Dear Neighbors,

 

Like many of you, I'm still struggling to process the murder of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. His death has reignited nationwide outrage over issues of race and policing, and our community has been speaking out about this issue daily for the past week. I admire the peaceful protestors expressing their First Amendment rights, and I grieve with them.

Read more here.  

Pride Month Invocation 

Normally we proclaim June as Pride Month. It is usually a celebration, but during this time, it does not seem appropriate. Thank you Gabrielle Antolovich for helping me write this invocation. 

District 6 Small and Essential Businesses 

Support local businesses! You can view the list of open small and essential businesses in District 6 here. Please email district6@sanjoseca.gov if you know of more we can add!

Pershing Avenue Howling

A D6 resident learned that in Denver people would open their doors on Saturday nights at 8:00 p.m. and howl at the moon to relieve stress. Neighbors on Pershing Ave. get  together with neighbors and  howl. The neighborhood joins in and have been doing this for over a month now. It e xtends over to Harding and Schiele Streets. They  howl for all those who have been affected by COVID-19. 

Has your neighborhood created any rituals during shelter-in-place? Let us know at district6@sanjoseca.gov.  

San Jose Eviction Moratorium Extension 

The Council voted unanimously voted to extend the San Jose eviction moratorium until June 30, 2020. It also set the schedule to pay the overdue rent in full to one year after the expiry of the eviction moratorium. 

The moratorium applies to all residential properties in San José, including single-family homes, rooms rented in single-family homes, duplexes, condominiums, income-restricted apartments (i.e., affordable housing), rent-stabilized apartments, market-rate apartments, and mobile homes. More information and forms here. 

 COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program

Additional funding is now available through the COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program run by Sacred Heart Community Service & Destination: Home! Because we have a limited amount of funding available, this 2nd round of assistance will focus on serving those in our community who are most-in-need of assistance. See below for specific eligibility criteria and program information.

COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program: Phase Two

To qualify for assistance during this round of assistance, households must meet the eligibility criteria below:

1. Live in Santa Clara County;

2. Have household income less than 30% of the Area's Median Income (a.k.a. Extremely Low Income households) prior to the COVID-19 crisis;

3. Can demonstrate a loss of income related to the COVID-19 crisis;

4. Are ineligible for unemployment benefits or recent federal stimulus payments; AND

5. Did not already receive assistance from our COVID-19 relief fund.

Eligible individuals can receive $1,000, up to a maximum of $2,000/household. Additional details, including instructions on how people can add their name to the Interest List, are available here.

 
Shelter-in-Place 

 

Free COVID-19 Testing in Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County recently announced two FREE COVID-19 diagnostic tests. They are available for Santa Clara County residents, with or without symptoms, at PAL Stadium and the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds. There are no fees and insurance is not required. Sign-up here. 

Virtual Local Assistance Center

Bay Club Protocol for Safe Childcare Camps 

Summer camps and childcare have long been core components of the Bay Club's business. As parents within our communities endeavor to return to essential work, the Bay Club will resume its Camp and Childcare service on or about June 1.

Bay Club Camps will provide educational and recreational programs, serving children aged 3 through 17 in safe, age appropriate and fun ways, encouraging physical activity and athletic skills building. Camps will be offered in either full day or half day sessions, by age group. Not all camp categories or age groups will be offered in every location. Camp offerings may vary by location, based upon the facilities available at each location as well as demand. 

Read more here.

 
Silicon Valley Strong Fund

The Small Business Administration has announced it will provide Disaster Assistance Loans to businesses and not-for-profit organizations affected by COVID-19.

Business owners still have many questions about how the loans will work. Vic Farlie, business development officer at the Office of Economic Development, put together a FAQ for our local business community to explain things as understand it today, which we are sharing with you here. For more detailed information, see the SBA's COVID-19 website.

The City of San Jose will be assisting small businesses in learning more about and applying for the loans, through the technical assistance our BusinessOwnerSpace partners here.  Read more here . 

The programs and initiatives in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was just passed by Congress are intended to assist business owners with whatever needs they have right now. When implemented, there will be many new resources available for small businesses, as well as certain nonprofits and other employers. Read more here. 

Silicon Valley Strong Free Meals

Please read the flyers below with the most current information about free meals countywide: one flyer for Children and Youth (under 18) and one flyer for Older Adults (60 and older). More locations and information about free meals and groceries  here .  

San Jose launched Great Plates Delivered (GPD), to encourage restaurant recovery, bolster food distribution efforts, and provide up to 30,000 meals per week to eligible seniors and high-risk vulnerable populations. GPD was announced by Governor Gavin Newson on April 24 as an "Emergency Feeding Program Framework" seeking to expand meal access to include a population of newly defined vulnerable persons, stimulate local restaurant recovery, and put in place streamlined funding guidance by the State. 

Protecting Residents Experiencing Homelessness

San Jose Aspires Program

Electricity Savings

As your local electricity service provider, San José Clean Energy's highest priority is the well-being of the our residential and business customers. SJCE has created a guide of resources to help residents save on their electricity bills as they spend more time at home during the COVID-19 emergency and stay-at-home order. In this guide, customers can find information on cost-effective rate plans, State-funded bill discount programs, and free resources to save energy and money. For questions and concerns, customers can visit www.SanJoseCleanEnergy.org or contact their call center at 833-432-2454. 

Pavement Projects Storymap

This year, DOT is providing a new pavement "story map" that contains an overview of paving operations and detailed information on the three-year plan shared in December of 2019. The "2020 Paving" tab allows the community to track progress of the current construction season on specific roadway segments. The link to the map is below and can also be found on the DOT Pavement Maintenance website here . 

Downtown San Jose Farmers' Market 

The Downtown San Jose Farmers' Market opened June 5! Some modifications will occur due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.  During the shelter-in-place order, the market will be limited to agricultural products only, operate with social distancing measures; booths will be separated and hand-washing stations will be pervasive. Customers must wear masks and keep their distance.

ADU Amnesty Program

We're still reviewing plans for accessory dwelling units (ADUs) during Shelter-in-Place. Go here to learn the pathway to a completed ADU and contact your helpful ADU Ally at ADU.Ally@sanjoseca.gov for questions. 

The City's new ADU Amnesty Program waives penalties and may help you save more than $10,000 in fees while you take the steps to legalize your unit, improve the unit's safety for occupants, and reduce your liability. The program allows for using the building codes from the year the unit was built, and provides 5 years to complete items not relating to immediate health and safety issues.  You can explore the program without disclosing your name and address by reviewing the Self-Assessment Checklist, and then calling the ADU Amnesty Coordinator with your questions.

Slow Down

With more and more people walking and biking on our streets for exercise and recreation during the COVID-19 pandemic, including families with young children, it is more important than ever to slow down while driving.

There may be fewer cars on the road now that residents are staying at home, but that doesn't mean it's safe to speed or drive recklessly. Slowing down and even going below the 25-mph speed limit on residential streets helps create a safe environment for families and others who are walking and biking. When it comes to driving in residential neighborhoods, "20 is plenty."

Driving safely reduces the risk of serious collisions and injuries. Hospitals are on the front line in the fight against COVID-19. Treating injuries from high-speed vehicle collisions places additional burdens on our doctors and nurses. Remember, we are all in this together.

For more information on traffic safety in San José, go here. 

Tolling on Bay Area Express Lanes to Resume June 1, 2020

In light of steadily rising traffic volumes on Bay Area freeways as shelter-in-place restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic begin to ease, the region's three Express Lane operators - VTA, MTC and the Alameda County Transportation Commission - will resume weekday tolling on Monday, June 1, 2020.

Beginning at 5 a.m., the two Express Lane facilities in Santa Clara County (State Route 237 and a small portion of southbound I-680) will reinstate the variable-rate tolling policies that were temporarily suspended on March 20.

On weekdays from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., changeable electronic signs over the Express Lanes will once again display current toll rates for those who wish to travel in the lanes.

Weekday traffic volume in most Bay Area freeway corridors is now reaching at least 60 percent of spring 2019 levels. Traffic counts in some Express Lane corridors, including I-580 through Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore; and Highway 237 in Milpitas, San Jose and Sunnyvale this month registered close to 80 percent of last year's levels during certain high-travel periods.

Our City Forest Nursery 

Our City Forest Community Nursery is open every Friday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Curbside pick-up and delivery is available on  Wednesdays  and Thursdays. 

U.S. Census Bureau in Santa Clara County