Santa Cruz County Housing Digest

An update of the continuing soil impacts of the CZU Fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles County communities have destroyed at least 10,000 homes so far and more are in the path of still-uncontrolled flames.

A deadline for resolution of the issue of mobile homes encroaching on the path of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line is approaching. Read on the get the details about what's being done to solve the issue and determine who's responsible for next steps.

Read on to learn about the measures taken to harden and protect the lone remaining house of the neighborhoodfrom the Pacific Palisades fire in Southern California.

Following the devastation to the Santa Cruz Harbor on December 23, questions are raised about what's next for the 50 people who live on their boats. Read on to learn more.

Tenant advocates suffered a big defeat this fall when California voters decided against expanding cities’ ability to limit rent increases. But a state law set to take effect Jan. 1 will give renters facing eviction a little more breathing room.

California officials continued to fight with cities that don’t want to build more housing and everyone struggled to find more money to pay for new housing.

Plans for the proposed Clocktower Center in Santa Cruz have been updated and reduced in size. Read on to learn why critics say it still doesn't address concerns.

There’s no law requiring California property owners to carry insurance, but the vast majority buy it to protect themselves from fire and other perils, or are required to do so by their mortgage lenders.

Encroachments on rail trail segments 10 and 11 in Live Oak and Capitola by two mobile home parks have led to a requirement to move over 40 mobile homes by June 2025. Read on to learn more.

With $111 million in state funding secured, construction can begin on the Downtown Branch Library project. Read on to learn more about the coming eight-story library, parking, commercial and housing complex.

Read on for the complicated story of a state-approved development of affordable housing in Scotts Valley which will require the demolition of a 40-year 42,000 square foot high-tech office building against the wishes of city officials.

Gov. Newsom launched an ambitious program that uses Medi-Cal to help Californians access housing, healthy food and more. Now, its fate is in the hands of President-Elect Trump.

In their meeting on December 10, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors voted to end a third-party contract for rebuild permitting of CZU wildfire destroyed housing and bring the work in-house. Read on about concerns about how already overtaxed planning staff will handle the additional workload.

In its December 10 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors moved forward with housing rules intended to make it easier to build multiple units on single-family zoned lots. Get the details behind the new rules and the state law behind them.

The Public Policy Institute of California, a think tank that conducts vigorous and objective research into vital state issues, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a series of retrospective reports.

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

Learn more about updates to ADU regulations bringing the City of Santa Cruz into alignment with recent changes to state law.

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.

In their November 4 meeting, the Cabrillo College Board of Trustees selected a developer for a massive 624-bed on-campus housing project. Read on to learn more about the project and the partnership with UCSC.

A forty-acre site on Graham Hill Road is being proposed for development of 161 homes to include 20% affordable units to fall under the so-called "builders remedy."

Jondi Gumz summarizes the surge in affordable housing development on Soquel Drive.

In their October 24 meeting, the Watsonville City Council approved two affordable housing developments on Airport Road and Evan Circle.

A report on the Santa Cruz City Council meeting of October 24 and the decisions made in advancing the Downtown Expansion Plan for the 29-acre neighborhood south of Laurel Street.

The developer of the controversial Clocktower Center high-rise has submitted revised plans featuring a scaled down design.

At an October 17 meeting at the Silver Spur on Soquel Drive, local residents heard about plans to develop the property into a senior assisted-living and memory care facility.

The City of Santa Cruz has responded to a recent civil grand jury report noting a lack in tracking residency in affordable housing.

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.

A report on an October 10 community meeting held to discuss an affordable housing development planned for Soquel Drive and Thurber Lane in unincorporated Santa Cruz County.

Up to 189 units of housing is proposed for the site of the beloved diner on Soquel Drive.

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.

Learn more about a project to develop 289 units of affordable housing at Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue in Santa Cruz County.