San Jose officials consider new ways to help renters fight evictions

Following a tsunami of evictions, San Jose is looking at ways to help residents from losing their homes, and heading off the problem before it reaches the courts.

The eviction issue has skyrocketed in San Jose, especially after the expiration of COVID-19 pandemic-era tenant protections. Toward the end of 2022, hundreds of San Jose residents faced the threat of eviction. San Jose received 295 fillings in November 2022 and 116 in December 2022, compared with 22 notices in April. Pre-pandemic, Santa Clara County saw about 202 eviction cases per month. To help, San Jose extended its eviction ban during the pandemic, and the housing department created eviction help centers to protect renters.