Santa Cruz County Housing Digest

In their September 25 meeting, the Santa Cruz City Council approved an ordinance capping rent increases at the St. George Hotel and other local city-assisted housing.

In their September 24 meeting, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved a subcommittee to examine the increasing number of housing units not occupied by the owner, purchased for the purpose of short term rentals.

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.

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.

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

One September 17, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the start of construction of a 120 unit supportive housing development in the Harvey West neighborhood in Santa Cruz.

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.

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.

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!”

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

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.

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

A Housing Matters hosted meeting held on August 27 at the Capitola Branch Library covered how the nonprofit sees the effects of criminalization of homelessness.

Mayor Fred Keeley details the City of Santa Cruz strategic response to homelessness.

Santa Cruz developer Workbench has submitted an application for a mixed use development for 1024 Soquel Avenue.

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

The Santa Cruz Planning and Community Development Department hosted an online meeting to present and discuss potential changes to policies regulating accessory dwelling units on August 15.

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

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

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.

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.

Following a public hearing on August 7, a 38-unit three-story all-affordable development was approved for Almar Avenue in Santa Cruz despite neighbor concerns.

The City of Santa Cruz will be hosting an online meeting to go over current Accessory Dwelling Unit policies and processes and solicit feedback on possible amendments on Thursday August 15 from 5:30-7PM.

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

The developer of a proposed mixed-use complex on West Cliff Drive and Bay Street announced they have ceased work on the project after years of planning, appeals to the California Coastal Commission and a neighborhood association lawsuit.

The developer of a proposed 16-story mixed-use project in Santa Cruz has scaled it down to a maximum of 8 stories due to financial and design constraints.

A housing forum hosted by Lookout Local in Santa Cruz brought a diversity of viewpoints together on July 31.

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.

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’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.

On July 22, California Forever announced it was withdrawing its initiative to amend the Solano County General Plan off the November ballot and would instead begin working with the county through the normal, though less expeditious, process.

A housing project at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Soquel is under discussion between church officials and a group of low-income housing developers.