A fire gutted the long-vacant MACSA Youth and Family Center in East San Jose, leaving the MACSA sign and twin welcoming pillars intact. The Alum Rock Union School District declared the site unsafe at an emergency meeting and emphasized the need for transparency, investigation results, and site security. MACSA served as a major Latino-serving hub that built affordable housing, ran a clinic and school, supported small businesses, and provided mentoring, culture and belonging. Community members held a vigil where leaders urged restoration and rebuilding. High local poverty and student need increase urgency for a restored youth-serving center that honors MACSA's legacy.
At an emergency meeting Saturday, the Alum Rock Union School District moved quickly to declare the site unsafe. That was the right first step. But speed cannot replace transparency. The community deserves to know the results of the investigation, assurances that the site will be secured and a clear path forward - one that does not erase MACSA's history but honors it through thoughtful restoration and rebuilding.
For decades, MACSA - the Mexican American Community Services Agency - was a lifeline in the Mayfair neighborhood. It was the first community development corporation in San Jose. It built affordable housing, operated a clinic and school, supported small businesses and offered a space where young people found mentors, culture and belonging. At its height, MACSA was the largest Latino-serving agency in the city, a hub where opportunity and identity converged.
And make no mistake: the community is showing up, strong and organized. People care deeply about what happens at this site. In a district where nearly 10% of residents live below the poverty line and more than three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, the urgency for a youth-serving space - a place where kids and families can gather, learn and lead - could not be greater.
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