Homelessness, Trust at Center of San José District 3 Special Election

The District 3 seat on the San José City Council is a privileged perch in South Bay politics.

The district includes the original heart of the city in downtown and the historic Japantown and Washington-Guadalupe neighborhoods. Former Mayors Tom McEnery, Susan Hammer and Sam Liccardo, as well as Santa Clara County County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, all rose from the District 3 council seat to higher office.

Lately, the district has been awash in political turmoil. Omar Torres resigned from the council seat in November after he faced multiple criminal charges of child sexual abuse. As voters begin casting their ballots in an April 8 special election to fill the seat, many told KQED they hope the next council member will prioritize reducing homelessness in the area and rebuilding trust between City Hall and residents following the Torres scandal.

“I actually voted for [Torres], so I was very disappointed to hear about that,” said Roberta Ortega, who lives on 17th Street in the Northside neighborhood. “But I also view this as an opportunity to have a little more input and have great candidates.”

Seven candidates — Gabby Chavez-Lopez, Philip Dolan, Adam Duran, Matthew Quevedo, Irene Smith, Anthony Tordillos and Tyrone Wade — are running in the special election, which will proceed to a June 24 runoff if no one secures a majority in April.

Torres, who was elected in 2022, resigned in November and was accused of sexually assaulting a teenage relative in the late 1990s. For months, the seat was vacant until the city council appointed Carl Salas, an engineering executive, to serve through the special election.

“To me, ethics and honesty is a very important issue,” Ortega, whose top concern is homelessness, said.

She wants increased investment in non-police responses to issues in encampments along the Guadalupe River and she supports outreach programs that provide services to people living on the street.

“They have a van come for the homeless so that they can get cleaned up — I’m in favor of all that,” Ortega said. “Crowding them into tent cities and trailer parks, I don’t think it’s helping … I just feel like it’s just creating more blight.”

The city’s last full homeless count in early 2023 found District 3 had the second-highest number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the city.

Susan Hartt said she appreciated that the candidates are making their plans to reduce homelessness a priority, though she doubts one council election can turn the tide.

“I think it’s great that everyone recognizes it’s the top issue,” said Hartt, who lives in the Naglee Park neighborhood. “But I think it’s still gonna be very challenging to come up with a plan that really ends homelessness.”

Ray and Dora McCasland have lived in the Northside neighborhood for decades. They said encampments, blight and an attempted break-in of their home have been met with little follow-up from City Hall.

“They’re humans, the homeless people, they’re human just like we are,” Dora McCasland said. “We’re not judging anyone, but I just feel like … something needs to be done.”

“When you see the homeless, houseless people living on the streets with their tents and the trash, it’s just not the city that we want it to be, especially downtown,” she added. “We want to come and have dinner downtown and walk during the summer nights.”

City officials have placed extra focus on unsheltered homelessness in the downtown area. Last week, the council voted unanimously to extend a ban on sitting or lying down on a downtown sidewalk to begin at 8 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. The move followed a council vote last year to enforce a ban on encampments along the Guadalupe River Trail.

The next year could be crucial to rejuvenating economic activity and vibrancy in the city center. In 2026, the Super Bowl, along with portions of the FIFA World Cup and the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, will be played in Santa Clara and San José. 

Downtown boosters hope the marquee events, along with the opening of new student housing at San José State University and the return of more city workers to the office, will boost foot traffic in the area and uplift small businesses.

James Riley, who lives near campus in the South University neighborhood, has a simple vision for the area’s future as he considers who to support.

“Watching this district — the downtown — recover and thrive,” he said.