federal agencies to look into the property’s owner, Russian businessman Vitaly Yusufov, along with the proposed project’s financiers and developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Public sources raise serious questions about Vitaly Yusufov’s ties to the Russian government and individuals linked to organized crime, warranting immediate review by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS), and, ultimately, consideration for sanctions,” Liccardo wrote in his Sept. 23 letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12070783\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GettyImages-2256680653-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks at the 56th World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 20, 2026. (Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Vitaly Yusofov is the son of Igor Yusofov, the former Energy Minister of the Russian Federation, and he was previously sanctioned by Ukraine and has also been documented as a business agent for former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in real estate matters, Liccardo wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Liccardo also referenced Vitaly Yusufov’s 2009 purchase of shipyards in Germany, with financing that was later linked to organized crime leaders, including Aslan Gagiec, “known as ‘Dzhako the Bloody,’ a Russian organized crime figure connected to 56 contract killings.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Treasury Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The property, a 6.7-acre piece of land at 80 Willow Road that sits at the corner of Middlefield Road, backs up to San Francisquito Creek. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The mid-century, California Ranch-style building on the site once housed Sunset Magazine, on grounds featuring trees, succulents, a center courtyard, lawns and gardens that its former editor-in-chief described as “enchanting” in an opinion piece advocating for its demolition and redevelopment to support denser housing in the pricey region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The dream of idyllic suburban life that Sunset’s building represents is dead, dead, dead — unsustainable and unaffordable for all but the very few. Why hang on?” Peggy Northrop wrote in \u003ca href=\"https://sfstandard.com/opinion/2026/08/22/sunset-magazine-menlo-park-campus-torn-down/\">\u003cem>The San Francisco Standard\u003c/em>\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A 2025 piece by Sunset staff members \u003ca href=\"https://sunset.com/lifestyle/sunset-menlo-park-campus-preservation\">called for preserving\u003c/a> the historic building and the grounds because it’s “a place that has shaped the way we live, eat and dream in the West for generations.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San Francisco-based development company N17, headed by Oisín Heneghan, is proposing to demolish the existing buildings to create a mixed-use project with a total of 665 apartments or condos, with roughly 100 of them to be priced below market-rate, along with 332,000 square feet of office space, 17,000 square feet of retail space and a 130-room hotel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While a proposed preschool building in the plans would be 22 feet tall, the other three buildings would range from 301 feet tall to as high as 458 feet tall, \u003ca href=\"https://www.menlopark.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Development/Projects/Under-review/80-Willow-Road\">according to the city\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12065389\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251124-SJHUDCUTS-JG-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Rep. Sam Liccardo speaks during a press conference in San José about changes to a federal housing program’s funding by the Trump administration on Nov. 24, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The staggering height of the towers has prompted significant pushback, including from local and state officials like state Sen. Josh Becker and San Mateo County Supervisor Ray Mueller. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The residents group \u003ca href=\"https://menloforward.org/\">Menlo Forward\u003c/a> calls the towers “wildly out of scale” with the existing community, noting they would become the tallest buildings in the state outside of major metropolitan areas in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The project was proposed in 2023 under a narrow provision of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11981595/controversial-california-law-meant-to-spur-new-housing-could-get-more-teeth\">state law\u003c/a> known as the “Builder’s Remedy,” which allows developers to bypass much of local discretionary review to fast-track a project when a city or county hasn’t received certification of its long-term housing plan from the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Attorney General Rob Bonta and an attorney for the developer, David H. Blackwell, wrote to the city this summer alleging it has \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_july-29-letter.pdf&url_hash=88e87650c5c29a02171ca2d70c47bc2a&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">violated\u003c/a> several state housing law provisions, including changing its reasoning to deny a streamlined approval process for the project, and requiring the developer to pay for the city’s legal review work. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Blackwell \u003ca href=\"https://docaccess.com/docviewer.html?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2Ffiles%2Fsharedassets%2Fpublic%2Fv%2F1%2Fcommunity-development%2Fdocuments%2Fprojects%2Funder-review%2F80-willow-rd%2F80-wr_aug-3-letter.pdf&url_hash=fcae285382058f3b4f5234775e14fac0&domain=menlopark.gov&site=91291e4b-a87a-43ca-b8a7-b228e7d9764d&found_on=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.menlopark.gov%2FGovernment%2FDepartments%2FCommunity-Development%2FProjects%2FUnder-review%2F80-Willow-Road\">wrote\u003c/a> that the developer plans to sue the city if the project is not approved by Oct. 27, which is 90 days after Bonta’s letter, under rights granted to a developer under state housing laws. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city also faced a legal threat last year from the pro-housing development group, YIMBY Law, over some of the same violations alleged by Bonta. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12058864\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/RobBontaTrumpGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California Attorney General Rob Bonta is briefed by members of his Civil Rights Enforcement Section on litigation challenging the Trump administration at his offices in downtown Los Angeles, California, on March 11, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Menlo Park Mayor Betsy Nash, however, has pushed back on Bonta’s crackdown. She penned a letter to him last month that was republished on the local news site \u003ca href=\"https://www.almanacnews.com/guest-opinion/2026/09/14/guest-opinion-ag-bonta-come-see-for-yourself-why-menlo-park-skyscraper-project-is-wrong-for-willow-road-site/\">The Almanac\u003c/a>, inviting him to tour the area and arguing the city’s past housing certifications were unfairly held up by the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nash, in an emailed statement to KQED, said the city “applauds” Liccardo for raising concerns about the project backers and national security. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Menlo Park shares these concerns, and we are surprised the Attorney General of California has not flagged these apparent issues. We hope federal officials will investigate for potential illegality, corruption and national security issues,” Nash said. “In addition, we believe that the massive commercial development proposed for the site would further compound infrastructure challenges in Menlo Park, while not delivering the housing that we need.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Heneghan, in an email to KQED, said he was surprised by Liccardo’s letter, and said it is being spurred by anti-housing sentiment in the region. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is based on false reporting and what can only be described as NIMBY fan fiction,” Heneghan said, using an acronym for Not In My Backyard, which is commonly used to refer to residents who oppose new housing projects. “The NIMBY lobby is creating more and more sensational, desperate narratives to try to block these new homes.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He said the proposed project would increase housing stock, and create temporary construction jobs and permanent public spaces including restaurants, retail, sports facilities and a school. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“These same people have been fighting housing since Jimmy Carter was president, then wonder why their grandkids live in Texas or Florida, where homes are actually affordable,” Heneghan said of the project’s opponents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"A man in a suit and tie speak behind a podium, with a blue-lit screen behind hime that says 'Decision 2024'\" class=\"wp-image-12012243\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241011-CONGRESSIONALDEBATENBC_COHEN-22-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former San José Mayor Sam Liccardo debates Assemblymember Evan Low at the NBC offices in San José on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (Camille Cohen for KQED/POOL)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Liccardo’s letter doesn’t address concerns about the physical size or fit of the proposed project, instead focusing on issues such as its proximity to sensitive hubs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Given the very high concentration of defense tech, artificial intelligence and quantum computing companies and research centers in the region, we believe federal agencies should review the property, its ownership and its financial backing to ensure Kremlin officials and their proxies cannot obtain sensitive information about critical U.S. companies and their employees,” Liccardo wrote. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He raised the prospect that the project’s proponents could use domestic real estate holdings like this one to “facilitate sanctions evasion” and generate wealth, which the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network warned about in early 2023. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yusufov could not be reached for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In a statement, Liccardo told KQED he wants more housing in the area, “but Russian oligarchs with ties to the Kremlin and criminal networks should not control assets in our country.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We need a federal investigation in order to support the implementation of sanctions that would stop Mr. Yusufov from being able to build in our community,” Liccardo said. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "full-on-backlash-against-data-centers-occurring-as-san-jose-courts-them",
"title": "‘Full-on Backlash’ Against Data Centers Occurring as San José Courts Them",
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"headTitle": "‘Full-on Backlash’ Against Data Centers Occurring as San José Courts Them | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> has quietly become California’s data center capital. The sleepy suburb known for its quiet streets and professional football stadium is home to 60 data centers — more than any other city on the West Coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cheap electricity sold by the city’s own power company has for years attracted major tech firms and data center developers seeking millions of dollars in savings over PG&E rates as they build out the hulking, cube-like structures full of computers, networking and cooling equipment. The city and its planners have also made it easy on developers seeking guidance and approvals, which are largely handled by the city’s planning commission. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now some local lawmakers are raising concerns. Kevin Park, a council member and tech worker who is running for mayor, said the city has gone too far, as the power company’s supply is strained and it has raised rates on residents to pay for major infrastructure upgrades. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s stop building data centers. And the water and the electricity and all the things that we’ll save, let’s use them for other things,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the current artificial intelligence boom fuels rising demand for data centers in Silicon Valley, concern about their effects on the environment, resources and surrounding communities has burst into public discourse and turned the issue into a political hot potato. Local lawmakers are now scrambling to weigh constituents’ concerns against the prospect of embracing the economic windfall proponents say data centers can bring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098431\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Buildings in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate in a capacity similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While South Bay cities have so far not enacted temporary moratoriums like the one-year ban Oakley in the East Bay recently passed, some places, like Gilroy, have tightened data center approvals amid pushback to the massive buildings seemingly rising overnight. Statewide polling suggests most residents oppose building data centers to support the AI industry in their area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in a city like Santa Clara, which has long leaned on data centers as a driver of revenue, some politicians, like Park, are calling for a halt. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If we took down a single mid-size data center using 20 to 40 megawatts of power, we could actually double the population of the city and not need a single additional watt of power,” Park said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city, which has about 130,000 residents, is also home to tech behemoths like Nvidia, whose advanced processing units and software are at the center of the AI race and data center growth. “I don’t think people understand that’s the scale we’re talking about. Every large data center we put in can use the entire electric capacity of a city,” he said. “This is something we need to think about.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lawmakers in neighboring San José are taking a different approach from what Park is proposing, leaning into the AI industry’s demand for larger, more energy-intensive data centers even as they try to assuage residents’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José, with nearly 1 million residents, has for more than a year been actively courting data center development, hoping to provide a stable injection of property and utility taxes into city coffers. Officials say the city, historically a sprawling bedroom community that struggled to generate commercial revenue, currently has about 20 operating data centers. The projects require a special use permit, which must be approved at a public hearing. A planning commission or city council meeting is not always required. But for some projects with a significant environmental impact, the city council would make the final decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last summer, San José Mayor Matt Mahan \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">announced a deal\u003c/a> with PG&E that would guarantee power availability and quick connections for 10 major projects in the coming years. In a statement, the city said the pact would position San José as the “West Coast’s premier destination for data center development.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city launched “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sjeconomy.com/how-we-help/programs-and-services/powering-san-jos-energy-infrastructure-for-data-centers\">concierge-style support\u003c/a>” for data center developers, made dozens of individual pitches and participated in industry events and conferences, leading to a near doubling of interest in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/planning-division/data-center-and-other-large-energy-use-projects\">data center development\u003c/a> in the city by earlier this year, staff reports say.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the city’s efforts to go all-in on data centers and other large energy-use projects have prompted fierce pushback.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think we’re in a full-on backlash against the buildout of the data centers, and not just in California, but in the country and really worldwide,” said Irina Raicu, the director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In part because of the trade-offs that these buildings require, in part because of lack of information and the way people have been surprised in so many places by the apparition of these big centers,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098429\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homes in the south San José neighborhood near the lot intended to house a data center on Silver Creek Valley Road on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In North San José’s small Alviso neighborhood, a historically underserved portion of the city that has been heavily developed with tech campuses, corporate offices and research facilities, officials are expecting the buildout of at least three major data centers and large energy-use projects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Google is proposing to demolish an existing warehouse and build research and development facilities expected to draw about 250 megawatts of power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For context, 250 MW is larger than the average demand of all of Marin County in 2024, and about half the overall average demand of San Mateo County,” the California Public Utilities Commission \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M607/K718/607718746.PDF\">said\u003c/a> in its review of the project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not far away, Microsoft is already building a 99-megawatt data center with 224 natural gas generators to provide continual power when there are outages or the grid is overloaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And on 159 acres of land used as a buffer between a wastewater facility jointly owned by San José and Santa Clara, the city has entered into an \u003ca href=\"https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14917877&GUID=45941F3A-0A60-42A1-8F04-B09281C6E2F3\">exclusive negotiating agreement\u003c/a> with Prologis, which is proposing a facility that in total would use 496 megawatts of electricity across data centers and research facilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098430\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ellina Yin stands outside a pair of buildings in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Based on those power estimates, the group of Alviso facilities at full capacity could use more energy daily than the \u003ca href=\"https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/home/showpublisheddocument/89484/639130534329930000\">entire city of Santa Clara\u003c/a> — with its dozens of data centers — currently does, said San José resident Ellina Yin, who has tracked data center development closely. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So we’re putting an entire city’s worth of data centers in this tiny neighborhood, and the public health implications are unstudied. We don’t really understand what the future impacts could be,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A community listening session in San José last month turned out hundreds of people, most expressing concern about data centers and some calling for a moratorium on accepting applications from developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan, a former tech worker, has said in the past that rejecting data center development outright would be akin to burying “our heads in the sand.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents said they sense a disconnect between what people are telling elected leaders and what policies are being advanced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan takes notes during the city’s first community listening session focused on data centers on Aug. 19, 2026, at City Hall. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They don’t seem to care about the fact that a lot of people just really don’t want this in their backyard,” said Ken Thompson, a South San José resident who lives steps away from a proposed data center. “If the community doesn’t want it, if the local area around it doesn’t want it, then why are we forcing it upon them?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan doesn’t see it that way. Instead, the city has taken a build-the-airplane-while-flying-it approach, holding community meetings to gather feedback that will inform a planned beefing up of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095008/san-jose-weighs-data-center-benefits-as-residents-raise-environmental-concerns\">regulations and standards\u003c/a> for data center proposals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going to set, with input from the community over the coming months, some of the highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard,” Mahan said in an interview. “Labor standards, environmental protection, rate-payer protection, aesthetics and other community engagement and community benefits.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials expect to present the City Council with the new standards by the end of the year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is much more important that we regulate Big Tech to get this right than to simply say ‘no’ and make it somebody else’s problem and lose the ability to shape this investment,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098432\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Notice of Development Proposal is posted outside a building in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, business and industry trade groups representing the biggest tech companies and data center developers say data centers are paramount to the success of the digital economy, Silicon Valley’s continued status as an innovation engine and American dominance in AI technologies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If California is not positioned to continue rapidly deploying and scaling AI technology … if our state general fund, if our local community economies are not able to garner the benefits of this, it will go elsewhere,” said Ahmad Thomas, the CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think the next 30 to 40 years of economic supremacy globally is going to be determined by who gets this right,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thomas said the data centers proposed in the Silicon Valley region are being developed responsibly, making use of renewable energy, recycled water, and offering community benefits. He said it’s a template all data center development should follow, and might assuage some concerns and fears. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our thesis is that listening to the community leads to better innovation. That has always been our working approach,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098428\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A lot on Silver Creek Valley Road in south San José, which is intended to house a data center, on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Khara Boender, a spokesperson for the western division of the industry trade group Data Center Coalition, said data center backers want to be good neighbors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The industry is committed to paying for its full cost of service for electricity and the underlying infrastructure that it uses,” Boender said. “The industry is committed to responsible water use, and has made different investments in restoration and replenishment projects.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The buildings, which as recently as several years ago were much smaller and drew significantly smaller energy loads, were previously primarily used to house and exchange information across the internet, and later came to support all kinds of daily needs of a modern world, like social media, streaming services and video communication services for meetings and telehealth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They support the very fabric of our digital lives and every aspect of that,” said Dr. Andrew Chien, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But newer data centers are packed with high-energy processing and computing elements that are increasingly used for AI, both to do the complex computational work needed to power AI chatbots and agents, and to train massive AI models and systems that are at the forefront of the technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chien said because AI is a fundamentally different way to deliver services, it has drastically increased the need for data centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Traditionally with computing, a service like email or like social media, it’s mostly taking a piece of digital data and serving it up or maybe organizing a little bit and then serving it up. But when you talk to a chatbot, or you ask Claude to go do some complicated analysis or Gemini or ChatGPT, you actually trigger a gigantic number of numerical computations,” Chien said. “So there’s dramatically more energy required to do that. So it’s not only the growth of AI, it’s the fact that AI is a hugely energy-intensive way of delivering this intelligence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rapid growth of data center proposals and industry bullishness have been met with growing grassroots resistance in Silicon Valley, led in part by Yin, the San José resident. One major factor fueling the resistance is a striking lack of clear information about how much power, water and other resources data centers use.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yin said the financial and technological imperatives espoused by data center proponents shouldn’t trump the need for updated regulations and deeper understanding about the long-term, cumulative impacts across the region on things like air and water, which take time to develop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The scale that we’re seeing them be built out nationally is just, it’s overwhelming. I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime. And I feel like there’s just a lack of due diligence that we cannot repeat from previous generations,” Yin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are leaving that to the burden of future generations to deal with, just as when cell phones came, and we didn’t understand social media, and now look at the state of child development and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096647/why-metas-landmark-settlement-could-be-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment\">impact of social media\u003c/a> on the youth,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She pointed to the collection of Superfund polluted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/388730/silicon-valleys-toxic-past-haunts-sunnyvale-neighborhood\">sites across Santa Clara County\u003c/a>, created by years of toxic material mismanagement in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry\u003c/a> that flourished there decades ago, or the global plastics industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A lot on Silver Creek Valley Road in south San José, which is intended to house a data center, on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We didn’t know any better. And now it’s in our bodies, it’s in our water, and the plastics industry did not come running to save us and to do all the reparations of correcting the damage that they caused. And so I don’t think I can trust that the AI industry is going to come and do the reparation of the impacts that they’re going to cause,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raicu, the director of the Internet Ethics program, co-authored \u003ca href=\"https://www.next10.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Data-Centers-Water-Use-Report.pdf\">a report\u003c/a> on data centers and water use, and said the overall lack of clear information about the resource consumption of data centers by the companies proposing and operating them is striking, and more disclosure should be required. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some reports, like one out of \u003ca href=\"https://jlarc.virginia.gov/pdfs/reports/Rpt598.pdf\">Virginia\u003c/a>, which has the highest concentration of data centers in the country, say many there use as much water as large office buildings each year, between 4 million gallons and 10 million gallons. But others use far more, including one that uses 243 million gallons. The picture both locally and nationally isn’t always clear or comprehensive, Raicu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t know how much energy and how much water data centers are using. And the demands are going to be different at the scale that we’re talking about for these new kinds of data centers,” she said, noting that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/09/sam-altman-almonds-chatgpt-water-california/\">researchers\u003c/a> have advocated for more detailed information. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that it’s been such a multi-year battle in which only now are some companies voluntarily starting to disclose, data center by data center, what’s actually being used, that’s a big reason we’re seeing the pushback and the distrust,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099292\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ted Smith, a San José resident, expresses concerns about the impact of data centers during the city’s first community listening session focused on data centers on Aug. 19, 2026, at City Hall. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill last year that would have required water use disclosure by data center developers, and has another similar bill on his desk \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097457/the-data-center-backlash-is-here-and-big-tech-is-spending-big-to-combat-it\">this year\u003c/a>, along with a raft of other bills aimed at drawing more information from data center proponents and protecting electricity customers from paying higher rates in connection with them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson, the South San José resident, who lives in a small house on a former orchard, said he initially got involved in the push against data centers when he found out one could rise just steps from his home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prologis is proposing a three-story, 99-megawatt data center that would include 44 diesel generators for backup power on Silver Creek Valley Road. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson said city officials told him current air quality regulations would limit the number of hours per year the center would be allowed to operate the generators, which produce toxic compounds when running during power outages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But if the penalty for [exceeding] that is a fine, then I have a sneaking suspicion that that’s not going to stop them … because the money that they make is going to be more than the fine,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed site is next to a hiking trail and a city park, and less than a quarter-mile east of single-family home neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson said he opposes this data center and others like it because of the potential diesel emissions and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/data-centers-noise-pollution.html\">constant low-frequency sounds\u003c/a> they can emit that he worries could harm people or wildlife in the area next to Coyote Creek and the foothills. He’s also concerned about a more AI-driven world threatening workers and art, and perpetuating surveillance technology like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">license plate readers\u003c/a> mounted all over the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He participated in the community listening session and a small-group discussion facilitated by the city recently.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the things I found most interesting was they were also focusing on the fact that old data centers used to be just these hideous boxes and we’re going to try and regulate them to be more beautiful,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The funny thing to me is, it doesn’t matter to me what the color of the gun that’s pointed to my head is going to be,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raicu thinks holistic conversations about how data centers are built, where they make sense and how they affect society need to be top priorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“None of this is just a force of nature. These are decisions made by human beings. Regulations can be passed. There can be a lot more money spent on making more sustainable technology. There could be delays put in place as to whether you deploy something at this kind of scale,” she said. “All of that is just human decisions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati\u003c/a> contributed to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> has quietly become California’s data center capital. The sleepy suburb known for its quiet streets and professional football stadium is home to 60 data centers — more than any other city on the West Coast. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> has quietly become California’s data center capital. The sleepy suburb known for its quiet streets and professional football stadium is home to 60 data centers — more than any other city on the West Coast. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cheap electricity sold by the city’s own power company has for years attracted major tech firms and data center developers seeking millions of dollars in savings over PG&E rates as they build out the hulking, cube-like structures full of computers, networking and cooling equipment. The city and its planners have also made it easy on developers seeking guidance and approvals, which are largely handled by the city’s planning commission. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Cheap electricity sold by the city’s own power company has for years attracted major tech firms and data center developers seeking millions of dollars in savings over PG&E rates as they build out the hulking, cube-like structures full of computers, networking and cooling equipment. The city and its planners have also made it easy on developers seeking guidance and approvals, which are largely handled by the city’s planning commission. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But now some local lawmakers are raising concerns. Kevin Park, a council member and tech worker who is running for mayor, said the city has gone too far, as the power company’s supply is strained and it has raised rates on residents to pay for major infrastructure upgrades. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But now some local lawmakers are raising concerns. Kevin Park, a council member and tech worker who is running for mayor, said the city has gone too far, as the power company’s supply is strained and it has raised rates on residents to pay for major infrastructure upgrades. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Let’s stop building data centers. And the water and the electricity and all the things that we’ll save, let’s use them for other things,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>As the current artificial intelligence boom fuels rising demand for data centers in Silicon Valley, concern about their effects on the environment, resources and surrounding communities has burst into public discourse and turned the issue into a political hot potato. Local lawmakers are now scrambling to weigh constituents’ concerns against the prospect of embracing the economic windfall proponents say data centers can bring.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>As the current artificial intelligence boom fuels rising demand for data centers in Silicon Valley, concern about their effects on the environment, resources and surrounding communities has burst into public discourse and turned the issue into a political hot potato. Local lawmakers are now scrambling to weigh constituents’ concerns against the prospect of embracing the economic windfall proponents say data centers can bring.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098431\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Buildings in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate in a capacity similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While South Bay cities have so far not enacted temporary moratoriums like the one-year ban Oakley in the East Bay recently passed, some places, like Gilroy, have tightened data center approvals amid pushback to the massive buildings seemingly rising overnight. Statewide polling suggests most residents oppose building data centers to support the AI industry in their area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While South Bay cities have so far not enacted temporary moratoriums like the one-year ban Oakley in the East Bay recently passed, some places, like Gilroy, have tightened data center approvals amid pushback to the massive buildings seemingly rising overnight. Statewide polling suggests most residents oppose building data centers to support the AI industry in their area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even in a city like Santa Clara, which has long leaned on data centers as a driver of revenue, some politicians, like Park, are calling for a halt. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even in a city like Santa Clara, which has long leaned on data centers as a driver of revenue, some politicians, like Park, are calling for a halt. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If we took down a single mid-size data center using 20 to 40 megawatts of power, we could actually double the population of the city and not need a single additional watt of power,” Park said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If we took down a single mid-size data center using 20 to 40 megawatts of power, we could actually double the population of the city and not need a single additional watt of power,” Park said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city, which has about 130,000 residents, is also home to tech behemoths like Nvidia, whose advanced processing units and software are at the center of the AI race and data center growth. “I don’t think people understand that’s the scale we’re talking about. Every large data center we put in can use the entire electric capacity of a city,” he said. “This is something we need to think about.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But lawmakers in neighboring San José are taking a different approach from what Park is proposing, leaning into the AI industry’s demand for larger, more energy-intensive data centers even as they try to assuage residents’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But lawmakers in neighboring San José are taking a different approach from what Park is proposing, leaning into the AI industry’s demand for larger, more energy-intensive data centers even as they try to assuage residents’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José, with nearly 1 million residents, has for more than a year been actively courting data center development, hoping to provide a stable injection of property and utility taxes into city coffers. Officials say the city, historically a sprawling bedroom community that struggled to generate commercial revenue, currently has about 20 operating data centers. The projects require a special use permit, which must be approved at a public hearing. A planning commission or city council meeting is not always required. But for some projects with a significant environmental impact, the city council would make the final decision.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José, with nearly 1 million residents, has for more than a year been actively courting data center development, hoping to provide a stable injection of property and utility taxes into city coffers. Officials say the city, historically a sprawling bedroom community that struggled to generate commercial revenue, currently has about 20 operating data centers. The projects require a special use permit, which must be approved at a public hearing. A planning commission or city council meeting is not always required. But for some projects with a significant environmental impact, the city council would make the final decision.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last summer, San José Mayor Matt Mahan \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">announced a deal\u003c/a> with PG&E that would guarantee power availability and quick connections for 10 major projects in the coming years. In a statement, the city said the pact would position San José as the “West Coast’s premier destination for data center development.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Last summer, San José Mayor Matt Mahan \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">announced a deal\u003c/a> with PG&E that would guarantee power availability and quick connections for 10 major projects in the coming years. In a statement, the city said the pact would position San José as the “West Coast’s premier destination for data center development.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city launched “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sjeconomy.com/how-we-help/programs-and-services/powering-san-jos-energy-infrastructure-for-data-centers\">concierge-style support\u003c/a>” for data center developers, made dozens of individual pitches and participated in industry events and conferences, leading to a near doubling of interest in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/planning-division/data-center-and-other-large-energy-use-projects\">data center development\u003c/a> in the city by earlier this year, staff reports say.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city launched “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sjeconomy.com/how-we-help/programs-and-services/powering-san-jos-energy-infrastructure-for-data-centers\">concierge-style support\u003c/a>” for data center developers, made dozens of individual pitches and participated in industry events and conferences, leading to a near doubling of interest in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/planning-division/data-center-and-other-large-energy-use-projects\">data center development\u003c/a> in the city by earlier this year, staff reports say.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the city’s efforts to go all-in on data centers and other large energy-use projects have prompted fierce pushback.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think we’re in a full-on backlash against the buildout of the data centers, and not just in California, but in the country and really worldwide,” said Irina Raicu, the director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think we’re in a full-on backlash against the buildout of the data centers, and not just in California, but in the country and really worldwide,” said Irina Raicu, the director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“In part because of the trade-offs that these buildings require, in part because of lack of information and the way people have been surprised in so many places by the apparition of these big centers,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“In part because of the trade-offs that these buildings require, in part because of lack of information and the way people have been surprised in so many places by the apparition of these big centers,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098429\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homes in the south San José neighborhood near the lot intended to house a data center on Silver Creek Valley Road on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098429\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homes in the south San José neighborhood near the lot intended to house a data center on Silver Creek Valley Road on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In North San José’s small Alviso neighborhood, a historically underserved portion of the city that has been heavily developed with tech campuses, corporate offices and research facilities, officials are expecting the buildout of at least three major data centers and large energy-use projects. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Google is proposing to demolish an existing warehouse and build research and development facilities expected to draw about 250 megawatts of power. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For context, 250 MW is larger than the average demand of all of Marin County in 2024, and about half the overall average demand of San Mateo County,” the California Public Utilities Commission \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M607/K718/607718746.PDF\">said\u003c/a> in its review of the project. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“For context, 250 MW is larger than the average demand of all of Marin County in 2024, and about half the overall average demand of San Mateo County,” the California Public Utilities Commission \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M607/K718/607718746.PDF\">said\u003c/a> in its review of the project. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Not far away, Microsoft is already building a 99-megawatt data center with 224 natural gas generators to provide continual power when there are outages or the grid is overloaded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>And on 159 acres of land used as a buffer between a wastewater facility jointly owned by San José and Santa Clara, the city has entered into an \u003ca href=\"https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14917877&GUID=45941F3A-0A60-42A1-8F04-B09281C6E2F3\">exclusive negotiating agreement\u003c/a> with Prologis, which is proposing a facility that in total would use 496 megawatts of electricity across data centers and research facilities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098430\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ellina Yin stands outside a pair of buildings in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098430\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ellina Yin stands outside a pair of buildings in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Based on those power estimates, the group of Alviso facilities at full capacity could use more energy daily than the \u003ca href=\"https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/home/showpublisheddocument/89484/639130534329930000\">entire city of Santa Clara\u003c/a> — with its dozens of data centers — currently does, said San José resident Ellina Yin, who has tracked data center development closely. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Based on those power estimates, the group of Alviso facilities at full capacity could use more energy daily than the \u003ca href=\"https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/home/showpublisheddocument/89484/639130534329930000\">entire city of Santa Clara\u003c/a> — with its dozens of data centers — currently does, said San José resident Ellina Yin, who has tracked data center development closely. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So we’re putting an entire city’s worth of data centers in this tiny neighborhood, and the public health implications are unstudied. We don’t really understand what the future impacts could be,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So we’re putting an entire city’s worth of data centers in this tiny neighborhood, and the public health implications are unstudied. We don’t really understand what the future impacts could be,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A community listening session in San José last month turned out hundreds of people, most expressing concern about data centers and some calling for a moratorium on accepting applications from developers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan, a former tech worker, has said in the past that rejecting data center development outright would be akin to burying “our heads in the sand.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some residents said they sense a disconnect between what people are telling elected leaders and what policies are being advanced. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan takes notes during the city’s first community listening session focused on data centers on Aug. 19, 2026, at City Hall.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They don’t seem to care about the fact that a lot of people just really don’t want this in their backyard,” said Ken Thompson, a South San José resident who lives steps away from a proposed data center. “If the community doesn’t want it, if the local area around it doesn’t want it, then why are we forcing it upon them?” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They don’t seem to care about the fact that a lot of people just really don’t want this in their backyard,” said Ken Thompson, a South San José resident who lives steps away from a proposed data center. “If the community doesn’t want it, if the local area around it doesn’t want it, then why are we forcing it upon them?” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan doesn’t see it that way. Instead, the city has taken a build-the-airplane-while-flying-it approach, holding community meetings to gather feedback that will inform a planned beefing up of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095008/san-jose-weighs-data-center-benefits-as-residents-raise-environmental-concerns\">regulations and standards\u003c/a> for data center proposals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mahan doesn’t see it that way. Instead, the city has taken a build-the-airplane-while-flying-it approach, holding community meetings to gather feedback that will inform a planned beefing up of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095008/san-jose-weighs-data-center-benefits-as-residents-raise-environmental-concerns\">regulations and standards\u003c/a> for data center proposals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re going to set, with input from the community over the coming months, some of the highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard,” Mahan said in an interview. “Labor standards, environmental protection, rate-payer protection, aesthetics and other community engagement and community benefits.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re going to set, with input from the community over the coming months, some of the highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard,” Mahan said in an interview. “Labor standards, environmental protection, rate-payer protection, aesthetics and other community engagement and community benefits.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City officials expect to present the City Council with the new standards by the end of the year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It is much more important that we regulate Big Tech to get this right than to simply say ‘no’ and make it somebody else’s problem and lose the ability to shape this investment,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It is much more important that we regulate Big Tech to get this right than to simply say ‘no’ and make it somebody else’s problem and lose the ability to shape this investment,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098432\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Notice of Development Proposal is posted outside a building in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098432\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Notice of Development Proposal is posted outside a building in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, business and industry trade groups representing the biggest tech companies and data center developers say data centers are paramount to the success of the digital economy, Silicon Valley’s continued status as an innovation engine and American dominance in AI technologies. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, business and industry trade groups representing the biggest tech companies and data center developers say data centers are paramount to the success of the digital economy, Silicon Valley’s continued status as an innovation engine and American dominance in AI technologies. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If California is not positioned to continue rapidly deploying and scaling AI technology … if our state general fund, if our local community economies are not able to garner the benefits of this, it will go elsewhere,” said Ahmad Thomas, the CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If California is not positioned to continue rapidly deploying and scaling AI technology … if our state general fund, if our local community economies are not able to garner the benefits of this, it will go elsewhere,” said Ahmad Thomas, the CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think the next 30 to 40 years of economic supremacy globally is going to be determined by who gets this right,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I think the next 30 to 40 years of economic supremacy globally is going to be determined by who gets this right,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thomas said the data centers proposed in the Silicon Valley region are being developed responsibly, making use of renewable energy, recycled water, and offering community benefits. He said it’s a template all data center development should follow, and might assuage some concerns and fears. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thomas said the data centers proposed in the Silicon Valley region are being developed responsibly, making use of renewable energy, recycled water, and offering community benefits. He said it’s a template all data center development should follow, and might assuage some concerns and fears. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Our thesis is that listening to the community leads to better innovation. That has always been our working approach,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Our thesis is that listening to the community leads to better innovation. That has always been our working approach,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098428\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A lot on Silver Creek Valley Road in south San José, which is intended to house a data center, on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Khara Boender, a spokesperson for the western division of the industry trade group Data Center Coalition, said data center backers want to be good neighbors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The industry is committed to paying for its full cost of service for electricity and the underlying infrastructure that it uses,” Boender said. “The industry is committed to responsible water use, and has made different investments in restoration and replenishment projects.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The buildings, which as recently as several years ago were much smaller and drew significantly smaller energy loads, were previously primarily used to house and exchange information across the internet, and later came to support all kinds of daily needs of a modern world, like social media, streaming services and video communication services for meetings and telehealth. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The buildings, which as recently as several years ago were much smaller and drew significantly smaller energy loads, were previously primarily used to house and exchange information across the internet, and later came to support all kinds of daily needs of a modern world, like social media, streaming services and video communication services for meetings and telehealth. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They support the very fabric of our digital lives and every aspect of that,” said Dr. Andrew Chien, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But newer data centers are packed with high-energy processing and computing elements that are increasingly used for AI, both to do the complex computational work needed to power AI chatbots and agents, and to train massive AI models and systems that are at the forefront of the technology.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But newer data centers are packed with high-energy processing and computing elements that are increasingly used for AI, both to do the complex computational work needed to power AI chatbots and agents, and to train massive AI models and systems that are at the forefront of the technology.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chien said because AI is a fundamentally different way to deliver services, it has drastically increased the need for data centers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Traditionally with computing, a service like email or like social media, it’s mostly taking a piece of digital data and serving it up or maybe organizing a little bit and then serving it up. But when you talk to a chatbot, or you ask Claude to go do some complicated analysis or Gemini or ChatGPT, you actually trigger a gigantic number of numerical computations,” Chien said. “So there’s dramatically more energy required to do that. So it’s not only the growth of AI, it’s the fact that AI is a hugely energy-intensive way of delivering this intelligence.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The rapid growth of data center proposals and industry bullishness have been met with growing grassroots resistance in Silicon Valley, led in part by Yin, the San José resident. One major factor fueling the resistance is a striking lack of clear information about how much power, water and other resources data centers use.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Yin said the financial and technological imperatives espoused by data center proponents shouldn’t trump the need for updated regulations and deeper understanding about the long-term, cumulative impacts across the region on things like air and water, which take time to develop. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Yin said the financial and technological imperatives espoused by data center proponents shouldn’t trump the need for updated regulations and deeper understanding about the long-term, cumulative impacts across the region on things like air and water, which take time to develop. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The scale that we’re seeing them be built out nationally is just, it’s overwhelming. I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime. And I feel like there’s just a lack of due diligence that we cannot repeat from previous generations,” Yin said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The scale that we’re seeing them be built out nationally is just, it’s overwhelming. I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime. And I feel like there’s just a lack of due diligence that we cannot repeat from previous generations,” Yin said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They are leaving that to the burden of future generations to deal with, just as when cell phones came, and we didn’t understand social media, and now look at the state of child development and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096647/why-metas-landmark-settlement-could-be-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment\">impact of social media\u003c/a> on the youth,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She pointed to the collection of Superfund polluted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/388730/silicon-valleys-toxic-past-haunts-sunnyvale-neighborhood\">sites across Santa Clara County\u003c/a>, created by years of toxic material mismanagement in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry\u003c/a> that flourished there decades ago, or the global plastics industry. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She pointed to the collection of Superfund polluted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/388730/silicon-valleys-toxic-past-haunts-sunnyvale-neighborhood\">sites across Santa Clara County\u003c/a>, created by years of toxic material mismanagement in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry\u003c/a> that flourished there decades ago, or the global plastics industry. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A lot on Silver Creek Valley Road in south San José, which is intended to house a data center, on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098427\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A lot on Silver Creek Valley Road in south San José, which is intended to house a data center, on Sept. 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We didn’t know any better. And now it’s in our bodies, it’s in our water, and the plastics industry did not come running to save us and to do all the reparations of correcting the damage that they caused. And so I don’t think I can trust that the AI industry is going to come and do the reparation of the impacts that they’re going to cause,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We didn’t know any better. And now it’s in our bodies, it’s in our water, and the plastics industry did not come running to save us and to do all the reparations of correcting the damage that they caused. And so I don’t think I can trust that the AI industry is going to come and do the reparation of the impacts that they’re going to cause,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raicu, the director of the Internet Ethics program, co-authored \u003ca href=\"https://www.next10.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Data-Centers-Water-Use-Report.pdf\">a report\u003c/a> on data centers and water use, and said the overall lack of clear information about the resource consumption of data centers by the companies proposing and operating them is striking, and more disclosure should be required. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some reports, like one out of \u003ca href=\"https://jlarc.virginia.gov/pdfs/reports/Rpt598.pdf\">Virginia\u003c/a>, which has the highest concentration of data centers in the country, say many there use as much water as large office buildings each year, between 4 million gallons and 10 million gallons. But others use far more, including one that uses 243 million gallons. The picture both locally and nationally isn’t always clear or comprehensive, Raicu said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some reports, like one out of \u003ca href=\"https://jlarc.virginia.gov/pdfs/reports/Rpt598.pdf\">Virginia\u003c/a>, which has the highest concentration of data centers in the country, say many there use as much water as large office buildings each year, between 4 million gallons and 10 million gallons. But others use far more, including one that uses 243 million gallons. The picture both locally and nationally isn’t always clear or comprehensive, Raicu said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We don’t know how much energy and how much water data centers are using. And the demands are going to be different at the scale that we’re talking about for these new kinds of data centers,” she said, noting that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/09/sam-altman-almonds-chatgpt-water-california/\">researchers\u003c/a> have advocated for more detailed information. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We don’t know how much energy and how much water data centers are using. And the demands are going to be different at the scale that we’re talking about for these new kinds of data centers,” she said, noting that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/09/sam-altman-almonds-chatgpt-water-california/\">researchers\u003c/a> have advocated for more detailed information. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The fact that it’s been such a multi-year battle in which only now are some companies voluntarily starting to disclose, data center by data center, what’s actually being used, that’s a big reason we’re seeing the pushback and the distrust,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099292\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ted Smith, a San José resident, expresses concerns about the impact of data centers during the city’s first community listening session focused on data centers on Aug. 19, 2026, at City Hall.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill last year that would have required water use disclosure by data center developers, and has another similar bill on his desk \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097457/the-data-center-backlash-is-here-and-big-tech-is-spending-big-to-combat-it\">this year\u003c/a>, along with a raft of other bills aimed at drawing more information from data center proponents and protecting electricity customers from paying higher rates in connection with them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thompson, the South San José resident, who lives in a small house on a former orchard, said he initially got involved in the push against data centers when he found out one could rise just steps from his home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thompson, the South San José resident, who lives in a small house on a former orchard, said he initially got involved in the push against data centers when he found out one could rise just steps from his home. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prologis is proposing a three-story, 99-megawatt data center that would include 44 diesel generators for backup power on Silver Creek Valley Road. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Prologis is proposing a three-story, 99-megawatt data center that would include 44 diesel generators for backup power on Silver Creek Valley Road. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thompson said city officials told him current air quality regulations would limit the number of hours per year the center would be allowed to operate the generators, which produce toxic compounds when running during power outages.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“But if the penalty for [exceeding] that is a fine, then I have a sneaking suspicion that that’s not going to stop them … because the money that they make is going to be more than the fine,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“But if the penalty for [exceeding] that is a fine, then I have a sneaking suspicion that that’s not going to stop them … because the money that they make is going to be more than the fine,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The proposed site is next to a hiking trail and a city park, and less than a quarter-mile east of single-family home neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Thompson said he opposes this data center and others like it because of the potential diesel emissions and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/data-centers-noise-pollution.html\">constant low-frequency sounds\u003c/a> they can emit that he worries could harm people or wildlife in the area next to Coyote Creek and the foothills. He’s also concerned about a more AI-driven world threatening workers and art, and perpetuating surveillance technology like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">license plate readers\u003c/a> mounted all over the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Thompson said he opposes this data center and others like it because of the potential diesel emissions and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/data-centers-noise-pollution.html\">constant low-frequency sounds\u003c/a> they can emit that he worries could harm people or wildlife in the area next to Coyote Creek and the foothills. He’s also concerned about a more AI-driven world threatening workers and art, and perpetuating surveillance technology like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">license plate readers\u003c/a> mounted all over the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He participated in the community listening session and a small-group discussion facilitated by the city recently.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“One of the things I found most interesting was they were also focusing on the fact that old data centers used to be just these hideous boxes and we’re going to try and regulate them to be more beautiful,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“One of the things I found most interesting was they were also focusing on the fact that old data centers used to be just these hideous boxes and we’re going to try and regulate them to be more beautiful,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The funny thing to me is, it doesn’t matter to me what the color of the gun that’s pointed to my head is going to be,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“The funny thing to me is, it doesn’t matter to me what the color of the gun that’s pointed to my head is going to be,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raicu thinks holistic conversations about how data centers are built, where they make sense and how they affect society need to be top priorities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“None of this is just a force of nature. These are decisions made by human beings. Regulations can be passed. There can be a lot more money spent on making more sustainable technology. There could be delays put in place as to whether you deploy something at this kind of scale,” she said. “All of that is just human decisions.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“None of this is just a force of nature. These are decisions made by human beings. Regulations can be passed. There can be a lot more money spent on making more sustainable technology. There could be delays put in place as to whether you deploy something at this kind of scale,” she said. “All of that is just human decisions.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati\u003c/a> contributed to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/santa-clara\">Santa Clara\u003c/a> has quietly become California’s data center capital. The sleepy suburb known for its quiet streets and professional football stadium is home to 60 data centers — more than any other city on the West Coast. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cheap electricity sold by the city’s own power company has for years attracted major tech firms and data center developers seeking millions of dollars in savings over PG&E rates as they build out the hulking, cube-like structures full of computers, networking and cooling equipment. The city and its planners have also made it easy on developers seeking guidance and approvals, which are largely handled by the city’s planning commission. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But now some local lawmakers are raising concerns. Kevin Park, a council member and tech worker who is running for mayor, said the city has gone too far, as the power company’s supply is strained and it has raised rates on residents to pay for major infrastructure upgrades. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Let’s stop building data centers. And the water and the electricity and all the things that we’ll save, let’s use them for other things,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>As the current artificial intelligence boom fuels rising demand for data centers in Silicon Valley, concern about their effects on the environment, resources and surrounding communities has burst into public discourse and turned the issue into a political hot potato. Local lawmakers are now scrambling to weigh constituents’ concerns against the prospect of embracing the economic windfall proponents say data centers can bring.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098431\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Buildings in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate in a capacity similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While South Bay cities have so far not enacted temporary moratoriums like the one-year ban Oakley in the East Bay recently passed, some places, like Gilroy, have tightened data center approvals amid pushback to the massive buildings seemingly rising overnight. Statewide polling suggests most residents oppose building data centers to support the AI industry in their area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in a city like Santa Clara, which has long leaned on data centers as a driver of revenue, some politicians, like Park, are calling for a halt. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If we took down a single mid-size data center using 20 to 40 megawatts of power, we could actually double the population of the city and not need a single additional watt of power,” Park said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city, which has about 130,000 residents, is also home to tech behemoths like Nvidia, whose advanced processing units and software are at the center of the AI race and data center growth. “I don’t think people understand that’s the scale we’re talking about. Every large data center we put in can use the entire electric capacity of a city,” he said. “This is something we need to think about.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But lawmakers in neighboring San José are taking a different approach from what Park is proposing, leaning into the AI industry’s demand for larger, more energy-intensive data centers even as they try to assuage residents’ concerns. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José, with nearly 1 million residents, has for more than a year been actively courting data center development, hoping to provide a stable injection of property and utility taxes into city coffers. Officials say the city, historically a sprawling bedroom community that struggled to generate commercial revenue, currently has about 20 operating data centers. The projects require a special use permit, which must be approved at a public hearing. A planning commission or city council meeting is not always required. But for some projects with a significant environmental impact, the city council would make the final decision.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last summer, San José Mayor Matt Mahan \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12049830/san-jose-and-pge-strike-deal-to-attract-data-centers-to-south-bay\">announced a deal\u003c/a> with PG&E that would guarantee power availability and quick connections for 10 major projects in the coming years. In a statement, the city said the pact would position San José as the “West Coast’s premier destination for data center development.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city launched “\u003ca href=\"https://www.sjeconomy.com/how-we-help/programs-and-services/powering-san-jos-energy-infrastructure-for-data-centers\">concierge-style support\u003c/a>” for data center developers, made dozens of individual pitches and participated in industry events and conferences, leading to a near doubling of interest in \u003ca href=\"https://www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/planning-building-code-enforcement/planning-division/data-center-and-other-large-energy-use-projects\">data center development\u003c/a> in the city by earlier this year, staff reports say.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the city’s efforts to go all-in on data centers and other large energy-use projects have prompted fierce pushback.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think we’re in a full-on backlash against the buildout of the data centers, and not just in California, but in the country and really worldwide,” said Irina Raicu, the director of the Internet Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“In part because of the trade-offs that these buildings require, in part because of lack of information and the way people have been surprised in so many places by the apparition of these big centers,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098429\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-05-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Homes in the south San José neighborhood near the lot intended to house a data center on Silver Creek Valley Road on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In North San José’s small Alviso neighborhood, a historically underserved portion of the city that has been heavily developed with tech campuses, corporate offices and research facilities, officials are expecting the buildout of at least three major data centers and large energy-use projects. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Google is proposing to demolish an existing warehouse and build research and development facilities expected to draw about 250 megawatts of power. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For context, 250 MW is larger than the average demand of all of Marin County in 2024, and about half the overall average demand of San Mateo County,” the California Public Utilities Commission \u003ca href=\"https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M607/K718/607718746.PDF\">said\u003c/a> in its review of the project. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Not far away, Microsoft is already building a 99-megawatt data center with 224 natural gas generators to provide continual power when there are outages or the grid is overloaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>And on 159 acres of land used as a buffer between a wastewater facility jointly owned by San José and Santa Clara, the city has entered into an \u003ca href=\"https://sanjose.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=14917877&GUID=45941F3A-0A60-42A1-8F04-B09281C6E2F3\">exclusive negotiating agreement\u003c/a> with Prologis, which is proposing a facility that in total would use 496 megawatts of electricity across data centers and research facilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098430\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-06-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ellina Yin stands outside a pair of buildings in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Based on those power estimates, the group of Alviso facilities at full capacity could use more energy daily than the \u003ca href=\"https://www.siliconvalleypower.com/home/showpublisheddocument/89484/639130534329930000\">entire city of Santa Clara\u003c/a> — with its dozens of data centers — currently does, said San José resident Ellina Yin, who has tracked data center development closely. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So we’re putting an entire city’s worth of data centers in this tiny neighborhood, and the public health implications are unstudied. We don’t really understand what the future impacts could be,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A community listening session in San José last month turned out hundreds of people, most expressing concern about data centers and some calling for a moratorium on accepting applications from developers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan, a former tech worker, has said in the past that rejecting data center development outright would be akin to burying “our heads in the sand.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some residents said they sense a disconnect between what people are telling elected leaders and what policies are being advanced. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099272\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-3_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan takes notes during the city’s first community listening session focused on data centers on Aug. 19, 2026, at City Hall. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They don’t seem to care about the fact that a lot of people just really don’t want this in their backyard,” said Ken Thompson, a South San José resident who lives steps away from a proposed data center. “If the community doesn’t want it, if the local area around it doesn’t want it, then why are we forcing it upon them?” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan doesn’t see it that way. Instead, the city has taken a build-the-airplane-while-flying-it approach, holding community meetings to gather feedback that will inform a planned beefing up of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12095008/san-jose-weighs-data-center-benefits-as-residents-raise-environmental-concerns\">regulations and standards\u003c/a> for data center proposals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re going to set, with input from the community over the coming months, some of the highest, strictest standards in every category of concern we’ve heard,” Mahan said in an interview. “Labor standards, environmental protection, rate-payer protection, aesthetics and other community engagement and community benefits.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City officials expect to present the City Council with the new standards by the end of the year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It is much more important that we regulate Big Tech to get this right than to simply say ‘no’ and make it somebody else’s problem and lose the ability to shape this investment,” Mahan said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098432\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-08-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Notice of Development Proposal is posted outside a building in the Alviso neighborhood of San José that Google plans to modify to operate similar to a data center on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, business and industry trade groups representing the biggest tech companies and data center developers say data centers are paramount to the success of the digital economy, Silicon Valley’s continued status as an innovation engine and American dominance in AI technologies. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If California is not positioned to continue rapidly deploying and scaling AI technology … if our state general fund, if our local community economies are not able to garner the benefits of this, it will go elsewhere,” said Ahmad Thomas, the CEO of Silicon Valley Leadership Group.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think the next 30 to 40 years of economic supremacy globally is going to be determined by who gets this right,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thomas said the data centers proposed in the Silicon Valley region are being developed responsibly, making use of renewable energy, recycled water, and offering community benefits. He said it’s a template all data center development should follow, and might assuage some concerns and fears. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Our thesis is that listening to the community leads to better innovation. That has always been our working approach,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098428\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-04-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A lot on Silver Creek Valley Road in south San José, which is intended to house a data center, on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Khara Boender, a spokesperson for the western division of the industry trade group Data Center Coalition, said data center backers want to be good neighbors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The industry is committed to paying for its full cost of service for electricity and the underlying infrastructure that it uses,” Boender said. “The industry is committed to responsible water use, and has made different investments in restoration and replenishment projects.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The buildings, which as recently as several years ago were much smaller and drew significantly smaller energy loads, were previously primarily used to house and exchange information across the internet, and later came to support all kinds of daily needs of a modern world, like social media, streaming services and video communication services for meetings and telehealth. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They support the very fabric of our digital lives and every aspect of that,” said Dr. Andrew Chien, a professor of computer science at the University of Chicago. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But newer data centers are packed with high-energy processing and computing elements that are increasingly used for AI, both to do the complex computational work needed to power AI chatbots and agents, and to train massive AI models and systems that are at the forefront of the technology.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chien said because AI is a fundamentally different way to deliver services, it has drastically increased the need for data centers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Traditionally with computing, a service like email or like social media, it’s mostly taking a piece of digital data and serving it up or maybe organizing a little bit and then serving it up. But when you talk to a chatbot, or you ask Claude to go do some complicated analysis or Gemini or ChatGPT, you actually trigger a gigantic number of numerical computations,” Chien said. “So there’s dramatically more energy required to do that. So it’s not only the growth of AI, it’s the fact that AI is a hugely energy-intensive way of delivering this intelligence.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The rapid growth of data center proposals and industry bullishness have been met with growing grassroots resistance in Silicon Valley, led in part by Yin, the San José resident. One major factor fueling the resistance is a striking lack of clear information about how much power, water and other resources data centers use.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Yin said the financial and technological imperatives espoused by data center proponents shouldn’t trump the need for updated regulations and deeper understanding about the long-term, cumulative impacts across the region on things like air and water, which take time to develop. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The scale that we’re seeing them be built out nationally is just, it’s overwhelming. I’ve never seen anything like it in my lifetime. And I feel like there’s just a lack of due diligence that we cannot repeat from previous generations,” Yin said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“They are leaving that to the burden of future generations to deal with, just as when cell phones came, and we didn’t understand social media, and now look at the state of child development and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12096647/why-metas-landmark-settlement-could-be-social-medias-big-tobacco-moment\">impact of social media\u003c/a> on the youth,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She pointed to the collection of Superfund polluted \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/futureofyou/388730/silicon-valleys-toxic-past-haunts-sunnyvale-neighborhood\">sites across Santa Clara County\u003c/a>, created by years of toxic material mismanagement in the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11630861/how-silicon-valley-industry-polluted-the-sylvan-california-dream\">semiconductor industry\u003c/a> that flourished there decades ago, or the global plastics industry. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098427\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-03-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A lot on Silver Creek Valley Road in south San José, which is intended to house a data center, on Sept. 3, 2026. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We didn’t know any better. And now it’s in our bodies, it’s in our water, and the plastics industry did not come running to save us and to do all the reparations of correcting the damage that they caused. And so I don’t think I can trust that the AI industry is going to come and do the reparation of the impacts that they’re going to cause,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raicu, the director of the Internet Ethics program, co-authored \u003ca href=\"https://www.next10.org/sites/default/files/2026-05/Data-Centers-Water-Use-Report.pdf\">a report\u003c/a> on data centers and water use, and said the overall lack of clear information about the resource consumption of data centers by the companies proposing and operating them is striking, and more disclosure should be required. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some reports, like one out of \u003ca href=\"https://jlarc.virginia.gov/pdfs/reports/Rpt598.pdf\">Virginia\u003c/a>, which has the highest concentration of data centers in the country, say many there use as much water as large office buildings each year, between 4 million gallons and 10 million gallons. But others use far more, including one that uses 243 million gallons. The picture both locally and nationally isn’t always clear or comprehensive, Raicu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We don’t know how much energy and how much water data centers are using. And the demands are going to be different at the scale that we’re talking about for these new kinds of data centers,” she said, noting that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/09/sam-altman-almonds-chatgpt-water-california/\">researchers\u003c/a> have advocated for more detailed information. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The fact that it’s been such a multi-year battle in which only now are some companies voluntarily starting to disclose, data center by data center, what’s actually being used, that’s a big reason we’re seeing the pushback and the distrust,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12099292\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260819-SJDATALISTEN-JG-2_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Ted Smith, a San José resident, expresses concerns about the impact of data centers during the city’s first community listening session focused on data centers on Aug. 19, 2026, at City Hall. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill last year that would have required water use disclosure by data center developers, and has another similar bill on his desk \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12097457/the-data-center-backlash-is-here-and-big-tech-is-spending-big-to-combat-it\">this year\u003c/a>, along with a raft of other bills aimed at drawing more information from data center proponents and protecting electricity customers from paying higher rates in connection with them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson, the South San José resident, who lives in a small house on a former orchard, said he initially got involved in the push against data centers when he found out one could rise just steps from his home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prologis is proposing a three-story, 99-megawatt data center that would include 44 diesel generators for backup power on Silver Creek Valley Road. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson said city officials told him current air quality regulations would limit the number of hours per year the center would be allowed to operate the generators, which produce toxic compounds when running during power outages.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“But if the penalty for [exceeding] that is a fine, then I have a sneaking suspicion that that’s not going to stop them … because the money that they make is going to be more than the fine,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed site is next to a hiking trail and a city park, and less than a quarter-mile east of single-family home neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Thompson said he opposes this data center and others like it because of the potential diesel emissions and the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/17/us/data-centers-noise-pollution.html\">constant low-frequency sounds\u003c/a> they can emit that he worries could harm people or wildlife in the area next to Coyote Creek and the foothills. He’s also concerned about a more AI-driven world threatening workers and art, and perpetuating surveillance technology like the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12064587/civil-liberties-groups-sue-san-jose-over-license-plate-reader-use\">license plate readers\u003c/a> mounted all over the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He participated in the community listening session and a small-group discussion facilitated by the city recently.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One of the things I found most interesting was they were also focusing on the fact that old data centers used to be just these hideous boxes and we’re going to try and regulate them to be more beautiful,” Thompson said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The funny thing to me is, it doesn’t matter to me what the color of the gun that’s pointed to my head is going to be,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raicu thinks holistic conversations about how data centers are built, where they make sense and how they affect society need to be top priorities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“None of this is just a force of nature. These are decisions made by human beings. Regulations can be passed. There can be a lot more money spent on making more sustainable technology. There could be delays put in place as to whether you deploy something at this kind of scale,” she said. “All of that is just human decisions.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED Correspondent \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/gmarzorati\">Guy Marzorati\u003c/a> contributed to this story. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "santa-clara-county-leaders-commit-1-billion-to-revamp-jails",
"title": "Santa Clara County Leaders Commit $1 Billion to Revamp Jails",
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"headTitle": "Santa Clara County Leaders Commit $1 Billion to Revamp Jails | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011618/santa-clara-county-among-first-in-california-to-enroll-incarcerated-people-in-medi-cal-before-release\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a> leaders approved a broad plan to spend roughly $1 billion over several years to revamp significantly outdated jail facilities described as “awful” by county officials, and bring them into compliance with longstanding court orders to improve safety and conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors came over the protests of dozens of residents and advocates for people who are or have been incarcerated, who called on leaders to avoid further spending on new jail buildings, and to instead invest more in preventive and intervention programs, housing and education. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors said the decision reflects dual realities in the county, with leaders pledging to continue efforts to reduce incarceration and recidivism, while also facing a legal mandate to have adequate, safe facilities for people who are jailed and the people who work there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Today is not about an either-or decision,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said just before voting to support the plans this week. “We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system. When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044070\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg speaks during an event celebrating the opening of Vermont House, a new residential treatment facility in San José for people leaving jail with mental health needs. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The punishment of incarceration itself, while it has debatable value, is the deprivation of liberty,” Ellenberg said, and “should not be the exposure to unsafe, deteriorating or inhumane conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lack of proper facilities, including layouts that make it harder for staff to supervise people, and the lack of access to adequate mental health and medical facilities have contributed to devastating outcomes like jail deaths and assaults, which led to costly lawsuits and two federal consent decrees mandating improvements with court oversight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jail system in the county has faced periods of intense scrutiny that started gaining more traction following the 2015 death of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489517/three-santa-clara-sheriffs-deputies-found-guilty-of-killing-mentally-ill-inmate\">Michael Tyree\u003c/a>, a mentally ill man who three sheriff’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010532/santa-clara-jail-deputies-who-admitted-to-fatal-beating-will-be-freed\">correctional deputies\u003c/a> beat to death in his cell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overall, county staff said their plans would reduce the total number of jail beds in the system from 4,872 to 3,457, in line with estimated need for the 2035 jail population. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest changes would happen at Elmwood, a sprawling 675,123-square-foot complex where more than two-thirds of the buildings are over 40 years old, with some more than 100 years old. County reports said the facilities there “were designed to meet the operational needs of a bygone era.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans to demolish the minimum-security camp portion of Elmwood, known colloquially as “the farm,” which would eliminate 1,130 beds. County reports said some of the units there are already closed due to poor conditions, and the minimum-security people it was built for are “a group no longer held in custody.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The barracks-style facility was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084364/fired-south-bay-jail-guard-sentenced-for-allowing-beating-of-incarcerated-man\">fatal assault\u003c/a> of an incarcerated man by other incarcerated men in January 2025, in an attack that lasted 15 minutes, much of which was captured on surveillance cameras, but not seen in real time by officers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elmwood would also gain a new 145,000-square-foot medical and behavioral health facility. The undersized medical facilities there currently lack a functional infirmary and an acute psychiatric unit, forcing people in jail who need those services to be transferred to the Main Jail, which increases risk to themselves and others, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sylvia Arenas, the District 1 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility, on April 1, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new facility would also “provide 300 new dedicated and purpose-built beds specifically for people with serious mental illness,” according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another men’s housing unit at Elmwood with 540 beds would be demolished, with a new 672-bed modern facility to replace it, allowing some of the high-security inmates from the Main Jail to be transferred there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Main Jail would be in line for a new 56,000-square-foot intake, booking and short-term housing facility that would provide “dedicated space for medical, mental health, and custody assessments,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Sylvia Arenas said she wants the county to be “equally ambitious” about spending on youth violence prevention programs, education and other efforts to lower incarceration rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I take this work really seriously because it impacts me as a mom of a 17-year-old who’s going to school on the East Side,” she said. “I don’t want a new jail. I don’t want any additional jails, because guess what? The people who are in there are going to look like me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj Jayadev, the director of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told supervisors the county should “prioritize housing and healthcare and education and youth instead of cages and jails.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jayadev said the county’s plan — which spans about eight years for the first phases but up to 15 years in forecasted phases — lacks perspective. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are limiting our thinking of what’s possible based on the limitations of how the county thinks of the world today. We should allow for the possibility of the next generation, of what they could become,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initial phases will likely be funded through lease revenue bonds, county reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Future phases contemplated in the longer plan include up to another $1.5 billion in demolition, new construction and renovations, including new women’s housing units, and more new men’s units. Those future phases were not up for approval this week, and county staff noted the funding for those projects is unlikely to be available under current forecasts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Today is not about an either-or decision,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said just before voting to support the plans this week. “We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system. When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044070\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg speaks during an event celebrating the opening of Vermont House, a new residential treatment facility in San José for people leaving jail with mental health needs.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The jail system in the county has faced periods of intense scrutiny that started gaining more traction following the 2015 death of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489517/three-santa-clara-sheriffs-deputies-found-guilty-of-killing-mentally-ill-inmate\">Michael Tyree\u003c/a>, a mentally ill man who three sheriff’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010532/santa-clara-jail-deputies-who-admitted-to-fatal-beating-will-be-freed\">correctional deputies\u003c/a> beat to death in his cell. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The jail system in the county has faced periods of intense scrutiny that started gaining more traction following the 2015 death of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489517/three-santa-clara-sheriffs-deputies-found-guilty-of-killing-mentally-ill-inmate\">Michael Tyree\u003c/a>, a mentally ill man who three sheriff’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010532/santa-clara-jail-deputies-who-admitted-to-fatal-beating-will-be-freed\">correctional deputies\u003c/a> beat to death in his cell. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Overall, county staff said their plans would reduce the total number of jail beds in the system from 4,872 to 3,457, in line with estimated need for the 2035 jail population. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The biggest changes would happen at Elmwood, a sprawling 675,123-square-foot complex where more than two-thirds of the buildings are over 40 years old, with some more than 100 years old. County reports said the facilities there “were designed to meet the operational needs of a bygone era.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The county plans to demolish the minimum-security camp portion of Elmwood, known colloquially as “the farm,” which would eliminate 1,130 beds. County reports said some of the units there are already closed due to poor conditions, and the minimum-security people it was built for are “a group no longer held in custody.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The barracks-style facility was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084364/fired-south-bay-jail-guard-sentenced-for-allowing-beating-of-incarcerated-man\">fatal assault\u003c/a> of an incarcerated man by other incarcerated men in January 2025, in an attack that lasted 15 minutes, much of which was captured on surveillance cameras, but not seen in real time by officers.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elmwood would also gain a new 145,000-square-foot medical and behavioral health facility. The undersized medical facilities there currently lack a functional infirmary and an acute psychiatric unit, forcing people in jail who need those services to be transferred to the Main Jail, which increases risk to themselves and others, the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new facility would also “provide 300 new dedicated and purpose-built beds specifically for people with serious mental illness,” according to the report.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another men’s housing unit at Elmwood with 540 beds would be demolished, with a new 672-bed modern facility to replace it, allowing some of the high-security inmates from the Main Jail to be transferred there. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Main Jail would be in line for a new 56,000-square-foot intake, booking and short-term housing facility that would provide “dedicated space for medical, mental health, and custody assessments,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supervisor Sylvia Arenas said she wants the county to be “equally ambitious” about spending on youth violence prevention programs, education and other efforts to lower incarceration rates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I take this work really seriously because it impacts me as a mom of a 17-year-old who’s going to school on the East Side,” she said. “I don’t want a new jail. I don’t want any additional jails, because guess what? The people who are in there are going to look like me.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raj Jayadev, the director of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told supervisors the county should “prioritize housing and healthcare and education and youth instead of cages and jails.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jayadev said the county’s plan — which spans about eight years for the first phases but up to 15 years in forecasted phases — lacks perspective. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We are limiting our thinking of what’s possible based on the limitations of how the county thinks of the world today. We should allow for the possibility of the next generation, of what they could become,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The initial phases will likely be funded through lease revenue bonds, county reports said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Future phases contemplated in the longer plan include up to another $1.5 billion in demolition, new construction and renovations, including new women’s housing units, and more new men’s units. Those future phases were not up for approval this week, and county staff noted the funding for those projects is unlikely to be available under current forecasts. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Santa Clara County supervisors approved a $1 billion plan to revamp two jail facilities over the next several years. ",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12011618/santa-clara-county-among-first-in-california-to-enroll-incarcerated-people-in-medi-cal-before-release\">Santa Clara County\u003c/a> leaders approved a broad plan to spend roughly $1 billion over several years to revamp significantly outdated jail facilities described as “awful” by county officials, and bring them into compliance with longstanding court orders to improve safety and conditions. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The unanimous decision by the Board of Supervisors came over the protests of dozens of residents and advocates for people who are or have been incarcerated, who called on leaders to avoid further spending on new jail buildings, and to instead invest more in preventive and intervention programs, housing and education. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisors said the decision reflects dual realities in the county, with leaders pledging to continue efforts to reduce incarceration and recidivism, while also facing a legal mandate to have adequate, safe facilities for people who are jailed and the people who work there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Today is not about an either-or decision,” Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said just before voting to support the plans this week. “We need to do everything we can to prevent people from entering the criminal legal system. When those investments are not successful, our obligation to care for people doesn’t end when they are incarcerated.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044070\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/250612-SCCVERMONT-JG-4_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Santa Clara County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg speaks during an event celebrating the opening of Vermont House, a new residential treatment facility in San José for people leaving jail with mental health needs. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The punishment of incarceration itself, while it has debatable value, is the deprivation of liberty,” Ellenberg said, and “should not be the exposure to unsafe, deteriorating or inhumane conditions.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans are aimed at addressing the most pressing needs at both its jail facilities: the Main Jail near downtown San José and the Elmwood Correctional Facility in Milpitas. The changes include major investments in spaces for better medical and mental-health care, more efficient intake and processing and better assessment of people’s needs as they are coming into the jails. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga said she has toured both jail facilities and was “shocked” by the conditions. “It’s beyond just cleaning the facilities. It’s really quite deplorable,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lack of proper facilities, including layouts that make it harder for staff to supervise people, and the lack of access to adequate mental health and medical facilities have contributed to devastating outcomes like jail deaths and assaults, which led to costly lawsuits and two federal consent decrees mandating improvements with court oversight. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The jail system in the county has faced periods of intense scrutiny that started gaining more traction following the 2015 death of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11489517/three-santa-clara-sheriffs-deputies-found-guilty-of-killing-mentally-ill-inmate\">Michael Tyree\u003c/a>, a mentally ill man who three sheriff’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12010532/santa-clara-jail-deputies-who-admitted-to-fatal-beating-will-be-freed\">correctional deputies\u003c/a> beat to death in his cell. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Overall, county staff said their plans would reduce the total number of jail beds in the system from 4,872 to 3,457, in line with estimated need for the 2035 jail population. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The biggest changes would happen at Elmwood, a sprawling 675,123-square-foot complex where more than two-thirds of the buildings are over 40 years old, with some more than 100 years old. County reports said the facilities there “were designed to meet the operational needs of a bygone era.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The county plans to demolish the minimum-security camp portion of Elmwood, known colloquially as “the farm,” which would eliminate 1,130 beds. County reports said some of the units there are already closed due to poor conditions, and the minimum-security people it was built for are “a group no longer held in custody.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The barracks-style facility was the site of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084364/fired-south-bay-jail-guard-sentenced-for-allowing-beating-of-incarcerated-man\">fatal assault\u003c/a> of an incarcerated man by other incarcerated men in January 2025, in an attack that lasted 15 minutes, much of which was captured on surveillance cameras, but not seen in real time by officers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elmwood would also gain a new 145,000-square-foot medical and behavioral health facility. The undersized medical facilities there currently lack a functional infirmary and an acute psychiatric unit, forcing people in jail who need those services to be transferred to the Main Jail, which increases risk to themselves and others, the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12034078\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/250401-REGIONALMED-JG-6_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Sylvia Arenas, the District 1 supervisor for Santa Clara County, speaks during a ceremony at Regional Medical Center in East San José to mark the county’s first day of ownership of the facility, on April 1, 2025. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new facility would also “provide 300 new dedicated and purpose-built beds specifically for people with serious mental illness,” according to the report.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another men’s housing unit at Elmwood with 540 beds would be demolished, with a new 672-bed modern facility to replace it, allowing some of the high-security inmates from the Main Jail to be transferred there. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Main Jail would be in line for a new 56,000-square-foot intake, booking and short-term housing facility that would provide “dedicated space for medical, mental health, and custody assessments,” the report said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supervisor Sylvia Arenas said she wants the county to be “equally ambitious” about spending on youth violence prevention programs, education and other efforts to lower incarceration rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I take this work really seriously because it impacts me as a mom of a 17-year-old who’s going to school on the East Side,” she said. “I don’t want a new jail. I don’t want any additional jails, because guess what? The people who are in there are going to look like me.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raj Jayadev, the director of Silicon Valley De-Bug, a community organization that advocates for criminal justice reform, told supervisors the county should “prioritize housing and healthcare and education and youth instead of cages and jails.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jayadev said the county’s plan — which spans about eight years for the first phases but up to 15 years in forecasted phases — lacks perspective. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We are limiting our thinking of what’s possible based on the limitations of how the county thinks of the world today. We should allow for the possibility of the next generation, of what they could become,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The initial phases will likely be funded through lease revenue bonds, county reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Future phases contemplated in the longer plan include up to another $1.5 billion in demolition, new construction and renovations, including new women’s housing units, and more new men’s units. Those future phases were not up for approval this week, and county staff noted the funding for those projects is unlikely to be available under current forecasts. \u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "with-big-cuts-coming-to-snap-food-banks-brace-for-impact",
"title": "With Big Cuts Coming to SNAP, Food Banks Brace for Impact",
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"headTitle": "With Big Cuts Coming to SNAP, Food Banks Brace for Impact | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>Major cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP – are taking effect as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Donald Trump signed into law last year, with an estimated 650,000 Californians are at risk of losing food assistance benefits. Food banks in the Bay Area, which have been serving people at historic rates since the pandemic, are now bracing for impact.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-megaphone wp-block-embed-megaphone\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3111285986&light=true\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/495334/4/4cwroc1y5a4mo68s\">Callout: Share your story about San Francisco’s rental market!\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091819/california-food-banks-brace-for-slow-moving-avalanche-of-snap-cuts\">California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:19] \u003c/em>Hey Bay listeners, it’s Ericka. And before we get started with today’s episode, we’re wondering if you can help us out with a future episode of The Bay that we are working on about San Francisco’s rental market. Have you been trying to find a place to rent in San Francisco recently? How’s that been going for you? If you wanna share your story, tap the link in our show notes and follow the instructions to leave us a message. Please tell us your name and where you’re calling from and your voice might be featured on the show. Thanks so much and we can’t wait to hear from you.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:04] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Ladonna Johnson is like a lot of people here in the Bay. She makes just a little too much to be eligible for SNAP, or CalFresh as it’s known here. But even though Ladonna doesn’t qualify for food assistance, she also doesn’t make enough money to afford groceries on the day-to-day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:36] \u003c/em>Pick and choose a lot of things, especially when it comes to like financing. I make sure that the main bills are taken care of and then I’ll have to struggle for the rest. And that’s why I ended up coming here to get food.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:50] \u003c/em>Here is the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank in Fremont, where Ladonna has been going for the last eight years. And between inflation, the high cost of living in the Bay, and now unprecedented changes to SNAP, the number of people who will need help getting food on the table is about to go up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:17] \u003c/em>And how have the lines been for you as a person in the drive-through distributions? Are they getting longer? Are they the same? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:22] \u003c/em>They are getting a lot longer. A lot longer\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:27] \u003c/em>Thanks to the one big beautiful bill act that President Donald Trump signed into law last year, it’s about to get much harder for many people to qualify for SNAP. And advocates worry that food banks aren’t built to fill in the gaps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:47] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that create hunger. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:02] \u003c/em>Today, the big changes coming to SNAP and how that’s playing out at Bay Area food banks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:15] \u003c/em>How big of a change is SNAP about to go through, would you say?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:20] \u003c/em>Yeah, it’s gonna be massive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:24] \u003c/em>Joseph Geha is a reporter who covers the South Bay for KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>The Trump administration’s, you know, total cut on this SNAP program nationwide is, over a decade, $187 billion. You know, since last year, anti-hunger advocates and food bank leaders had been sounding the alarm that this bill that the Trump administration was putting together, the big, beautiful bill, would include these unprecedented, massive cuts to SNAP. But ultimately, that bill was passed. It’s now a year later and beyond and now is when we are really starting to see the effects come into view and we’re hearing that these effects are really going to start to become more visible later this year into the fall and early next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:16] \u003c/em>But now, as you mentioned, big changes are coming to snap as a result of President Donald Trump’s one big, beautiful bill. What is changing exactly? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:27] \u003c/em>Which changing is the rules around who is eligible. April is when folks that are here as seeking asylum or refugees or parolees or victims of domestic violence or human trafficking, those folks benefits have already ended as of April. The Trump administration is expanding the work requirements or volunteerism requirements for people to as old as 64, whereas before that stopped at age 54. And people who have children or dependents, they used to be able to be eligible for benefits as long as those children were 18 and under, but now that is gonna be changing to shorten when those dependents are 14 or older. So people are being met with a broad set of new work and volunteerism and age requirements, and that’s effectively ending support for potentially up to 650,000 people in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:25] \u003c/em>I mean, why is this happening, Joseph? What is the Trump administration’s rationale behind, I mean effectively raising the barriers? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:34] \u003c/em>Well, the Trump administration and Congress and its support of it has kind of essentially said that there is rampant fraud and waste across this program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Newscaster: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:44] \u003c/em>The Trump administration cracking down on food stamp fraud. Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins says between January 25 and early this year, 4.3 million people have stopped receiving food stamps in part due to tackling wide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:57] \u003c/em>Some of the best reporting on this over the past year or so has, has shown that, you know, these top officials in the Trump administration who are complaining about what they say is fraud or waste are actually kind of conflating things like, you know administrative and clerical errors, like giving somebody a little too much money for their monthly groceries or actually a little less money than they actually are scheduled to receive. That’s like an error, right? But that’s not exactly intentional fraud. And as some of these advocates have said, there are already a lot of quality control measures and a lot checks and balances, so to speak, to make sure that folks who need these benefits are the ones who are getting them. That this is essentially just adding red tape. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:48] \u003c/em>For this story Joseph you went to food banks to try and understand the impact of these SNAP changes. I mean, why are food banks sort of the best place to understand how big changes to SNAP are going to be playing out? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:05] \u003c/em>Well, SNAP is such an effective anti-hunger program, and it really helps people at such a large scale that when benefits like that are taken away in an environment where every day we’re facing higher costs for rent and groceries and insurance and childcare, people need help, and that help often comes in the form of food distribution from their local food bank and local charities. So in the coming months, you know, the people who run these local charities and these large regional food banks are expecting their lines to get longer and expecting to see more people coming to them for basic help with putting food on the table. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:47] \u003c/em>And you visited one food bank in Fremont, the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, to kind of see how this is playing out already. What did you see when you went there? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:56] \u003c/em>Tri-City Volunteers is an organization that’s been around for a long time in Fremont. The actual distribution site is tucked into this really small space off of a side street that’s actually called Joseph. It’s really kind of out of view from the general public. You know, on days that there’s distribution there, especially drive-through distribution for folks who have trouble with their mobility and stuff, you’ll see a line of cars popping out onto more major streets as people wait for their help and a bag of groceries, essentially. All right, trunk closing, stand clear, everyone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:34] \u003c/em>Next one’s possible too!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:36] \u003c/em>On the day I went, folks like Linda Leu who run the place and all of her dedicated staff and volunteers, they’re essentially kind of getting their energy up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>We’ve got pasta, sauce, pasta, chicken, black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, zucchinis, yellow squash. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:54] \u003c/em>And just kind of the energy was at a high level. You could see people are really dedicated to this work to try and help their neighbors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:01] \u003c/em>Okay, you can open whenever I’m so they just gonna do the huddle and then yeah \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:06] \u003c/em>All right, so guys, you don’t have to wait. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:13] \u003c/em>People like Linda Leu are telling us that they have seen increase after increase in need \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:24] \u003c/em>Sort of become that. And especially after some of those changes went into effect, it seems like folks are coming to them more and more often because they do not have this assistance that they need essentially. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:38] \u003c/em>And it sounds like when you were there, they were sort of preparing for another day of distributing food to people in Fremont, which is honestly, I got to say, not something that I think about…. Hunger in, in Fremont, which was just labeled, uh, the happiest city in the U S, wasn’t it? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:57] \u003c/em>Yeah, exactly. I think I think we have some stereotypes in our minds about where hunger might make sense. But the truth of the matter is in every community in the Bay Area, which is a very wealthy region, there are still people in every single community in every corner of every county who are food insecure or who are essentially not knowing if they’re going to be able to get enough food to put on the table for themselves and their families. And Fremont is no exception to that. We spoke with people like Jose Ramirez. Who’s recently retired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jose Ramirez: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:28] \u003c/em>67 years old and I’m living in Fremont, California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:33] \u003c/em>He pays nearly $4,000 a month in rent to keep his home for his family. But Jose had recently started coming to Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank. And he was there in his car waiting to get a bag of groceries to help feed his family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jose Ramirez: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:47] \u003c/em>I’m struggles because I don’t have no work and I need to pay rent and everything I need food for survive \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:56] \u003c/em>Some folks would like to have SNAP benefits but are just outside the eligibility for that. People like Jose Ramirez who said to us that his retirement income is just a little bit too high for eligibility. But meanwhile he is not earning enough to actually make ends meet for his family on a daily and monthly basis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:17] \u003c/em>Yeah, it just speaks to the need that people are really in. We’ll have more with KQED’s Joseph Jeha, right after this break. By the way, did you know that the work that we do here on The Bay is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners like you? If you’ve been a listener of the show and you wanna know how to support the journalism that we bring you here on The bay, consider becoming a KQEd sustaining member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:29] \u003c/em>As you mentioned earlier, these institutions are not built to serve this many people, and increasingly they are. I mean, I know food banks have been really, really struggling with this increase in need, really since the pandemic, as I understand it, but these snap changes are the thing that they kind of have always really feared, right? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:53] \u003c/em>You’re absolutely right. I mean, the pandemic is a unique time for food banks because there was a massive surge in need, but the federal government at that time was also stepping up. But since the major effects of the pandemic have fallen away, there has still been elevated knee. People who run food banks across the state are telling us that they are serving as many people as they served in the pandemic, which for all food banks was essentially their peak or even more people right now. But they don’t have these extra resources that the federal government used to be providing. And in fact, this federal government now is cutting SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:34] \u003c/em>So it is a slow moving avalanche. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:38] \u003c/em>One of the folks I spoke with is Tanis Crosby, and she’s the head of the SF Marin food bank. She feels that these changes to the federal government support for SNAP in the big, beautiful bill, H.R. 1, are essentially designed to be cruel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:54] \u003c/em>We need policies that are gonna work to end hunger. What we have are policies that’re creating hunger. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:02] \u003c/em>They are designed to confuse people and to essentially, as she said, to make a mountain of paperwork and confusing new requirements both for the people who need these services, as well as the counties, the states, and the individual nonprofits and food banks who are trying to ramp up their work to help keep people enrolled in SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:21] \u003c/em>And it will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:34] \u003c/em>I mean has the state stepped up in any way to fill in these gaps sort of left by the federal government?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:44] \u003c/em>Certainly, California has tried to address this problem. It has not just been people standing around throwing their arms up at how frustrated they are with the Trump administration and the federal government. Local legislators have gotten together across the state to propose and pass bills and get new allocations for funding. I mean, we’re talking several hundred millions of dollars just in this year’s budget alone to help food banks do things like buy more food from California Farms. Right, so that they are not running out of food during an increased need and it supports local agriculture here in the state. We’ve also seen hundreds of millions of dollars going toward counties and other and other local municipalities who need help trying to keep people enrolled and update their paperwork and absorb new costs that are being shifted onto them from the federal government. So the state is not standing idly by. However, what we’re hearing from leaders in the anti-hunger space is that that alone will never be enough. Even if the state keeps putting more and more money toward these efforts, it’s going to be very hard to replicate the scale that SNAP has achieved. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:16:58] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:05] \u003c/em>What we’re hearing from folks on the ground is what really needs to happen is that snap cuts need to be reversed, they need to be ended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:15] \u003c/em>I mean, it sounds like, Joseph, these changes to snap are expected to be a slow drip. I mean have any of these changes already gone into effect here? Can you run us through just the timeline of things?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:30] \u003c/em>The way SNAP works is that people have to sign up, prove their eligibility, and then every year they are essentially recertified. Because of that cycle, food bank leaders and state officials are expecting some of these major cuts to start really taking effect in late September and October, and then kind of continue on a steady pace through the end of the year and into 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:55] \u003c/em>So it sounds like we’re not gonna see the full scope of the impact of this for quite a while. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:00] \u003c/em>That’s correct. The Food Banks Association of the state, it’s called California Food Banks, put out some new data this year and using a model from the United Way essentially showed that nearly 40% of the population in California cannot afford the cost of basic needs in their community. You know, the food bank leaders that I spoke with up and down the state, you know, from LA to Kern County to the very top of the state in Del Norte County. And of course, here in the Bay Area are talking about, you know, essentially bracing folks are needing more and more help. And it’s driving people toward food banks. They are getting ready and doing what they can to prepare for what they expect to be a, an even further increase in need in all of their communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:50] \u003c/em>Well, Joseph, thank you so much. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:52] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka. Always great to speak with you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:19] \u003c/em>Hey Bay listeners, it’s Ericka. And before we get started with today’s episode, we’re wondering if you can help us out with a future episode of The Bay that we are working on about San Francisco’s rental market. Have you been trying to find a place to rent in San Francisco recently? How’s that been going for you? If you wanna share your story, tap the link in our show notes and follow the instructions to leave us a message. Please tell us your name and where you’re calling from and your voice might be featured on the show. Thanks so much and we can’t wait to hear from you.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:19] \u003c/em>Hey Bay listeners, it’s Ericka. And before we get started with today’s episode, we’re wondering if you can help us out with a future episode of The Bay that we are working on about San Francisco’s rental market. Have you been trying to find a place to rent in San Francisco recently? How’s that been going for you? If you wanna share your story, tap the link in our show notes and follow the instructions to leave us a message. Please tell us your name and where you’re calling from and your voice might be featured on the show. Thanks so much and we can’t wait to hear from you.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:04] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Ladonna Johnson is like a lot of people here in the Bay. She makes just a little too much to be eligible for SNAP, or CalFresh as it’s known here. But even though Ladonna doesn’t qualify for food assistance, she also doesn’t make enough money to afford groceries on the day-to-day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:04] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Ladonna Johnson is like a lot of people here in the Bay. She makes just a little too much to be eligible for SNAP, or CalFresh as it’s known here. But even though Ladonna doesn’t qualify for food assistance, she also doesn’t make enough money to afford groceries on the day-to-day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:36] \u003c/em>Pick and choose a lot of things, especially when it comes to like financing. I make sure that the main bills are taken care of and then I’ll have to struggle for the rest. And that’s why I ended up coming here to get food.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:36] \u003c/em>Pick and choose a lot of things, especially when it comes to like financing. I make sure that the main bills are taken care of and then I’ll have to struggle for the rest. And that’s why I ended up coming here to get food.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:50] \u003c/em>Here is the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank in Fremont, where Ladonna has been going for the last eight years. And between inflation, the high cost of living in the Bay, and now unprecedented changes to SNAP, the number of people who will need help getting food on the table is about to go up. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:50] \u003c/em>Here is the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank in Fremont, where Ladonna has been going for the last eight years. And between inflation, the high cost of living in the Bay, and now unprecedented changes to SNAP, the number of people who will need help getting food on the table is about to go up. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:17] \u003c/em>And how have the lines been for you as a person in the drive-through distributions? Are they getting longer? Are they the same? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:22] \u003c/em>They are getting a lot longer. A lot longer\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:22] \u003c/em>They are getting a lot longer. A lot longer\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:27] \u003c/em>Thanks to the one big beautiful bill act that President Donald Trump signed into law last year, it’s about to get much harder for many people to qualify for SNAP. And advocates worry that food banks aren’t built to fill in the gaps. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:27] \u003c/em>Thanks to the one big beautiful bill act that President Donald Trump signed into law last year, it’s about to get much harder for many people to qualify for SNAP. And advocates worry that food banks aren’t built to fill in the gaps. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:47] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that create hunger. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:47] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that create hunger. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:02] \u003c/em>Today, the big changes coming to SNAP and how that’s playing out at Bay Area food banks.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:15] \u003c/em>How big of a change is SNAP about to go through, would you say?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:20] \u003c/em>Yeah, it’s gonna be massive. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:24] \u003c/em>Joseph Geha is a reporter who covers the South Bay for KQED. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>The Trump administration’s, you know, total cut on this SNAP program nationwide is, over a decade, $187 billion. You know, since last year, anti-hunger advocates and food bank leaders had been sounding the alarm that this bill that the Trump administration was putting together, the big, beautiful bill, would include these unprecedented, massive cuts to SNAP. But ultimately, that bill was passed. It’s now a year later and beyond and now is when we are really starting to see the effects come into view and we’re hearing that these effects are really going to start to become more visible later this year into the fall and early next year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>The Trump administration’s, you know, total cut on this SNAP program nationwide is, over a decade, $187 billion. You know, since last year, anti-hunger advocates and food bank leaders had been sounding the alarm that this bill that the Trump administration was putting together, the big, beautiful bill, would include these unprecedented, massive cuts to SNAP. But ultimately, that bill was passed. It’s now a year later and beyond and now is when we are really starting to see the effects come into view and we’re hearing that these effects are really going to start to become more visible later this year into the fall and early next year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:16] \u003c/em>But now, as you mentioned, big changes are coming to snap as a result of President Donald Trump’s one big, beautiful bill. What is changing exactly? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:27] \u003c/em>Which changing is the rules around who is eligible. April is when folks that are here as seeking asylum or refugees or parolees or victims of domestic violence or human trafficking, those folks benefits have already ended as of April. The Trump administration is expanding the work requirements or volunteerism requirements for people to as old as 64, whereas before that stopped at age 54. And people who have children or dependents, they used to be able to be eligible for benefits as long as those children were 18 and under, but now that is gonna be changing to shorten when those dependents are 14 or older. So people are being met with a broad set of new work and volunteerism and age requirements, and that’s effectively ending support for potentially up to 650,000 people in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:27] \u003c/em>Which changing is the rules around who is eligible. April is when folks that are here as seeking asylum or refugees or parolees or victims of domestic violence or human trafficking, those folks benefits have already ended as of April. The Trump administration is expanding the work requirements or volunteerism requirements for people to as old as 64, whereas before that stopped at age 54. And people who have children or dependents, they used to be able to be eligible for benefits as long as those children were 18 and under, but now that is gonna be changing to shorten when those dependents are 14 or older. So people are being met with a broad set of new work and volunteerism and age requirements, and that’s effectively ending support for potentially up to 650,000 people in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:25] \u003c/em>I mean, why is this happening, Joseph? What is the Trump administration’s rationale behind, I mean effectively raising the barriers? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:34] \u003c/em>Well, the Trump administration and Congress and its support of it has kind of essentially said that there is rampant fraud and waste across this program. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Newscaster: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:44] \u003c/em>The Trump administration cracking down on food stamp fraud. Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins says between January 25 and early this year, 4.3 million people have stopped receiving food stamps in part due to tackling wide.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:57] \u003c/em>Some of the best reporting on this over the past year or so has, has shown that, you know, these top officials in the Trump administration who are complaining about what they say is fraud or waste are actually kind of conflating things like, you know administrative and clerical errors, like giving somebody a little too much money for their monthly groceries or actually a little less money than they actually are scheduled to receive. That’s like an error, right? But that’s not exactly intentional fraud. And as some of these advocates have said, there are already a lot of quality control measures and a lot checks and balances, so to speak, to make sure that folks who need these benefits are the ones who are getting them. That this is essentially just adding red tape. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:48] \u003c/em>For this story Joseph you went to food banks to try and understand the impact of these SNAP changes. I mean, why are food banks sort of the best place to understand how big changes to SNAP are going to be playing out? \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:48] \u003c/em>For this story Joseph you went to food banks to try and understand the impact of these SNAP changes. I mean, why are food banks sort of the best place to understand how big changes to SNAP are going to be playing out? \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:05] \u003c/em>Well, SNAP is such an effective anti-hunger program, and it really helps people at such a large scale that when benefits like that are taken away in an environment where every day we’re facing higher costs for rent and groceries and insurance and childcare, people need help, and that help often comes in the form of food distribution from their local food bank and local charities. So in the coming months, you know, the people who run these local charities and these large regional food banks are expecting their lines to get longer and expecting to see more people coming to them for basic help with putting food on the table. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:47] \u003c/em>And you visited one food bank in Fremont, the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, to kind of see how this is playing out already. What did you see when you went there? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:56] \u003c/em>Tri-City Volunteers is an organization that’s been around for a long time in Fremont. The actual distribution site is tucked into this really small space off of a side street that’s actually called Joseph. It’s really kind of out of view from the general public. You know, on days that there’s distribution there, especially drive-through distribution for folks who have trouble with their mobility and stuff, you’ll see a line of cars popping out onto more major streets as people wait for their help and a bag of groceries, essentially. All right, trunk closing, stand clear, everyone. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:34] \u003c/em>Next one’s possible too!\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:36] \u003c/em>On the day I went, folks like Linda Leu who run the place and all of her dedicated staff and volunteers, they’re essentially kind of getting their energy up. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>We’ve got pasta, sauce, pasta, chicken, black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, zucchinis, yellow squash. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>We’ve got pasta, sauce, pasta, chicken, black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, zucchinis, yellow squash. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:54] \u003c/em>And just kind of the energy was at a high level. You could see people are really dedicated to this work to try and help their neighbors. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:54] \u003c/em>And just kind of the energy was at a high level. You could see people are really dedicated to this work to try and help their neighbors. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:01] \u003c/em>Okay, you can open whenever I’m so they just gonna do the huddle and then yeah \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:06] \u003c/em>All right, so guys, you don’t have to wait. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:13] \u003c/em>People like Linda Leu are telling us that they have seen increase after increase in need \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:24] \u003c/em>Sort of become that. And especially after some of those changes went into effect, it seems like folks are coming to them more and more often because they do not have this assistance that they need essentially. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:38] \u003c/em>And it sounds like when you were there, they were sort of preparing for another day of distributing food to people in Fremont, which is honestly, I got to say, not something that I think about…. Hunger in, in Fremont, which was just labeled, uh, the happiest city in the U S, wasn’t it? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:57] \u003c/em>Yeah, exactly. I think I think we have some stereotypes in our minds about where hunger might make sense. But the truth of the matter is in every community in the Bay Area, which is a very wealthy region, there are still people in every single community in every corner of every county who are food insecure or who are essentially not knowing if they’re going to be able to get enough food to put on the table for themselves and their families. And Fremont is no exception to that. We spoke with people like Jose Ramirez. Who’s recently retired. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jose Ramirez: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:28] \u003c/em>67 years old and I’m living in Fremont, California. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:33] \u003c/em>He pays nearly $4,000 a month in rent to keep his home for his family. But Jose had recently started coming to Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank. And he was there in his car waiting to get a bag of groceries to help feed his family.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jose Ramirez: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:47] \u003c/em>I’m struggles because I don’t have no work and I need to pay rent and everything I need food for survive \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:56] \u003c/em>Some folks would like to have SNAP benefits but are just outside the eligibility for that. People like Jose Ramirez who said to us that his retirement income is just a little bit too high for eligibility. But meanwhile he is not earning enough to actually make ends meet for his family on a daily and monthly basis. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:17] \u003c/em>Yeah, it just speaks to the need that people are really in. We’ll have more with KQED’s Joseph Jeha, right after this break. By the way, did you know that the work that we do here on The Bay is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners like you? If you’ve been a listener of the show and you wanna know how to support the journalism that we bring you here on The bay, consider becoming a KQEd sustaining member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:17] \u003c/em>Yeah, it just speaks to the need that people are really in. We’ll have more with KQED’s Joseph Jeha, right after this break. By the way, did you know that the work that we do here on The Bay is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners like you? If you’ve been a listener of the show and you wanna know how to support the journalism that we bring you here on The bay, consider becoming a KQEd sustaining member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:29] \u003c/em>As you mentioned earlier, these institutions are not built to serve this many people, and increasingly they are. I mean, I know food banks have been really, really struggling with this increase in need, really since the pandemic, as I understand it, but these snap changes are the thing that they kind of have always really feared, right? \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:53] \u003c/em>You’re absolutely right. I mean, the pandemic is a unique time for food banks because there was a massive surge in need, but the federal government at that time was also stepping up. But since the major effects of the pandemic have fallen away, there has still been elevated knee. People who run food banks across the state are telling us that they are serving as many people as they served in the pandemic, which for all food banks was essentially their peak or even more people right now. But they don’t have these extra resources that the federal government used to be providing. And in fact, this federal government now is cutting SNAP. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:34] \u003c/em>So it is a slow moving avalanche. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:38] \u003c/em>One of the folks I spoke with is Tanis Crosby, and she’s the head of the SF Marin food bank. She feels that these changes to the federal government support for SNAP in the big, beautiful bill, H.R. 1, are essentially designed to be cruel.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:54] \u003c/em>We need policies that are gonna work to end hunger. What we have are policies that’re creating hunger. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:02] \u003c/em>They are designed to confuse people and to essentially, as she said, to make a mountain of paperwork and confusing new requirements both for the people who need these services, as well as the counties, the states, and the individual nonprofits and food banks who are trying to ramp up their work to help keep people enrolled in SNAP. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:21] \u003c/em>And it will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:34] \u003c/em>I mean has the state stepped up in any way to fill in these gaps sort of left by the federal government?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:44] \u003c/em>Certainly, California has tried to address this problem. It has not just been people standing around throwing their arms up at how frustrated they are with the Trump administration and the federal government. Local legislators have gotten together across the state to propose and pass bills and get new allocations for funding. I mean, we’re talking several hundred millions of dollars just in this year’s budget alone to help food banks do things like buy more food from California Farms. Right, so that they are not running out of food during an increased need and it supports local agriculture here in the state. We’ve also seen hundreds of millions of dollars going toward counties and other and other local municipalities who need help trying to keep people enrolled and update their paperwork and absorb new costs that are being shifted onto them from the federal government. So the state is not standing idly by. However, what we’re hearing from leaders in the anti-hunger space is that that alone will never be enough. Even if the state keeps putting more and more money toward these efforts, it’s going to be very hard to replicate the scale that SNAP has achieved. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:44] \u003c/em>Certainly, California has tried to address this problem. It has not just been people standing around throwing their arms up at how frustrated they are with the Trump administration and the federal government. Local legislators have gotten together across the state to propose and pass bills and get new allocations for funding. I mean, we’re talking several hundred millions of dollars just in this year’s budget alone to help food banks do things like buy more food from California Farms. Right, so that they are not running out of food during an increased need and it supports local agriculture here in the state. We’ve also seen hundreds of millions of dollars going toward counties and other and other local municipalities who need help trying to keep people enrolled and update their paperwork and absorb new costs that are being shifted onto them from the federal government. So the state is not standing idly by. However, what we’re hearing from leaders in the anti-hunger space is that that alone will never be enough. Even if the state keeps putting more and more money toward these efforts, it’s going to be very hard to replicate the scale that SNAP has achieved. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:16:58] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:16:58] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:05] \u003c/em>What we’re hearing from folks on the ground is what really needs to happen is that snap cuts need to be reversed, they need to be ended. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:15] \u003c/em>I mean, it sounds like, Joseph, these changes to snap are expected to be a slow drip. I mean have any of these changes already gone into effect here? Can you run us through just the timeline of things?\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:30] \u003c/em>The way SNAP works is that people have to sign up, prove their eligibility, and then every year they are essentially recertified. Because of that cycle, food bank leaders and state officials are expecting some of these major cuts to start really taking effect in late September and October, and then kind of continue on a steady pace through the end of the year and into 2027.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:55] \u003c/em>So it sounds like we’re not gonna see the full scope of the impact of this for quite a while. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:00] \u003c/em>That’s correct. The Food Banks Association of the state, it’s called California Food Banks, put out some new data this year and using a model from the United Way essentially showed that nearly 40% of the population in California cannot afford the cost of basic needs in their community. You know, the food bank leaders that I spoke with up and down the state, you know, from LA to Kern County to the very top of the state in Del Norte County. And of course, here in the Bay Area are talking about, you know, essentially bracing folks are needing more and more help. And it’s driving people toward food banks. They are getting ready and doing what they can to prepare for what they expect to be a, an even further increase in need in all of their communities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:00] \u003c/em>That’s correct. The Food Banks Association of the state, it’s called California Food Banks, put out some new data this year and using a model from the United Way essentially showed that nearly 40% of the population in California cannot afford the cost of basic needs in their community. You know, the food bank leaders that I spoke with up and down the state, you know, from LA to Kern County to the very top of the state in Del Norte County. And of course, here in the Bay Area are talking about, you know, essentially bracing folks are needing more and more help. And it’s driving people toward food banks. They are getting ready and doing what they can to prepare for what they expect to be a, an even further increase in need in all of their communities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:50] \u003c/em>Well, Joseph, thank you so much. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:52] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka. Always great to speak with you. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Major cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – or SNAP – are taking effect as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that President Donald Trump signed into law last year, with an estimated 650,000 Californians are at risk of losing food assistance benefits. Food banks in the Bay Area, which have been serving people at historic rates since the pandemic, are now bracing for impact.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-megaphone wp-block-embed-megaphone\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://playlist.megaphone.fm/?e=KQINC3111285986&light=true\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Links:\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/495334/4/4cwroc1y5a4mo68s\">Callout: Share your story about San Francisco’s rental market!\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\n\n\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12091819/california-food-banks-brace-for-slow-moving-avalanche-of-snap-cuts\">California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>Episode transcript\u003c/strong>\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This transcript is computer-generated. While our team has reviewed it, there may be errors.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:01:19] \u003c/em>Hey Bay listeners, it’s Ericka. And before we get started with today’s episode, we’re wondering if you can help us out with a future episode of The Bay that we are working on about San Francisco’s rental market. Have you been trying to find a place to rent in San Francisco recently? How’s that been going for you? If you wanna share your story, tap the link in our show notes and follow the instructions to leave us a message. Please tell us your name and where you’re calling from and your voice might be featured on the show. Thanks so much and we can’t wait to hear from you.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:04] \u003c/em>I’m Ericka Cruz Gavarra and welcome to The Bay, local news to keep you rooted. Ladonna Johnson is like a lot of people here in the Bay. She makes just a little too much to be eligible for SNAP, or CalFresh as it’s known here. But even though Ladonna doesn’t qualify for food assistance, she also doesn’t make enough money to afford groceries on the day-to-day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:36] \u003c/em>Pick and choose a lot of things, especially when it comes to like financing. I make sure that the main bills are taken care of and then I’ll have to struggle for the rest. And that’s why I ended up coming here to get food.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:02:50] \u003c/em>Here is the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank in Fremont, where Ladonna has been going for the last eight years. And between inflation, the high cost of living in the Bay, and now unprecedented changes to SNAP, the number of people who will need help getting food on the table is about to go up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:17] \u003c/em>And how have the lines been for you as a person in the drive-through distributions? Are they getting longer? Are they the same? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ladonna Johnson: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:22] \u003c/em>They are getting a lot longer. A lot longer\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:27] \u003c/em>Thanks to the one big beautiful bill act that President Donald Trump signed into law last year, it’s about to get much harder for many people to qualify for SNAP. And advocates worry that food banks aren’t built to fill in the gaps. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:03:47] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that create hunger. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:02] \u003c/em>Today, the big changes coming to SNAP and how that’s playing out at Bay Area food banks.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:15] \u003c/em>How big of a change is SNAP about to go through, would you say?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:20] \u003c/em>Yeah, it’s gonna be massive. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:24] \u003c/em>Joseph Geha is a reporter who covers the South Bay for KQED. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:04:30] \u003c/em>The Trump administration’s, you know, total cut on this SNAP program nationwide is, over a decade, $187 billion. You know, since last year, anti-hunger advocates and food bank leaders had been sounding the alarm that this bill that the Trump administration was putting together, the big, beautiful bill, would include these unprecedented, massive cuts to SNAP. But ultimately, that bill was passed. It’s now a year later and beyond and now is when we are really starting to see the effects come into view and we’re hearing that these effects are really going to start to become more visible later this year into the fall and early next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:16] \u003c/em>But now, as you mentioned, big changes are coming to snap as a result of President Donald Trump’s one big, beautiful bill. What is changing exactly? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:05:27] \u003c/em>Which changing is the rules around who is eligible. April is when folks that are here as seeking asylum or refugees or parolees or victims of domestic violence or human trafficking, those folks benefits have already ended as of April. The Trump administration is expanding the work requirements or volunteerism requirements for people to as old as 64, whereas before that stopped at age 54. And people who have children or dependents, they used to be able to be eligible for benefits as long as those children were 18 and under, but now that is gonna be changing to shorten when those dependents are 14 or older. So people are being met with a broad set of new work and volunteerism and age requirements, and that’s effectively ending support for potentially up to 650,000 people in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:25] \u003c/em>I mean, why is this happening, Joseph? What is the Trump administration’s rationale behind, I mean effectively raising the barriers? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:34] \u003c/em>Well, the Trump administration and Congress and its support of it has kind of essentially said that there is rampant fraud and waste across this program. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Newscaster: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:44] \u003c/em>The Trump administration cracking down on food stamp fraud. Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins says between January 25 and early this year, 4.3 million people have stopped receiving food stamps in part due to tackling wide.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:06:57] \u003c/em>Some of the best reporting on this over the past year or so has, has shown that, you know, these top officials in the Trump administration who are complaining about what they say is fraud or waste are actually kind of conflating things like, you know administrative and clerical errors, like giving somebody a little too much money for their monthly groceries or actually a little less money than they actually are scheduled to receive. That’s like an error, right? But that’s not exactly intentional fraud. And as some of these advocates have said, there are already a lot of quality control measures and a lot checks and balances, so to speak, to make sure that folks who need these benefits are the ones who are getting them. That this is essentially just adding red tape. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:07:48] \u003c/em>For this story Joseph you went to food banks to try and understand the impact of these SNAP changes. I mean, why are food banks sort of the best place to understand how big changes to SNAP are going to be playing out? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:05] \u003c/em>Well, SNAP is such an effective anti-hunger program, and it really helps people at such a large scale that when benefits like that are taken away in an environment where every day we’re facing higher costs for rent and groceries and insurance and childcare, people need help, and that help often comes in the form of food distribution from their local food bank and local charities. So in the coming months, you know, the people who run these local charities and these large regional food banks are expecting their lines to get longer and expecting to see more people coming to them for basic help with putting food on the table. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:47] \u003c/em>And you visited one food bank in Fremont, the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, to kind of see how this is playing out already. What did you see when you went there? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:08:56] \u003c/em>Tri-City Volunteers is an organization that’s been around for a long time in Fremont. The actual distribution site is tucked into this really small space off of a side street that’s actually called Joseph. It’s really kind of out of view from the general public. You know, on days that there’s distribution there, especially drive-through distribution for folks who have trouble with their mobility and stuff, you’ll see a line of cars popping out onto more major streets as people wait for their help and a bag of groceries, essentially. All right, trunk closing, stand clear, everyone. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:34] \u003c/em>Next one’s possible too!\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:36] \u003c/em>On the day I went, folks like Linda Leu who run the place and all of her dedicated staff and volunteers, they’re essentially kind of getting their energy up. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:45] \u003c/em>We’ve got pasta, sauce, pasta, chicken, black beans, sweet potatoes, onions, zucchinis, yellow squash. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:09:54] \u003c/em>And just kind of the energy was at a high level. You could see people are really dedicated to this work to try and help their neighbors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:01] \u003c/em>Okay, you can open whenever I’m so they just gonna do the huddle and then yeah \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Volunteer: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:06] \u003c/em>All right, so guys, you don’t have to wait. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:13] \u003c/em>People like Linda Leu are telling us that they have seen increase after increase in need \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Linda Leu: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:19] \u003c/em>We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:24] \u003c/em>Sort of become that. And especially after some of those changes went into effect, it seems like folks are coming to them more and more often because they do not have this assistance that they need essentially. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:38] \u003c/em>And it sounds like when you were there, they were sort of preparing for another day of distributing food to people in Fremont, which is honestly, I got to say, not something that I think about…. Hunger in, in Fremont, which was just labeled, uh, the happiest city in the U S, wasn’t it? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:10:57] \u003c/em>Yeah, exactly. I think I think we have some stereotypes in our minds about where hunger might make sense. But the truth of the matter is in every community in the Bay Area, which is a very wealthy region, there are still people in every single community in every corner of every county who are food insecure or who are essentially not knowing if they’re going to be able to get enough food to put on the table for themselves and their families. And Fremont is no exception to that. We spoke with people like Jose Ramirez. Who’s recently retired. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jose Ramirez: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:28] \u003c/em>67 years old and I’m living in Fremont, California. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:33] \u003c/em>He pays nearly $4,000 a month in rent to keep his home for his family. But Jose had recently started coming to Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank. And he was there in his car waiting to get a bag of groceries to help feed his family.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Jose Ramirez: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:47] \u003c/em>I’m struggles because I don’t have no work and I need to pay rent and everything I need food for survive \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:11:56] \u003c/em>Some folks would like to have SNAP benefits but are just outside the eligibility for that. People like Jose Ramirez who said to us that his retirement income is just a little bit too high for eligibility. But meanwhile he is not earning enough to actually make ends meet for his family on a daily and monthly basis. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:12:17] \u003c/em>Yeah, it just speaks to the need that people are really in. We’ll have more with KQED’s Joseph Jeha, right after this break. By the way, did you know that the work that we do here on The Bay is funded almost entirely by everyday listeners like you? If you’ve been a listener of the show and you wanna know how to support the journalism that we bring you here on The bay, consider becoming a KQEd sustaining member. We can’t do this work without you. Just go to donate.kqed.org We’ll be right back. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:29] \u003c/em>As you mentioned earlier, these institutions are not built to serve this many people, and increasingly they are. I mean, I know food banks have been really, really struggling with this increase in need, really since the pandemic, as I understand it, but these snap changes are the thing that they kind of have always really feared, right? \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:13:53] \u003c/em>You’re absolutely right. I mean, the pandemic is a unique time for food banks because there was a massive surge in need, but the federal government at that time was also stepping up. But since the major effects of the pandemic have fallen away, there has still been elevated knee. People who run food banks across the state are telling us that they are serving as many people as they served in the pandemic, which for all food banks was essentially their peak or even more people right now. But they don’t have these extra resources that the federal government used to be providing. And in fact, this federal government now is cutting SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:34] \u003c/em>So it is a slow moving avalanche. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:38] \u003c/em>One of the folks I spoke with is Tanis Crosby, and she’s the head of the SF Marin food bank. She feels that these changes to the federal government support for SNAP in the big, beautiful bill, H.R. 1, are essentially designed to be cruel.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:14:54] \u003c/em>We need policies that are gonna work to end hunger. What we have are policies that’re creating hunger. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:02] \u003c/em>They are designed to confuse people and to essentially, as she said, to make a mountain of paperwork and confusing new requirements both for the people who need these services, as well as the counties, the states, and the individual nonprofits and food banks who are trying to ramp up their work to help keep people enrolled in SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:21] \u003c/em>And it will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:34] \u003c/em>I mean has the state stepped up in any way to fill in these gaps sort of left by the federal government?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:15:44] \u003c/em>Certainly, California has tried to address this problem. It has not just been people standing around throwing their arms up at how frustrated they are with the Trump administration and the federal government. Local legislators have gotten together across the state to propose and pass bills and get new allocations for funding. I mean, we’re talking several hundred millions of dollars just in this year’s budget alone to help food banks do things like buy more food from California Farms. Right, so that they are not running out of food during an increased need and it supports local agriculture here in the state. We’ve also seen hundreds of millions of dollars going toward counties and other and other local municipalities who need help trying to keep people enrolled and update their paperwork and absorb new costs that are being shifted onto them from the federal government. So the state is not standing idly by. However, what we’re hearing from leaders in the anti-hunger space is that that alone will never be enough. Even if the state keeps putting more and more money toward these efforts, it’s going to be very hard to replicate the scale that SNAP has achieved. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Tanis Crosby: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:16:58] \u003c/em>We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:05] \u003c/em>What we’re hearing from folks on the ground is what really needs to happen is that snap cuts need to be reversed, they need to be ended. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:15] \u003c/em>I mean, it sounds like, Joseph, these changes to snap are expected to be a slow drip. I mean have any of these changes already gone into effect here? Can you run us through just the timeline of things?\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:30] \u003c/em>The way SNAP works is that people have to sign up, prove their eligibility, and then every year they are essentially recertified. Because of that cycle, food bank leaders and state officials are expecting some of these major cuts to start really taking effect in late September and October, and then kind of continue on a steady pace through the end of the year and into 2027.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:17:55] \u003c/em>So it sounds like we’re not gonna see the full scope of the impact of this for quite a while. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:00] \u003c/em>That’s correct. The Food Banks Association of the state, it’s called California Food Banks, put out some new data this year and using a model from the United Way essentially showed that nearly 40% of the population in California cannot afford the cost of basic needs in their community. You know, the food bank leaders that I spoke with up and down the state, you know, from LA to Kern County to the very top of the state in Del Norte County. And of course, here in the Bay Area are talking about, you know, essentially bracing folks are needing more and more help. And it’s driving people toward food banks. They are getting ready and doing what they can to prepare for what they expect to be a, an even further increase in need in all of their communities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Ericka Cruz Guevarra: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:50] \u003c/em>Well, Joseph, thank you so much. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Joseph Geha: \u003c/strong>\u003cem>[00:18:52] \u003c/em>Thank you, Ericka. Always great to speak with you. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "san-jose-leaders-eying-more-multifamily-homes-in-single-family-neighborhoods",
"title": "San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods",
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"headTitle": "San José Leaders Eying More Multifamily Homes in Single-Family Neighborhoods | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "City leaders are considering allowing more density in single-family neighborhoods, which make up the bulk of the city’s residential space.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>The San José City Council this week signaled support for big shifts in single-family home neighborhoods Tuesday that could eventually allow for much denser housing in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12078615/how-skyrocketing-housing-costs-and-policy-choices-reshaped-the-bay-area\">large swaths of the city\u003c/a> that have long been shielded from major change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council voted 8-3 Tuesday to have city staff craft zoning changes that, if finalized late next year, could help encourage more apartment buildings, triplexes and fourplexes in San José’s low-density single-family neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The outcome of the changes supported by the council could boost the city’s residential neighborhood density from its current 8 units of housing per acre to as high as 32 units of housing per acre, among a series of other proposed zoning changes in other areas of the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The vote came after several hours of debate, discussion and public comment, with well over 100 people sharing their thoughts, including many residents who were staunchly opposed to the changes, which they said will “destroy” whole neighborhoods. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Single-family neighborhoods currently make up about 85% of San José’s total residential area. Councilmembers in support of the changes and planning officials said building more and different types of homes in those areas will be necessary to ensure the city can meet ambitious housing goals set by the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063652\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/250512-DAY-WITHOUT-CHILDCARE-MD-06_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José City Councilmember Pamela Campos speaks the the Day Without Childcare rally in front of the Federal Building in San José on May 12, 2025. (Martin do Nascimento/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have not built enough housing for decades,” said councilmember Pamela Campos, whose district encompasses southern parts of the city. “Costs have increased so much that most of the housing in San José is not affordable.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Councilmembers George Casey, Domingo Candelas and Bien Doan voted against the proposed changes, citing concerns that the revamped densities across the city were not thoughtful enough. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Candelas, who represents the Evergreen area and a large swath of East San José, said he was not opposed to more housing in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s opposition to what appears to be careless housing policy and the unintended consequences that may create,” he said. “I think we deserve a thoughtful approach that respects the differences between our neighborhoods, and recognizes that once density rights are granted…we can’t take it back.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>City planners and leaders have been eyeing ways to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12074738/housing-advocates-call-this-big-plot-of-san-jose-land-the-most-important-in-a-century\">foster more housing\u003c/a> overall to help comply with stringent state oversight of housing production, and to bring in more “missing-middle” housing, aimed at lowering the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11966342/how-the-bay-areas-biggest-city-wants-to-overcome-its-sprawl\">sky-high cost of homeownership\u003c/a> for people earning middle incomes. The median home sale price in Santa Clara County is about $2 million, and residents need an income of nearly $500,000 to purchase one, according to the \u003ca href=\"https://www.car.org/aboutus/mediacenter/newsreleases/2026releases/1qtr2026hai\">California Association of Realtors\u003c/a>. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have to strike a balance between allowing the city to change and evolve so that it can create space for our kids and grandkids on the one hand, and really thinking holistically about the built environment and things like access to transit and the walkability of community-serving amenities,” Mayor Matt Mahan said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The proposed changes approved by council will be brought back for review by the Planning Commission and City Council around December 2027, according to city staff reports, so single-family neighborhoods are unlikely to transform anytime soon. Anyone seeking to build denser housing would also have to contend with high construction costs, which have for years affected the pace of residential development in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes are supported by several pro-housing organizations and city leaders, but have sparked significant concern for some residents and longtime advocates of protecting established neighborhoods.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The reality is San José has always built the lion’s share of housing, and it shouldn’t alter single-family home neighborhoods across the city permanently,” Pierluigi Oliverio, a city planning commissioner and former councilmember, said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The changes are radical. They would impact any city block in a city. Immediately, an entire block could change just by one house being converted to 16 units with no parking,” he said. “Most people would think that’s completely outrageous.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another planning commissioner, Michael Young, spoke to the council as a resident on Tuesday in support of more density. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12075969\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/20230801-SJCityHall-21-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I feel as a resident in a single-family neighborhood, I need to give back and the best way I can give back is to be open to some changes,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Elva Wilson said she is worried about unintended consequences. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Aggressively and dramatically increasing unmandated levels of density will have greater negative impacts in lower-income East San José,” she told the council. “We know it will be a fresh tool for predatory landlords to exploit vulnerable tenants by cramming even more renters into tiny cramped spaces to house people like cattle.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The changes supported by the council would alter the city’s baseline standards for such neighborhoods, which officials say would create uniformity, simplicity and equity for homeowners or developers looking to change a housing plot, and allow the city to guide some development standards and consider individual neighborhood needs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under a patchwork of hundreds of state housing laws that have gone into effect over the past several years, such as SB 9, most single-family residential parcels in the city can already be legally altered to allow anywhere from two to 10 units, or possibly more, depending on the size of the lot and its location relevant to transit. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that I think is something that the community is not necessarily aware of,” Mahan said. “The question is, do we simply allow developers to buy properties and initiate redevelopment under SB 9 up to four units to the parcel today, or do we impose some local control and put more shape around what gets built?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lynn Repetsky, a resident who spoke during the meeting, said the council should have rejected the changes because the state laws have already opened the door for enough housing. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“As we implement these missing-middle guidelines, we need to evaluate their impact on parking, traffic and tree canopy and the use of services before we jump into more dramatic changes,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council supported a memo from Mahan and four other councilmembers that asked city staff to evaluate a range of potential density increases for the council to consider in the future, and to ensure there are minimum amounts of parking required in areas of the city with low access to transit.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We can encourage the creation of new homeownership housing, such as row homes, with parking,” the memo said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>However, Chris Burton, the city’s planning director, said during the meeting that density levels at 16 units per acre would likely not be enough to meet the needs the city has committed to under state guidance. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In dozens of emails from opposed residents to city leaders, the loss of character, parking space and the city’s tree canopy were raised as concerns, as well as doubts about whether newly built homes would be affordable. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12044177\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/20230801-SJCityHall-15-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pedestrians walk past City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Luisiana Garcia, a resident who grew up in the city, told the council the changes are needed to help people like her have a better chance at remaining in San José. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s really disheartening to hear how many homeowners — who I would one day love to be — don’t want more housing to be built,” Garcia said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I am commuting three hours a day to save up for what? If there is no housing, I will not be able to live here once I’m able to afford a home.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported increasing density in mixed-use neighborhood areas from a maximum of 30 units per acre to a range of anywhere from 20 to 50 units per acre, and increasing allowable height from four to five stories. For far denser neighborhoods considered urban residential, such as downtown, the council supported raising them from their current 30 units per acre up to a new minimum of 50 units per acre, with the maximum staying at 95. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The council also supported making it easier for affordable housing to be built on public or quasi-public lands such as schools and churches. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "california-food-banks-brace-for-slow-moving-avalanche-of-snap-cuts",
"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts",
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"headTitle": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "An already strained network of food banks across California is bracing for even greater need due to federal food assistance cuts. ",
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"title": "California Food Banks Brace for Slow-Moving Avalanche of SNAP Cuts | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of How We Get By, a KQED series exploring how people are coping with rising costs in the Bay Area and California. Find the \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/affordability\">\u003cem>full series here\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em> \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food banks across California, already strained and serving millions of people each month, are bracing for a rolling crisis of even deeper need as unprecedented federal cuts to food assistance begin to take effect.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rule changes enacted by the Trump administration restricting who is eligible for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are expected to put more than 650,000 people at risk of losing that support in California, where the program is known as CalFresh, over the next several months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The program’s recipients, more than five million in California, receive an average of $190 per person each month, which is loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card that can be used to buy groceries. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091827\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-8-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Bags full of fresh produce rest on a rolling tray at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without direct monthly payments through SNAP — widely considered the most effective anti-hunger program in the nation — more people are likely to turn to food banks and charities for help, at levels beyond what those systems say they can handle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot food bank our way out of the problem that is being caused by the dismantling of SNAP. We need policies that are going to work to end hunger. What we have are policies that are creating hunger,” Tanis Crosby, executive director of the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The $187 billion in SNAP cuts planned over a decade are a major tenet of H.R. 1, the federal tax bill signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2025. They represent one part of what some anti-hunger advocates have described as a broader assault on foundational aid systems that will have devastating impacts on people struggling to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In its push to tighten the grip on these lifeline benefits, the Trump administration has claimed there is rampant fraud and waste across the sprawling SNAP program. However, reporting has shown top officials often \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/snap-payment-errors-food-stamps-fraud-2026/\">conflate\u003c/a> administrative errors, like overpaying or underpaying a recipient for a variety of reasons, with intentional fraud, and there’s a lack of clear data about how pervasive fraud actually is in the system. The program already has robust checks and quality control measures, and some \u003ca href=\"https://civileats.com/2026/06/15/how-accurate-are-the-usdas-claims-over-snap-fraud/\">reports\u003c/a> say the narratives being built by federal leaders are weakening trust in safety net services, making them easier to pare back.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not just morally wrong, it’s bad policy,” said Jared Call, the director of public policy and advocacy at California Food Banks, an association of 43 food banks serving all 58 counties in the state. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Food is a basic building block for success and good health. An investment in nutrition is an investment in people’s preventative health. And we’re seeing attacks on the healthcare system and on basic needs like food assistance at the same time. It’s not only causing unnecessary suffering, it’s short-sighted in terms of investing in people and investing in the country’s success,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even without factoring in the looming cuts, food bank leaders around California said they’re serving more people than they ever have before, as costs have steadily increased for food, utilities, childcare and healthcare, while the United States’ and Israel’s war with Iran has spiked already-high gas prices. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Recent survey data from a partnership between California Food Banks and the \u003ca href=\"https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/well-being-and-basic-needs-survey\">Urban Institute\u003c/a> indicates that in 2025, one out of four adults in California experienced food insecurity, and that number increased to one in three adults with children in their home. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The survey helped create a baseline of 2025 food insecurity data in the wake of the Trump administration ending a 30-year annual USDA \u003ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/trump-cut-food-security-survey-could-make-measuring-us-hunger-harder-2026-07-09/\">food insecurity survey\u003c/a> last year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 20% of all adults surveyed in the state reported receiving food from the charitable food system, including almost a third of households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $132,000 annually for a family of four.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091825\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-2-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">René Campos hugs his wife Carina Moya Martínez Campos at their home in San José on July 16, 2026. René got Valley Fever last year, which he thinks he developed while working as a truck driver, and Carina works part-time as a house cleaner. The couple relies heavily on food banks to alleviate spending costs. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>René Campos has leaned on a local food bank near his home in East San José over the last six months. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Campos has been a commercial truck driver for more than 25 years, earning several specialty licenses allowing him to transport larger loads and operate tankers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His most recent job was with FedEx Ground, where he drove daily hauls from the Bay Area to near Bakersfield and back, until he contracted Valley Fever last year, a disease stemming from breathing in fungi in the soil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The illness hit him hard, bringing on pneumonia and other issues that forced him into the hospital for a month and kept him out of work on disability. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It was devastating. I would’ve never thought that something like that would ever happen to me, you know?” Campos said in an interview. “It really changed my life economically, physically and everything.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091831\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-12-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A Tri-City volunteer checks clients in during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He and his wife, Carina Moya Martínez Campos, who works about three days a week cleaning homes and businesses, visit a food distribution site at a church around once a week, where they pick up vegetables, chicken, beans and other staples provided by Second Harvest. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lines at their pickup site have been getting longer, something other food bank clients and officials also noted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Together, they earn a little too much for benefits like SNAP, but they need assistance to make ends meet. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Martinez Campos said she enjoys her husband’s cooking with the food they receive, including tuna salads with jalapeño, and an occasional carrot cake, his specialty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m grateful that we live in a country where there’s help,” Campos said. “It’s a blessing.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1385\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091826\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-6-KQED-1536x1064.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A rack full of snack bags and hygiene products for homeless clients at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But the state’s network of food banks is facing increased pressure, in part due to the same challenges affecting residents, such as reduced federal food support and rising costs for transportation and fuel. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“And that, combined with the largest SNAP cuts in the history of the program … are combining to really be a perfect storm to cause this surge in need that has started and that we expect to really accelerate over the next few months,” Call said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Those price pressures are particularly acute in the Bay Area, home to some of the widest \u003ca href=\"https://www.svcf.org/about/news-media/blog/state-of-the-valley-great-wealth-flat-job-growth-and-the-wealth-gap-is-worse-than-ever\">income gaps\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shobana Gubbi, the chief philanthropy officer of Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, a major food bank serving Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, said that as income inequality has grown, the need for food assistance has increased as well. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It affects everyone, but they hit lower-income households especially hard,” Gubbi said of rising costs. “Food becomes the flex item in people’s budget, and it’s a lot of pressure for low-income households on how to make it to the next paycheck,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091834\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-19-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">From left, Tri-City volunteers Arielle Asino, Michelle Nguyen and Michele Sayre load food into a client’s car at Tri-City’s Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Some changes in the law have already taken effect, including a provision in April that booted certain groups of noncitizens out of CalFresh, including refugees or asylees, parolees and victims of violence or trafficking, according to the state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bigger proportion of cuts went into effect on paper in June, with work or volunteerism requirements of 20 hours a week expanding to people as old as 64, instead of the previous age of 54. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Able-bodied adults caring for dependents were previously exempt from the work requirements until those dependents turned 18. Now, the exemption ends when those dependents are 14 or older. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If those work requirements aren’t met, food assistance must be limited to three months during any three-year period. California previously held an exemption, like many other states, from those time-limit restrictions, but the new law has effectively ended that broad cover. The new changes also eliminate exemptions for former foster youth, veterans, and unhoused people. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Many of the changes will happen on a rolling basis, as annual recertification deadlines come up for people enrolled. Officials said they expect the impacts to become more visible around October and continue into next year. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091830\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-11-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Billie Kallberg waits in line during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Food bank officials say the majority of people receiving CalFresh benefits are people who are hard-working, some with multiple jobs, while others are caring for a family member, and others are on fixed incomes.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Food Banks, using a model from the United Way reflecting the true costs of living in the state, created a \u003ca href=\"https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/cafb.research/viz/shared/P5RC7XD88\">new data dashboard\u003c/a> earlier this year that focused on potential need for food assistance. It shows that for roughly 40% of the population, “the cost of basic needs in their community exceeds their income,” which could push them toward food banks. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The design of H.R. 1 is a slow drip, a slow, complicated implementation,” Crosby, with the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, said. “It will then bury people in paperwork and bury states in new expenses and bury people in rules and requirements and make it much harder to get. So it is a slow-moving avalanche with sharp consequences that will be hidden,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even in Republican strongholds where President Donald Trump won by significant margins, the cuts have prompted pushback and concern. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kelly Lowery, executive director of the Community Action Partnership Food Bank in reliably red Kern County, said the Trump administration’s aim to change the law to ostensibly reduce waste and fraud is a good goal, but he and other food bank leaders up and down the state say the cuts are wrongheaded. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091829\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-10-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Clients wait in their cars during a drive-thru food distribution at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This is in some ways a throwing the baby out with the bath water type of situation, where you’re trying to solve an issue and in doing so, we’re creating layers of other issues,” Lowery said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Lowery’s service area, an 8,000 square-mile county, roughly 100,000 households are enrolled in CalFresh, and county officials expect about 30,000 of them to lose benefits in the coming months. About half already lean on food banks, and will likely need deeper levels of assistance, while the other half are estimated to have never used such services but may soon need them. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The charitable food system is a safety net; it’s not designed to be the tip of the spear in hunger relief,” he said. “We just do not possess the resources that are needed to be able to make up that difference.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Lowery said his team will keep serving people in need. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There is a Haitian proverb that says, if there’s food for one, there’s food for two,” he said. “It might mean that some families who are used to getting a certain level of support might be getting a little bit less in order to make room for more…But what we’re not going to do is turn people away.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1317\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091835\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-160x105.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-20-KQED-1536x1011.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Linda Leu, executive director of Tri-City Volunteers, poses for a photo at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In Fremont, one of the wealthier enclaves of the East Bay, Linda Leu runs the Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank, which the Alameda County Community Food Bank supports. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank added a sixth day of distribution to its calendar this summer to meet increased need, which Leu attributes in part to the law changes affecting noncitizens that began in April. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We only allow clients to pick up twice a month and there’s been a lot of people that come for a third time or a fourth time saying they just need more food,” she said. “We were never designed to be anyone’s sole source of food, but I think we have sort of become that.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ladonna Johnson, 33, has lived in Fremont for 12 years. She comes to the food bank often because of the high cost of groceries and rent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Just the pricing, it’s too high. It’s way too high, and I’m struggling with that. And then my mom’s not doing so well, so I have to take care of her as well, and that’s also digging into my pockets,” Johnson said on a sunny Friday morning after picking up a bag full of vegetables, chicken and eggs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1204\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12091828\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-160x96.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260717_FOODBANKSUPDATE_GC-9-KQED-1536x925.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A checklist of what clients will receive at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub is posted at the site in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her work as a veterinary technician at a spay and neuter clinic is based on demand, so her hours fluctuate, making it difficult to apply for benefits like SNAP, and even harder to plan a budget. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Billie Kallberg, 73, called Tri-City Volunteers “lifesavers,” and said she comes about once a month to ensure there is enough food at home for herself and her 80-year-old husband, who became ill in recent years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We live on Social Security, and it’s been extremely hard,” Kallberg said, holding back tears. “I don’t know what we would have done without them.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The food bank is located on a small side street in central Fremont, a bit out of sight for many residents who don’t use the service, like the issue of food insecurity itself, Leu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I think that most people don’t realize how easy it is to become food insecure,” Leu said. “There is this perception that we don’t have hunger here. And I think people also don’t realize that in a community like this, everything costs more. The cost of living is so much higher here that it’s harder to be poor here, and there are so many fewer resources,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State leaders have worked to backfill some of the anticipated cuts to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in this year’s budget to help food banks buy California-grown food, help counties respond to the new work requirements, and to support some noncitizens who have already been impacted. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But food bank leaders, while they are ramping up efforts to increase service, agree pressure must be kept on Congress and other elected officials to undo the cuts to SNAP, saying it is a critical program on a scale that can’t be easily replicated. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last fall, communities big and small caught a glimpse of what a loss of benefits meant for millions around the state, when a federal government shutdown delayed SNAP payments. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Michael Flood, CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, said it was a “disaster type of event” for about 1.5 million residents in his area. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Arguably some of the most vulnerable people in our community here were cut off of benefits at that time, and we absolutely saw a surge in demand,” Flood said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But even compared to a year like 2025, which saw major fires devastate densely populated swaths of the region, and the delayed SNAP benefits, Flood said the need is still just as high in 2026. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“So it gives you a sense that, wow, there is really no letup, and that’s without some of the impacts we’re talking about with regards to H.R. 1 heavily coming,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12095654\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260717_FoodBanksUpdate_GC-16_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Tri-City volunteer Hillary Nguyen, right, loads food into Ladonna Johnson’s car at Tri-City Volunteers Food Bank & Mobile Pantry’s main hub in Fremont on July 17, 2026. (Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That need is being felt all across California, from its rural pockets to its urban centers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the farthest northern reaches of the state, Del Norte County has one of the higher CalFresh participation rates in the state, with about one of every four residents enrolled, compared to about one of every seven across the state as a whole, according to a \u003ca href=\"https://ucdavis.app.box.com/s/eplylnar0l5ipuo1133faf8bqk70wzok\">UC Davis research paper\u003c/a>. The paper found that food insecurity in places that have limited job opportunities, like Del Norte, is likely to get worse in the wake of H.R. 1.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s not making my life more difficult. It’s making everybody else’s that needs this difficult because they’re already under enough stress,” said Angel Carter, who runs a food bank program in the county. “Our services are very demanding and of high necessity.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She said her clients — including many who are homeless, have disabilities or are elderly — panicked last fall during the shutdown, and she and her small team worked to reassure them there would be food for them.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I honestly think our government needs to come in and work at a food bank for a week,” she said, “and maybe they’ll give us some extra funding instead of just saying, ‘Oh no, we’re going to cut you.’”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-settles-lawsuit-with-duong-family-waste-company",
"title": "San José Settles Lawsuit With Duong Family Waste Company",
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"headTitle": "San José Settles Lawsuit With Duong Family Waste Company | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>San José will spend about $3.3 million to settle a yearslong lawsuit with California Waste Solutions, the city’s main recycling contractor, whose owners, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">David and Andy Duong\u003c/a>, are charged with bribery and conspiracy in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081746/sheng-thao-corruption-case-judge-confirms-identity-of-key-fbi-informant\">corruption scheme\u003c/a> centered in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The payout will end the lengthy litigation and is primarily going toward startup costs for CWS and another small recycling contractor to begin a curbside battery collection service for single-family homes in the city, according to city memos and contract documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José will also be on the hook for the ongoing costs of battery collection services through the two contractors for a minimum of five years and potentially as long as a decade as a part of the settlement agreement, the documents said, but an estimate of what the total spend would amount to wasn’t immediately available. The city and the company are both paying for their own legal costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San José City Council unanimously approved the settlement agreement in late June. Councilmember Peter Ortiz was absent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“CWS is extremely pleased to have achieved a fair settlement with the City of San José that will benefit the city’s residents,” Douglas Straus, an attorney for the company, told KQED in a text message. “CWS looks forward to providing recycling services in San José for many years to come in a positive, collaborative relationship with the city, its staff and its residents.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Susana Alcala Wood, the city attorney for San José, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the settlement Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Waste Solutions filed the lawsuit in January 2023, alleging several wrongs by the city, including breach of contract, unfair dealing, unequal treatment and race discrimination.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company claimed the city was not doing enough to help prevent residents from putting extra trash in their recycling bins, forcing the recycler to “collect and process massive amounts of garbage at an extra cost to [CWS] of tens of millions of dollars,” court filings said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The misplaced garbage made it “impossible” to meet required recycling minimums, leading to millions of dollars worth of diversion penalties on the company, the complaint said. It also claimed the city discriminated against the company because it is an immigrant-owned business, treating it differently than other non-minority waste contractors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José refuted the claims from the start, contending it did extensive work to support the company and educate residents on proper trash and recycling disposal practices, and claimed CWS was not meeting the standards needed for its role. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also increased the company’s annual compensation and offered financial incentives worth millions, it said in past court filings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Due to CWS’s historically deficient performance under the contract throughout the years, the city could have re-initiated the competitive [bidding] process and sought out another service provider for residential recycling. But instead, the city decided to give CWS another chance,” the city filings said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12012944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fields questions from press at the election watch and recall party at Fluid510 in Oakland on election night, Nov. 5, 2024. (Camille Cohen for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José signed a 15-year contract extension with the company in July 2021 that runs through June 2036. The lawsuit’s allegations only applied to CWS’s previous contract with the city, which began in 2010, city reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A judge granted the city’s request to throw out the discrimination and unequal treatment allegations in the case due to an expired statute of limitations in late 2025. Following that order, the litigation, including pretrial motions and hearings, as well as settlement discussions, continued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About a year and a half after the San José lawsuit was filed, the powerful, politically connected Duong family was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991426/oakland-fbi-raids-also-targeted-this-powerful-family-heres-what-we-know\">swept up\u003c/a> in the beginnings of what would become a sprawling FBI corruption probe centering on then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oakland waterfront offices CWS occupied were raided by the FBI, along with the homes of CEO David Duong and his son, Andy, in June 2024. Federal authorities alleged a “pay-to-play” corruption scheme involving Thao, her romantic partner Andre Jones and the Duongs, who were all charged with multiple counts of bribery and conspiracy in January 2025. They have all pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong also faces an additional charge of making a false statement to a government agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Asked if the attention on the federal criminal case in Oakland involving David and Andy Duong affected the company’s lawsuit and settlement negotiations in San José, Straus, the attorney for CWS, said no. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No, they are completely unrelated,” he said. Straus and the firm he works for, Buchalter, are not representing the Duongs in the criminal case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11629979\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A California Waste Solutions manager at a plant in San José. (Brian Watt/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city said CWS provides recycling services to about 75% of the city’s single-family homes, while the remaining portion is handled by Waste Connections of California, Inc., known as GreenTeam of San José in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the settlement terms, San José will pay $1 million to CWS and $250,000 to GreenTeam for their respective startup costs for the battery collection program. The city will also spend $750,000 for program outreach to residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city will pay the two contractors 82 cents per household per month for the battery collection services, the city reports said. In the first year, San José estimated the costs of collection services to be about $1.29 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ongoing costs will be evaluated after the first full year of program implementation,” city reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Unlike neighboring cities, San José does not currently offer battery collection through its residential garbage and recycling program, and the addition of this service provides a convenient way for residents to safely dispose of used batteries,” city reports said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José will spend about $3.3 million to settle a yearslong lawsuit with California Waste Solutions, the city’s main recycling contractor, whose owners, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">David and Andy Duong\u003c/a>, are charged with bribery and conspiracy in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081746/sheng-thao-corruption-case-judge-confirms-identity-of-key-fbi-informant\">corruption scheme\u003c/a> centered in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The payout will end the lengthy litigation and is primarily going toward startup costs for CWS and another small recycling contractor to begin a curbside battery collection service for single-family homes in the city, according to city memos and contract documents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José will also be on the hook for the ongoing costs of battery collection services through the two contractors for a minimum of five years and potentially as long as a decade as a part of the settlement agreement, the documents said, but an estimate of what the total spend would amount to wasn’t immediately available. The city and the company are both paying for their own legal costs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José will also be on the hook for the ongoing costs of battery collection services through the two contractors for a minimum of five years and potentially as long as a decade as a part of the settlement agreement, the documents said, but an estimate of what the total spend would amount to wasn’t immediately available. The city and the company are both paying for their own legal costs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The San José City Council unanimously approved the settlement agreement in late June. Councilmember Peter Ortiz was absent. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“CWS is extremely pleased to have achieved a fair settlement with the City of San José that will benefit the city’s residents,” Douglas Straus, an attorney for the company, told KQED in a text message. “CWS looks forward to providing recycling services in San José for many years to come in a positive, collaborative relationship with the city, its staff and its residents.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“CWS is extremely pleased to have achieved a fair settlement with the City of San José that will benefit the city’s residents,” Douglas Straus, an attorney for the company, told KQED in a text message. “CWS looks forward to providing recycling services in San José for many years to come in a positive, collaborative relationship with the city, its staff and its residents.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Susana Alcala Wood, the city attorney for San José, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the settlement Friday. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Susana Alcala Wood, the city attorney for San José, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the settlement Friday. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Waste Solutions filed the lawsuit in January 2023, alleging several wrongs by the city, including breach of contract, unfair dealing, unequal treatment and race discrimination.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Waste Solutions filed the lawsuit in January 2023, alleging several wrongs by the city, including breach of contract, unfair dealing, unequal treatment and race discrimination.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The company claimed the city was not doing enough to help prevent residents from putting extra trash in their recycling bins, forcing the recycler to “collect and process massive amounts of garbage at an extra cost to [CWS] of tens of millions of dollars,” court filings said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The company claimed the city was not doing enough to help prevent residents from putting extra trash in their recycling bins, forcing the recycler to “collect and process massive amounts of garbage at an extra cost to [CWS] of tens of millions of dollars,” court filings said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The misplaced garbage made it “impossible” to meet required recycling minimums, leading to millions of dollars worth of diversion penalties on the company, the complaint said. It also claimed the city discriminated against the company because it is an immigrant-owned business, treating it differently than other non-minority waste contractors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The misplaced garbage made it “impossible” to meet required recycling minimums, leading to millions of dollars worth of diversion penalties on the company, the complaint said. It also claimed the city discriminated against the company because it is an immigrant-owned business, treating it differently than other non-minority waste contractors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José refuted the claims from the start, contending it did extensive work to support the company and educate residents on proper trash and recycling disposal practices, and claimed CWS was not meeting the standards needed for its role. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José refuted the claims from the start, contending it did extensive work to support the company and educate residents on proper trash and recycling disposal practices, and claimed CWS was not meeting the standards needed for its role. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It also increased the company’s annual compensation and offered financial incentives worth millions, it said in past court filings. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>It also increased the company’s annual compensation and offered financial incentives worth millions, it said in past court filings. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Due to CWS’s historically deficient performance under the contract throughout the years, the city could have re-initiated the competitive [bidding] process and sought out another service provider for residential recycling. But instead, the city decided to give CWS another chance,” the city filings said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Due to CWS’s historically deficient performance under the contract throughout the years, the city could have re-initiated the competitive [bidding] process and sought out another service provider for residential recycling. But instead, the city decided to give CWS another chance,” the city filings said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12012944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fields questions from press at the election watch and recall party at Fluid510 in Oakland on election night, Nov. 5, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Camille Cohen for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12012944\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fields questions from press at the election watch and recall party at Fluid510 in Oakland on election night, Nov. 5, 2024.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Camille Cohen for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José signed a 15-year contract extension with the company in July 2021 that runs through June 2036. The lawsuit’s allegations only applied to CWS’s previous contract with the city, which began in 2010, city reports said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>San José signed a 15-year contract extension with the company in July 2021 that runs through June 2036. The lawsuit’s allegations only applied to CWS’s previous contract with the city, which began in 2010, city reports said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A judge granted the city’s request to throw out the discrimination and unequal treatment allegations in the case due to an expired statute of limitations in late 2025. Following that order, the litigation, including pretrial motions and hearings, as well as settlement discussions, continued. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A judge granted the city’s request to throw out the discrimination and unequal treatment allegations in the case due to an expired statute of limitations in late 2025. Following that order, the litigation, including pretrial motions and hearings, as well as settlement discussions, continued. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About a year and a half after the San José lawsuit was filed, the powerful, politically connected Duong family was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991426/oakland-fbi-raids-also-targeted-this-powerful-family-heres-what-we-know\">swept up\u003c/a> in the beginnings of what would become a sprawling FBI corruption probe centering on then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Oakland waterfront offices CWS occupied were raided by the FBI, along with the homes of CEO David Duong and his son, Andy, in June 2024. Federal authorities alleged a “pay-to-play” corruption scheme involving Thao, her romantic partner Andre Jones and the Duongs, who were all charged with multiple counts of bribery and conspiracy in January 2025. They have all pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Oakland waterfront offices CWS occupied were raided by the FBI, along with the homes of CEO David Duong and his son, Andy, in June 2024. Federal authorities alleged a “pay-to-play” corruption scheme involving Thao, her romantic partner Andre Jones and the Duongs, who were all charged with multiple counts of bribery and conspiracy in January 2025. They have all pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Andy Duong also faces an additional charge of making a false statement to a government agency. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Andy Duong also faces an additional charge of making a false statement to a government agency. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Asked if the attention on the federal criminal case in Oakland involving David and Andy Duong affected the company’s lawsuit and settlement negotiations in San José, Straus, the attorney for CWS, said no. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Asked if the attention on the federal criminal case in Oakland involving David and Andy Duong affected the company’s lawsuit and settlement negotiations in San José, Straus, the attorney for CWS, said no. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“No, they are completely unrelated,” he said. Straus and the firm he works for, Buchalter, are not representing the Duongs in the criminal case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“No, they are completely unrelated,” he said. Straus and the firm he works for, Buchalter, are not representing the Duongs in the criminal case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11629979\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A California Waste Solutions manager at a plant in San José.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Brian Watt/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city said CWS provides recycling services to about 75% of the city’s single-family homes, while the remaining portion is handled by Waste Connections of California, Inc., known as GreenTeam of San José in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city said CWS provides recycling services to about 75% of the city’s single-family homes, while the remaining portion is handled by Waste Connections of California, Inc., known as GreenTeam of San José in the city. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the settlement terms, San José will pay $1 million to CWS and $250,000 to GreenTeam for their respective startup costs for the battery collection program. The city will also spend $750,000 for program outreach to residents. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the settlement terms, San José will pay $1 million to CWS and $250,000 to GreenTeam for their respective startup costs for the battery collection program. The city will also spend $750,000 for program outreach to residents. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The city will pay the two contractors 82 cents per household per month for the battery collection services, the city reports said. In the first year, San José estimated the costs of collection services to be about $1.29 million. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The city will pay the two contractors 82 cents per household per month for the battery collection services, the city reports said. In the first year, San José estimated the costs of collection services to be about $1.29 million. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Ongoing costs will be evaluated after the first full year of program implementation,” city reports said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Unlike neighboring cities, San José does not currently offer battery collection through its residential garbage and recycling program, and the addition of this service provides a convenient way for residents to safely dispose of used batteries,” city reports said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Unlike neighboring cities, San José does not currently offer battery collection through its residential garbage and recycling program, and the addition of this service provides a convenient way for residents to safely dispose of used batteries,” city reports said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "San José and its main recycling contractor, California Waste Solutions, are settling a yearslong lawsuit.",
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"title": "San José Settles Lawsuit With Duong Family Waste Company | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>San José will spend about $3.3 million to settle a yearslong lawsuit with California Waste Solutions, the city’s main recycling contractor, whose owners, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12022612/ex-oakland-mayor-sheng-thao-3-others-charged-with-bribery-sprawling-corruption-probe\">David and Andy Duong\u003c/a>, are charged with bribery and conspiracy in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12081746/sheng-thao-corruption-case-judge-confirms-identity-of-key-fbi-informant\">corruption scheme\u003c/a> centered in Oakland. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The payout will end the lengthy litigation and is primarily going toward startup costs for CWS and another small recycling contractor to begin a curbside battery collection service for single-family homes in the city, according to city memos and contract documents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José will also be on the hook for the ongoing costs of battery collection services through the two contractors for a minimum of five years and potentially as long as a decade as a part of the settlement agreement, the documents said, but an estimate of what the total spend would amount to wasn’t immediately available. The city and the company are both paying for their own legal costs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The San José City Council unanimously approved the settlement agreement in late June. Councilmember Peter Ortiz was absent. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“CWS is extremely pleased to have achieved a fair settlement with the City of San José that will benefit the city’s residents,” Douglas Straus, an attorney for the company, told KQED in a text message. “CWS looks forward to providing recycling services in San José for many years to come in a positive, collaborative relationship with the city, its staff and its residents.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Susana Alcala Wood, the city attorney for San José, did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the settlement Friday. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Waste Solutions filed the lawsuit in January 2023, alleging several wrongs by the city, including breach of contract, unfair dealing, unequal treatment and race discrimination.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The company claimed the city was not doing enough to help prevent residents from putting extra trash in their recycling bins, forcing the recycler to “collect and process massive amounts of garbage at an extra cost to [CWS] of tens of millions of dollars,” court filings said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The misplaced garbage made it “impossible” to meet required recycling minimums, leading to millions of dollars worth of diversion penalties on the company, the complaint said. It also claimed the city discriminated against the company because it is an immigrant-owned business, treating it differently than other non-minority waste contractors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José refuted the claims from the start, contending it did extensive work to support the company and educate residents on proper trash and recycling disposal practices, and claimed CWS was not meeting the standards needed for its role. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It also increased the company’s annual compensation and offered financial incentives worth millions, it said in past court filings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Due to CWS’s historically deficient performance under the contract throughout the years, the city could have re-initiated the competitive [bidding] process and sought out another service provider for residential recycling. But instead, the city decided to give CWS another chance,” the city filings said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12012944\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/241105-ELECTION-NIGHT-THAO-PARTY-CC-01-KQED-1920x1281.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao fields questions from press at the election watch and recall party at Fluid510 in Oakland on election night, Nov. 5, 2024. (Camille Cohen for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>San José signed a 15-year contract extension with the company in July 2021 that runs through June 2036. The lawsuit’s allegations only applied to CWS’s previous contract with the city, which began in 2010, city reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A judge granted the city’s request to throw out the discrimination and unequal treatment allegations in the case due to an expired statute of limitations in late 2025. Following that order, the litigation, including pretrial motions and hearings, as well as settlement discussions, continued. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About a year and a half after the San José lawsuit was filed, the powerful, politically connected Duong family was \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11991426/oakland-fbi-raids-also-targeted-this-powerful-family-heres-what-we-know\">swept up\u003c/a> in the beginnings of what would become a sprawling FBI corruption probe centering on then-Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Oakland waterfront offices CWS occupied were raided by the FBI, along with the homes of CEO David Duong and his son, Andy, in June 2024. Federal authorities alleged a “pay-to-play” corruption scheme involving Thao, her romantic partner Andre Jones and the Duongs, who were all charged with multiple counts of bribery and conspiracy in January 2025. They have all pleaded not guilty. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Andy Duong also faces an additional charge of making a false statement to a government agency. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Asked if the attention on the federal criminal case in Oakland involving David and Andy Duong affected the company’s lawsuit and settlement negotiations in San José, Straus, the attorney for CWS, said no. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“No, they are completely unrelated,” he said. Straus and the firm he works for, Buchalter, are not representing the Duongs in the criminal case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-11629979\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/RS27955_IMG_8170-qut-1-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A California Waste Solutions manager at a plant in San José. (Brian Watt/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city said CWS provides recycling services to about 75% of the city’s single-family homes, while the remaining portion is handled by Waste Connections of California, Inc., known as GreenTeam of San José in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the settlement terms, San José will pay $1 million to CWS and $250,000 to GreenTeam for their respective startup costs for the battery collection program. The city will also spend $750,000 for program outreach to residents. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The city will pay the two contractors 82 cents per household per month for the battery collection services, the city reports said. In the first year, San José estimated the costs of collection services to be about $1.29 million. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Ongoing costs will be evaluated after the first full year of program implementation,” city reports said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Unlike neighboring cities, San José does not currently offer battery collection through its residential garbage and recycling program, and the addition of this service provides a convenient way for residents to safely dispose of used batteries,” city reports said.\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "san-jose-police-watchdog-retires-suddenly",
"title": "San José Police Watchdog Retires Suddenly",
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"headTitle": "San José Police Watchdog Retires Suddenly | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>San José’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">independent police auditor\u003c/a> will retire at the end of the month, shortly after he was put on leave last week with no public explanation, city officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eddie Aubrey, a 67-year-old former police officer and prosecutor, was appointed to run the city’s Independent Police Auditor office in May 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His sudden retirement puts him in league with a string of city police auditors who have left the role after a handful of years in the position or fewer, including some who departed amid controversy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025 press conference in North San José about a partnership with PG&E intended to attract more data center development to the city. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without sharing a reason, San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s office confirmed last week that Aubrey was put on administrative leave on Aug. 4. \u003cem>The Mercury News \u003c/em>first reported the change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Tuesday afternoon, Mahan’s office issued a statement saying Aubrey would retire, and that a nationwide recruitment process would begin immediately to find a replacement. Aubrey did not respond to requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahan told KQED on Wednesday that he cannot share details about Aubrey’s retirement because it is a confidential personnel matter, but he thanked Aubrey for his work and praised changes made under his tenure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have much clearer protocols between the IPA and [SJPD] internal affairs when it comes to timely access to information and their working relationship,” Mahan said. He also said the office is fully staffed with “really talented” employees who are “delivering high-quality work product.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The auditor, a civilian position, is charged with collecting and reviewing complaints about San José police department officers and officials, as well as reviewing the department’s own internal affairs investigations into misconduct allegations and police shootings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The office works directly with internal affairs — the police division charged with investigating alleged misconduct by police officers — but does not have power to force changes. The auditor also produces an annual public report, which makes recommendations for policy changes and flags concerns or positive developments largely based on cases it reviewed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The office, which Deputy Independent Police Auditor Dwight White is temporarily helming, will present its annual report to the council on Sept. 15, the mayor’s office said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aubrey was hailed as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the city council in 2024, which followed a period of tumult at the office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He succeeded interim Independent Police Auditor Karyn Sinunu-Towery, a former 30-year prosecutor in Santa Clara County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was selected for the temporary role after former auditor Shivaun Nurre’s unexpected retirement in June 2023. It was later revealed that just before retiring, Nurre got into a heated verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A few months later, the then-assistant IPA, Eva Roa, resigned and wrote a letter criticizing city management and officials for ignoring the IPA’s recommendations and chiding Sinunu-Towery for being too trusting of police department investigators.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters granted the office expanded investigatory access in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11841767/6-bay-area-ballot-measures-that-could-strengthen-civilian-oversight-of-police#G\">2020 ballot measure\u003c/a>. Nurre, echoing a consultant’s report to the council, later advocated for the city to further expand the powers of the auditor, including the right to directly conduct investigations into alleged police misconduct instead of only auditing internal police investigations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former Mayor Sam Liccardo found council support for such a proposal in late 2022, but it faced harsh pushback from the powerful San José Police Officers’ Association. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2023, while Sinunu-Towery was at the helm of the office, the council voted 8-2 to formally reject plans to expand those powers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Teresa Guerrero-Daley served more than a decade as the city’s first-ever independent police auditor beginning in 1994. But since her retirement, the office has seen six other auditors come and go. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Nurre, Aaron Zisser resigned after less than a year in the job, citing personal attacks from the police union. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan on Wednesday acknowledged the scrutiny that comes with the job and the sometimes short tenures of IPAs in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My preference, of course, would be to have someone who is there for a longer period of time because I think it adds stability,” Mahan said. “I don’t know what the exact right number of years is. It’s a high-pressure, tough job, and you’ve got to expect a certain amount of turnover in all of the council-appointee jobs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan said the role is critical to building trust in public safety officials in the large and diverse city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot continue to be the safest big city in the country if we don’t hire the best and brightest to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>San José’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">independent police auditor\u003c/a> will retire at the end of the month, shortly after he was put on leave last week with no public explanation, city officials said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Eddie Aubrey, a 67-year-old former police officer and prosecutor, was appointed to run the city’s Independent Police Auditor office in May 2024.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>His sudden retirement puts him in league with a string of city police auditors who have left the role after a handful of years in the position or fewer, including some who departed amid controversy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>His sudden retirement puts him in league with a string of city police auditors who have left the role after a handful of years in the position or fewer, including some who departed amid controversy.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025 press conference in North San José about a partnership with PG&E intended to attract more data center development to the city. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025 press conference in North San José about a partnership with PG&E intended to attract more data center development to the city. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Without sharing a reason, San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s office confirmed last week that Aubrey was put on administrative leave on Aug. 4. \u003cem>The Mercury News \u003c/em>first reported the change. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Without sharing a reason, San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s office confirmed last week that Aubrey was put on administrative leave on Aug. 4. \u003cem>The Mercury News \u003c/em>first reported the change. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Tuesday afternoon, Mahan’s office issued a statement saying Aubrey would retire, and that a nationwide recruitment process would begin immediately to find a replacement. Aubrey did not respond to requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>On Tuesday afternoon, Mahan’s office issued a statement saying Aubrey would retire, and that a nationwide recruitment process would begin immediately to find a replacement. Aubrey did not respond to requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan told KQED on Wednesday that he cannot share details about Aubrey’s retirement because it is a confidential personnel matter, but he thanked Aubrey for his work and praised changes made under his tenure. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Mahan told KQED on Wednesday that he cannot share details about Aubrey’s retirement because it is a confidential personnel matter, but he thanked Aubrey for his work and praised changes made under his tenure. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We have much clearer protocols between the IPA and [SJPD] internal affairs when it comes to timely access to information and their working relationship,” Mahan said. He also said the office is fully staffed with “really talented” employees who are “delivering high-quality work product.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We have much clearer protocols between the IPA and [SJPD] internal affairs when it comes to timely access to information and their working relationship,” Mahan said. He also said the office is fully staffed with “really talented” employees who are “delivering high-quality work product.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The auditor, a civilian position, is charged with collecting and reviewing complaints about San José police department officers and officials, as well as reviewing the department’s own internal affairs investigations into misconduct allegations and police shootings. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The auditor, a civilian position, is charged with collecting and reviewing complaints about San José police department officers and officials, as well as reviewing the department’s own internal affairs investigations into misconduct allegations and police shootings. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The office works directly with internal affairs — the police division charged with investigating alleged misconduct by police officers — but does not have power to force changes. The auditor also produces an annual public report, which makes recommendations for policy changes and flags concerns or positive developments largely based on cases it reviewed.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The office works directly with internal affairs — the police division charged with investigating alleged misconduct by police officers — but does not have power to force changes. The auditor also produces an annual public report, which makes recommendations for policy changes and flags concerns or positive developments largely based on cases it reviewed.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The office, which Deputy Independent Police Auditor Dwight White is temporarily helming, will present its annual report to the council on Sept. 15, the mayor’s office said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The office, which Deputy Independent Police Auditor Dwight White is temporarily helming, will present its annual report to the council on Sept. 15, the mayor’s office said. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Aubrey was hailed as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the city council in 2024, which followed a period of tumult at the office. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Aubrey was hailed as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the city council in 2024, which followed a period of tumult at the office. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He succeeded interim Independent Police Auditor Karyn Sinunu-Towery, a former 30-year prosecutor in Santa Clara County. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>She was selected for the temporary role after former auditor Shivaun Nurre’s unexpected retirement in June 2023. It was later revealed that just before retiring, Nurre got into a heated verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>She was selected for the temporary role after former auditor Shivaun Nurre’s unexpected retirement in June 2023. It was later revealed that just before retiring, Nurre got into a heated verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A few months later, the then-assistant IPA, Eva Roa, resigned and wrote a letter criticizing city management and officials for ignoring the IPA’s recommendations and chiding Sinunu-Towery for being too trusting of police department investigators.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A few months later, the then-assistant IPA, Eva Roa, resigned and wrote a letter criticizing city management and officials for ignoring the IPA’s recommendations and chiding Sinunu-Towery for being too trusting of police department investigators.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Voters granted the office expanded investigatory access in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11841767/6-bay-area-ballot-measures-that-could-strengthen-civilian-oversight-of-police#G\">2020 ballot measure\u003c/a>. Nurre, echoing a consultant’s report to the council, later advocated for the city to further expand the powers of the auditor, including the right to directly conduct investigations into alleged police misconduct instead of only auditing internal police investigations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Voters granted the office expanded investigatory access in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11841767/6-bay-area-ballot-measures-that-could-strengthen-civilian-oversight-of-police#G\">2020 ballot measure\u003c/a>. Nurre, echoing a consultant’s report to the council, later advocated for the city to further expand the powers of the auditor, including the right to directly conduct investigations into alleged police misconduct instead of only auditing internal police investigations.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Former Mayor Sam Liccardo found council support for such a proposal in late 2022, but it faced harsh pushback from the powerful San José Police Officers’ Association. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Former Mayor Sam Liccardo found council support for such a proposal in late 2022, but it faced harsh pushback from the powerful San José Police Officers’ Association. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In November 2023, while Sinunu-Towery was at the helm of the office, the council voted 8-2 to formally reject plans to expand those powers. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In November 2023, while Sinunu-Towery was at the helm of the office, the council voted 8-2 to formally reject plans to expand those powers. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Teresa Guerrero-Daley served more than a decade as the city’s first-ever independent police auditor beginning in 1994. But since her retirement, the office has seen six other auditors come and go. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Teresa Guerrero-Daley served more than a decade as the city’s first-ever independent police auditor beginning in 1994. But since her retirement, the office has seen six other auditors come and go. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before Nurre, Aaron Zisser resigned after less than a year in the job, citing personal attacks from the police union. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan on Wednesday acknowledged the scrutiny that comes with the job and the sometimes short tenures of IPAs in the city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“My preference, of course, would be to have someone who is there for a longer period of time because I think it adds stability,” Mahan said. “I don’t know what the exact right number of years is. It’s a high-pressure, tough job, and you’ve got to expect a certain amount of turnover in all of the council-appointee jobs.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“My preference, of course, would be to have someone who is there for a longer period of time because I think it adds stability,” Mahan said. “I don’t know what the exact right number of years is. It’s a high-pressure, tough job, and you’ve got to expect a certain amount of turnover in all of the council-appointee jobs.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Mahan said the role is critical to building trust in public safety officials in the large and diverse city. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot continue to be the safest big city in the country if we don’t hire the best and brightest to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>San José’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11983119/san-jose-city-council-appoints-new-independent-police-auditor\">independent police auditor\u003c/a> will retire at the end of the month, shortly after he was put on leave last week with no public explanation, city officials said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Eddie Aubrey, a 67-year-old former police officer and prosecutor, was appointed to run the city’s Independent Police Auditor office in May 2024.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>His sudden retirement puts him in league with a string of city police auditors who have left the role after a handful of years in the position or fewer, including some who departed amid controversy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12049894\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/250725-SJPOWER-JG-8_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">San José Mayor Matt Mahan speaks during a July 25, 2025 press conference in North San José about a partnership with PG&E intended to attract more data center development to the city. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Without sharing a reason, San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s office confirmed last week that Aubrey was put on administrative leave on Aug. 4. \u003cem>The Mercury News \u003c/em>first reported the change. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Tuesday afternoon, Mahan’s office issued a statement saying Aubrey would retire, and that a nationwide recruitment process would begin immediately to find a replacement. Aubrey did not respond to requests for comment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mahan told KQED on Wednesday that he cannot share details about Aubrey’s retirement because it is a confidential personnel matter, but he thanked Aubrey for his work and praised changes made under his tenure. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We have much clearer protocols between the IPA and [SJPD] internal affairs when it comes to timely access to information and their working relationship,” Mahan said. He also said the office is fully staffed with “really talented” employees who are “delivering high-quality work product.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The auditor, a civilian position, is charged with collecting and reviewing complaints about San José police department officers and officials, as well as reviewing the department’s own internal affairs investigations into misconduct allegations and police shootings. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The office works directly with internal affairs — the police division charged with investigating alleged misconduct by police officers — but does not have power to force changes. The auditor also produces an annual public report, which makes recommendations for policy changes and flags concerns or positive developments largely based on cases it reviewed.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The office, which Deputy Independent Police Auditor Dwight White is temporarily helming, will present its annual report to the council on Sept. 15, the mayor’s office said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Aubrey was hailed as an experienced leader at the time of his appointment by the city council in 2024, which followed a period of tumult at the office. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12047902\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/07/240418-SJPDFILE-JG-6_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The exterior of the San José Police Department headquarters on April 18, 2024. (Joseph Geha/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He succeeded interim Independent Police Auditor Karyn Sinunu-Towery, a former 30-year prosecutor in Santa Clara County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>She was selected for the temporary role after former auditor Shivaun Nurre’s unexpected retirement in June 2023. It was later revealed that just before retiring, Nurre got into a heated verbal argument with a San José police officer at the San José Greek Festival while she was drunk.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A few months later, the then-assistant IPA, Eva Roa, resigned and wrote a letter criticizing city management and officials for ignoring the IPA’s recommendations and chiding Sinunu-Towery for being too trusting of police department investigators.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Voters granted the office expanded investigatory access in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11841767/6-bay-area-ballot-measures-that-could-strengthen-civilian-oversight-of-police#G\">2020 ballot measure\u003c/a>. Nurre, echoing a consultant’s report to the council, later advocated for the city to further expand the powers of the auditor, including the right to directly conduct investigations into alleged police misconduct instead of only auditing internal police investigations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Former Mayor Sam Liccardo found council support for such a proposal in late 2022, but it faced harsh pushback from the powerful San José Police Officers’ Association. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In November 2023, while Sinunu-Towery was at the helm of the office, the council voted 8-2 to formally reject plans to expand those powers. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Teresa Guerrero-Daley served more than a decade as the city’s first-ever independent police auditor beginning in 1994. But since her retirement, the office has seen six other auditors come and go. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12037773\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/20230801-SJCityHall-04-JY_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Flags at City Hall in San José, California, on Aug. 1, 2023. (Juliana Yamada/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Before Nurre, Aaron Zisser resigned after less than a year in the job, citing personal attacks from the police union. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan on Wednesday acknowledged the scrutiny that comes with the job and the sometimes short tenures of IPAs in the city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“My preference, of course, would be to have someone who is there for a longer period of time because I think it adds stability,” Mahan said. “I don’t know what the exact right number of years is. It’s a high-pressure, tough job, and you’ve got to expect a certain amount of turnover in all of the council-appointee jobs.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Mahan said the role is critical to building trust in public safety officials in the large and diverse city. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We cannot continue to be the safest big city in the country if we don’t hire the best and brightest to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
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"masters-of-scale": {
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},
"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
},
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"morning-edition": {
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"info": "\u003cem>Morning Edition\u003c/em> takes listeners around the country and the world with multi-faceted stories and commentaries every weekday. Hosts Steve Inskeep, David Greene and Rachel Martin bring you the latest breaking news and features to prepare you for the day.",
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"onourwatch": {
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"on-the-media": {
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"title": "On The Media",
"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"pbs-newshour": {
"id": "pbs-newshour",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/planetmoney.jpg",
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"link": "/radio/program/planet-money",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Political-Breakdown-2024-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 5
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/radiolab1400.png",
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