The Sunnyvale Sun
News
Subsidized housing
Section 8 list opens
On April 24, an estimated 50,000 Santa Clara County residents will finally get a chance to get their names on the waiting list for Section 8 subsidized housing vouchers.
The vouchers allow people to rent homes with help from the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Clara. For Section 8, qualified people pay one-third of their monthly income for rent, and the county picks up the rest of the bill.
Potential recipients can get their names on the list by mailing in completed application forms or by signing up online between April 24 and April 28. A lottery will decide the final order.
Registration forms can be picked up in Sunnyvale at Nova Connect! in the Employment Development Department.
For more information, visit www.hacsc.org/vouch er_wait_list.htm or call 408.275.8770.
Shelter closing, rain, cold coming
Two weeks ago, EHC Lifebuilders said it would keep open its cold weather shelter at the Sunnyvale National Guard Armory at Fair Oaks and Maude Avenues until the end of April.
But because of state code that mandates the armories only be available as shelters until April 15, Lifebuilders had to close the shelter's doors to the homeless on April 17.
Lifebuilders' spokeswoman Hillary Barroga said they were dismayed.
"We're certainly concerned about the people we serve," she said. "It's really cold outside and its expected to rain again."
Lifebuilders supports its temporary winter operations through reimbursements from Santa Clara County and local cities. But without outside help, Lifebuilders does not currently have the resources to support more permanent shelters.
"Space is only half of the problem right now," Barroga said. "The cost of running the shelters, paying the staff and supporting the operation is the real challenge."
Man escaping may be 'dinner-time bandit'
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety officers are still seeking public assistance in finding the "dinner-time bandit," who may be responsible for a series of break-ins in Sunnyvale, Cupertino and San Jose.
The first big break in the case came on March 16, when an Inverness Avenue resident--who heard a window break--confronted a man who fled on foot.
He is described as a white or Hispanic male, between 30 and 35 years old, between 5 feet 6 and 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a medium build and light complexion. At the time, the man was wearing a black baseball cap and dark clothing.
The "dinner time" nickname comes from the late hour when many crimes associated with the burglar have occurred. In the past 18 months, Sunnyvale has had 15 burglaries, many affecting South Asian families. There were 49 such burglaries in Cupertino in 2005.
San Jose and Cupertino residents have reported similar crimes, and Cupertino residents have recently posted a $3,000 reward for any information leading to the suspect's arrest.
Anyone with information about the case should contact Det. Jeff Hunter at 408.730.7131.
