SAN JOSE — A San Jose family is getting a reduction on their rent from Google after the residents faced a looming deadline from the search engine company to relocate.
The Pacheco family had rented a bungalow near the SAP Center downtown since 2003 when Google and a real-estate partner bought the property and neighboring lot for $4 million last year. The Pachecos were told they'd have to move out by June 11.
Diego Marcos, who lives in the bungalow with his parents, told KCBS Radio that the family was scrambling to rent a smaller, more expensive apartment when they got a reprieve from the tech giant.
"The Thursday before, that's when my mom got the call from Google," said Marcos.
After hearing of the family's plight, Google officials backed away from the deadline, giving the residents 18 months to find another home. On top of that, Marcos said the rent was cut in half.
While some have blamed Google for pushing low-income people out of the area as it develops a massive campus near downtown, Marcos said he feels like all of the recent changes have been good for San Jose.
"I've worked downtown on the weekend and you could just really see it. It used to be really rough," he said. "Now, I could take my kids down there at night if I wanted to and not even trip."
Google did not respond to KCBS Radio's request for comment, but the company told the Mercury News that "we want to be good neighbors and preserve the local community."
