Photo: Adrian Discipulo

On October 19, San José renters, tenant advocates, and community organizations gathered at City Hall to launch Healthy Homes San José, a campaign led by the Law Foundation of Silicon Valley calling for stronger housing code enforcement and improved living conditions for renters.

The campaign seeks to address longstanding challenges with San José’s Code Enforcement Multiple Housing Inspection Program, including barriers to reporting unsafe housing conditions, inadequate enforcement, and limited accountability for landlords who fail to make necessary repairs. Proposed improvements include greater transparency, more effective inspections, and stronger enforcement mechanisms.

SV@Home joined community partners in support of the campaign as a member of the San José Anti-Displacement Coalition. Over the past year, the coalition held meetings and tenant listening sessions to identify shared policy priorities. Through this process, coalition members identified three key areas of focus: supporting community land trusts, establishing a Tenant Right to Counsel, and strengthening code enforcement.

The Healthy Homes San José campaign represents an important step toward advancing the coalition’s code enforcement priority. Ensuring that renters can remain in safe, healthy homes is an essential part of preventing displacement and preserving our communities.

Read more about the Healthy Homes San José campaign.