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Santa Cruz County Housing Digest



California Senate Bill 1395 " Interim Housing Act " Advances

03/21/2024

Legislation would fast-track approval for temporary or relocatable housing on vacant land when local shelter emergencies arise.

City of Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley on Affordable Housing

03/09/2024

Mayor Keeley speaks to the priority of building more affordable housing in Santa Cruz, touting the 320 units in progress downtown and the units built on River Street and in progress in Harvey West.

Rio Del Mar Beach Island Homeowners Association Blocks Beach Path

03/08/2024

The HOA responded to the 2023 California Coastal Commission fine of $4.7M for blocking beach access by ... erecting a chain link fence to better block beach access.

Groups Oppose Santa Cruz Oversized Vehicle Parking Ban

03/08/2024

Santa Cruz Cares and American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California are among those seeking to overturn Santa Cruz Planning Commission approval in February of the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance.

Large Redwood on Walnut Avenue in Santa Cruz Removed

03/07/2024

A crew from Lewis Tree Service removed the large redwood, which was causing extensive damage to the sidewalk and was threatening an adjacent apartment building.

New Website Features Information on Care of Backyard Chickens, Sheep, Goats

03/07/2024

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources advisors has published a new website with information resources for small acreage landowners raising livestock.

Santa Cruz Measures M Falling Short, Measure L Likely to Pass

03/05/2024

The Measure M initiative to make zoning and general plan changes in Santa Cruz and raise the affordable housing inclusionary rate in the city is unlikely to pass, while the Measure L sales tax increase seemed headed for approval.

UCSC Camper Park Students Told They Can Stay Through the End of Academic Year

03/05/2024

41 students who live in a trailer park on campus were told that they had to move out by the end of March because of safety concerns have now been informed they can stay, so long as they unhook their propane tanks.

Guide to the California Senate Candidates' Views of Housing and Homelessness

02/26/2024

No issue matters more to Californians than housing and homelessness. Catch up on where the major Senate candidates stand on the subject.

Robocalls, Ringless Voicemails and AI: Real Estate Enters the Age of Automation

02/13/2024

As agents hunt for business in Southern California's slow real estate market, some are trying out new ways of tracking down leads. Others are quitting the industry.

How Much Can Your Rent Go Up in California? Check This Website

02/07/2024

California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced consumer tools to help tenants and landlords understand how much rent can rise under a state law.

Los Angeles’ One Weird Trick to Build Affordable Housing at No Public Cost

02/06/2024

The term “unsubsidized 100% affordable project” was once an oxymoron. Under Mayor Karen Bass, Los Angeles is now approving them by the hundreds.

Is Housing Health Care? State Medicaid Programs Increasingly Say ‘Yes’

02/05/2024

States are plowing billions of dollars into a high-stakes health care experiment that’s exploding around the country: using scarce public health insurance money to provide housing for the poorest and sickest Americans.

Approaching Bay Area Deadline a ‘Test Case’ for California’s Housing Crisis

01/24/2024

On Jan. 31, dozens of cities and counties are expected to convert thousands of suburban-style tracts into apartment-ready parcels. Will the state hold them to it?

Down Payment Assistance for First-Time California Homebuyers Relaunches with New Lottery

01/18/2024

State officials hope a lottery and an emphasis on first-generation homebuyers will make California’s most generous down payment assistance program more equitable.

Repairing Sidewalks Can Cost Property Owners Big in California

01/04/2024

California state law dictates that property owners are responsible for repairing damaged sidewalks. In Sacramento, this has left some owners facing bills of thousands of dollars or tax assessments from the city.

Nursing Homes Must Inform Patients of Reasons for Forced Discharge

12/31/2023

New law is meant to help nursing home residents understand the reasons for their discharge, and inform them of their rights to appeal.

Watsonville Draft Housing Element Available for Public Review

12/27/2023

A draft of the city’s housing plans for the next eight years, which includes the construction of 2,053 new units, is available for the public to view at the Watsonville Public Library, Old City Hall and online.

Santa Cruz Metro Lands $2M for Watsonville Hub Revamp

12/27/2023

Santa Cruz Metro has been awarded a $2 million grant to boost affordable housing at one of its four transit centers in Santa Cruz County.

PG&E Equipment Shortages Leave Hundreds of Housing Units on Hold

12/25/2023

In downtown Oakland, a new 19-story apartment tower with 236 units could be left sitting vacant because of a shortage of components required to connect the building to the electrical grid.

They Lived in Their Home Almost 30 Years. But California’s ‘No Fault’ Eviction Law May Now Leave Them Homeless

12/25/2023

María Vela’s family has lived in East L.A. nearly 30 years, but new owners of her duplex asked her family to vacate by Christmas. Most evictions are due to nonpayment of rent, but owner move-ins also cause family displacement.

Domestic Violence Shelters Play a Key Role in Fighting Homelessness. Now They Face Deep Funding Cuts

12/19/2023

Federal funding for domestic violence shelters and housing programs is declining. Advocates want the state to step in, but with a record projected deficit new spending is unlikely.

Unhoused Veterans Score Legal Victory in Suit Against VA

12/14/2023

Federal judge David O. Carter has declined to dismiss a lawsuit that could force the Veterans Administration to house veterans experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area. Carter’s 41-page ruling could pave the way for a trial in mid-2024.

Former South LA Oil Drilling Site Could Become Affordable Housing

12/11/2023

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust recently paid almost $10 million for a 1.86-acre site formerly used for oil drilling. It could be converted into a community center, park and affordable housing.

Group Emerges to Counter Housing for People Citizen Initiative

12/08/2023

A group called Affordable Housing Advocates Santa Cruz has emerged to counter the ballot measure known as the Housing for People Citizen Initiative, which qualified at the end of November to be placed on the city of Santa Cruz March 2024 ballot.

Coyotes More Likely To Turn Up at Wealthier Properties in San Francisco

12/08/2023

A coyote recently was found at the $27 million Russian Hill home of AI mogul Sam Altman. This relates to a study, which found that coyote sightings were more frequent in higher-income areas of San Francisco.

Thousands of Migrant Farmworker Apartments Sit Vacant for Months

12/07/2023

Even though California is facing a crippling housing shortage, one potential source remains untapped. The state allows thousands of apartments used for part of the year by farmworkers to otherwise sit vacant for three to six months.

State Might Soon Require Replacing Broken A/C Units

12/06/2023

California energy regulators are considering requiring homeowners to replace broken air-conditioning systems with heat pumps or HVAC systems that are more energy efficient. The change would go into effect in 2026.

Planning Commission Denies Appeal for ‘Peace Village’

12/01/2023

The proposed “Peace Village” project—a 40-unit apartment building on the campus of Peace United Church of Christ at 900 High St. in Santa Cruz—will move forward after the Santa Cruz Planning Commission denied an appeal of the project.

How San Diego Hacked State Housing Law to Build ADU ‘Apartment Buildings’

11/27/2023

A 2021 state law has radically changed the housing equation in San Diego. Advocates, developers, and policymakers are split on whether it should be exported to other jurisdictions.

Road Atlas

11/22/2023

I’m part of a band of humans who call themselves nomads, except I’m a part-time digital nomad. The “part-time” is because I still have a house — a sticks-and-bricks, as the nomads call it.

San Lorenzo Valley Veterans Housing Site Set to Double

11/17/2023

Some two years after plans to convert a San Lorenzo Valley motel into affordable veteran housing were announced, the property's new owners say they expect the Highway 9 site’s capacity to nearly double in size by the end of 2024.

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