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Monterey County Housing Digest



Landlords Are Using AI to Raise Rents — And California Cities Are Leading the Pushback

12/01/2024

California and federal prosecutors have accused software company RealPage of enriching itself ”at the expense of renters who pay inflated prices.”

Floods Wrecked These Farmtowns. Nearly 2 Years Later, Most California Aid Hasn’t Reached People

11/21/2024

Floodwaters devastated the small communities of Pajaro and Planada in early 2023. California gave each town $20 million to recover – but as residents face down another winter, much of the aid has yet to reach them.

Lightfighter Village Homeless Veterans Housing Update

11/07/2024

The Lightfighter Village development of 71 units of housing for homeless veterans in Marina is nearing completion.

Greenfield Commons Housing Phase II Underway

10/17/2024

The second phase buildout of the Greenfield Commons affordable housing development is underway and the 200 additional units are expected to be completed in 2025.

How Much Would It Cost to End Homelessness in California? Try More Than $100 Billion

10/17/2024

Multiple state agencies spent nearly $24 billion on housing and homeless programs in the first five years of Gavin Newsom’s governorship, but the number of people without homes continued to grow, rising by 20% to more than 180,000 in the most recent federal count in 2023.

Marina Affordable Apartments Celebrate Grand Opening

10/11/2024

The Terracina at The Dunes affordable apartment complex with 142 units of housing in Marina celebrated its grand opening on October 10.

California Pledged $500 Million to Help Tenants Preserve Affordable Housing. They Didn’t Get a Dime.

10/09/2024

California allotted half a billion dollars to help community land trusts across the state. But budget cuts and bureaucracy have land trust advocates back where they were in 2020: seeking state aid to preserve affordable housing.

Environmental Rebate Explained

10/08/2024

How to apply rebate as part of the recent $80 million state program to electrify homes.

Late Payments to Nonprofits Hamper California’s Fight Against Homelessness

09/30/2024

Homeless service providers are scaling back and taking out loans as they wait for late payments from the government.

Will New Laws Improve Housing for CA Farmworkers?

09/25/2024

Many California farmworkers have long lacked safe and affordable places to sleep — an issue thrown into sharp relief after last year’s mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural workers dead.

New California Law Gives Tenants More Time to Respond to Eviction Notices

09/24/2024

Tenant advocates say giving renters 10 days to respond to eviction notices, up from 5, will help those who live in rural areas and have trouble finding legal help. Some landlords argue it will increase their costs.

Why Ricardo Lara Says His Plan to Fix California’s Insurance Crisis Will Work

09/19/2024

At a CalMatters event, California’s insurance commissioner says the changes he’s making will help homeowners and business owners. One idea: A state grant for those who spend money to protect their property from wildfires.

Election Explainer: Proposition 33

09/18/2024

The Sacramento Bee takes a look at the Proposition 33 rent-control measure on the November ballot.

Which Growing California Communities Will Get the Hottest?

09/13/2024

California’s inland regions are experiencing dangerous heat waves, exacerbated by rapid population growth. As more people move away from the expensive coastal areas to more affordable inland communities, these regions are seeing significant demographic changes and spiking electricity bills.

CA Homeless Count Is Up 8% From 2022

09/10/2024

An exclusive CalMatters analysis of the latest California homeless count reveals some good news and bad news: Though the growth rate of homelessness appears to be slowing, the overall number of unhoused Californians increased from two years ago.

CA Rent Control Battle Goes to the Ballot

09/06/2024

Amid a Southern California heat wave, about 300 advocates for rent control — with two 10-foot “greedy landlord” puppets — rallied Thursday in downtown Los Angeles, chanting: “The rent is too damn high!”

Salinas City Council Proceeds With Tenant Protection Statutes

09/05/2024

In their August 20 meeting, the Salinas City Council approved development of three new tenent protection ordinances following years of complaints from local renters.

CSUMB Enrollment Up, Juggling With Housing

09/03/2024

With enrollment up for the first time in years, Cal State Monterey Bay had to work hard to find enough student housing.

California’s Inequality Hotspots

08/30/2024

A large apartment complex in San Rafael’s majority-Latino Canal neighborhood. Latino families in Marin County are far more likely than white families to have trouble making ends meet, a new report finds.

More Affordable Housing Funds Could Come With New Labor Requirements

08/30/2024

The Legislature is willing to guarantee $500 million annually to affordable housing developers, but with a caveat.

New Homeless Program Launches in Salinas

08/19/2024

A new housing resource hub offering navigation services and financial assistance opened at 212 North Main Street in Salinas.

Salinas to Consider Rent Stabilization Ordinance

08/17/2024

Proponents seek a 2% maximum on annual rent increases in a proposal to be considered by the Salinas City Council on August 20.

Bond Voyage: Supporters Yank California’s Largest-Ever Affordable Housing Measure

08/14/2024

Backers pulled a $20 billion affordable housing bond off Bay Area ballots today, amid fears that it wouldn’t pass.

CSUMB Experiencing Growing Pains

08/13/2024

As enrollment increases, California Sate University Monterey Bay faces need for student housing.

California Is Giving Schools More Homework: Build Housing for Teachers

08/12/2024

Some California agencies are offering incentives and hosting workshops for school districts that want to build affordable housing for teachers.

Californians: Your Rent May Go Up Because of Rising Insurance Rates

08/12/2024

The state’s landlords see rising insurance costs, so they say they’re going to have to raise rents. But they complain about laws that limit how much they can do so.

CA Rent Control Back on the Ballot, Twice

08/08/2024

Sky-high rent is among Californians’ biggest concerns. Nearly 30% of tenants spend more than half their income on rent; and the median rent is $2,850 a month, 33% higher than the national average.

Two propositions on the Nov. 5 ballot address this issue — though one does so in a rather roundabout way.

Rent Drives Up CA Cost of Living

08/02/2024

Many landlords in California can only raise the rent a certain amount. On August 1, they — and their tenants — found out how high.

California Has Seen Many Towns Created, but as Population Drops a Big Project Has Stalled

07/25/2024

When California emerged from its colonial beginnings nearly two centuries ago and began coalescing into a distinct society, its towns and villages tended to be located either on navigable rivers, such as Sacramento, or around the 21 missions that Spanish explorer priests had established, such as San Diego.

Home Energy Storage System Rebates Available

07/24/2024

Central Coast Community Energy has begun offering rebates for the purchase of home battery energy storage systems.

When California Housing Regulators Beef With Voters, Who Wins?

07/24/2024

What happens when voters take to the ballot to thumb their nose at state housing law? Courts haven’t offered a clear answer.

California Forever abandons ballot measure in face of growing opposition, looks to 2026

07/24/2024

California Forever’s announcement July 22 that it has decided to pull a ballot measure that would have let voters decide on a controversial planned city in rural Solano County drew swift reaction from political leaders and opponents.

Featured

Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
The Public Shore Protectors
Born amid controversy, this public agency is responsible for managing some of the most precious real estate in the world.
Thousands of homeowners have been kicked off their fire insurance policies.
California Fire Insurance Crisis: How the State Helps Homeowners
The state tries persuading insurance companies to cover homes in fire zones.
Owning homes is the primary way the middle class builds wealth, and an option no longer available to most Californians.
Is California’s Housing Crisis Making Inequality Worse?
California has some of the worst economic inequality in the United States. Is housing a cause? Could it be a cure?
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
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