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Santa Cruz County Housing Overview



California Local Pin Marker Get To Know A Group

This group founded in 2001 by local volunteers is dedicated to making Santa Cruz County a place where the needs of a diverse community can be met in a way that is “safe, affordable, convenient and sustainable for future generations.”

California Local Pin Marker Local Housing Digest

CZU Fire's Lasting Impacts

01/19/2025

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

As LA Fires Destroy Homes, California’s Housing Crisis Is About to Get Worse

01/16/2025

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.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Ballot Measure Aims to Build More Affordable Housing in Santa Cruz

Elaine Johnson, executive director of Housing Santa Cruz County, speaks at a Jan. 16 event for a campaign to fund affordable housing. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
SANTA CRUZ >> A signature-gathering effort kicked off Thursday to put a …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
6-Story Apartment Complex Approved on Water Street in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Planning Commissioners approved a six-story, 83-unit housing complex on the 900 block of Water Street in Santa Cruz. (Natalya Dreszer — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> The Santa Cruz Planning Commission on Jan. 9 unanimously approved …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Ups & Downs

The quaint little Santa Cruz we’ve known for decades has been booming in 2024, like no other time since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.It’s been a boom year for construction all over the county. It’s also been a boom for …

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Pajaro Floods Two Years Later: Many Still Waiting for Recovery Funds

In 2023, the California legislature approved Assembly Bill 102—the Budget Act of 2023—which among other things allocated $20 million to Monterey County to help Pajaro recover from the flooding that occurred after the levee breached and caused widespread flooding.

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Sibley Simon on Tackling Housing Challenges in Santa Cruz: Insights From Workbench’s Partner

On this episode of "Talk of the Bay", host Bodhi Shargell dives into housing issues in Santa Cruz with Sibley Simon, a local housing advocate, founder of New Way Homes, and a partner at Workbench. The conversation stems from Simon’s …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Scotts Valley Housing Updates: Town Center, Valley Gardens Golf Course and More

A proposal at 4444 Scotts Valley Drive includes a three-story, L-shaped building with 25 apartments. (BSB Design)
SCOTTS VALLEY >> Four housing projects in Scotts Valley could provide more than 500 new homes if they come to fruition.
The city …

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
Cabrillo College Housing Project Takes Shape

In a little less than a year, Cabrillo College will break ground on a sprawling, multi-story housing project on its Aptos campus, a development that will offer 624 beds for students attending both the college and UC Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Map: Rezones Could Boost Housing Development in Live Oak, Soquel

A property at 3500 Paul Sweet Road could be rezoned to allow multi-family housing. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
Santa Cruz County supervisors meeting

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Cabrillo College Housing Project Taking Shape

In a little less than a year, Cabrillo College will break ground on a sprawling, multi-story housing project on its Aptos campus, a development that will offer 624 beds for students attending both the college and UC Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Graham Hill Housing Proposal Faces Challenges, Ownership Lawsuit

A proposal to build 157 homes on Graham Hill Road near Rollingwoods Drive has several hurdles to clear. (Jesse Kathan — Santa Cruz Local)
SANTA CRUZ >> A controversial proposal for 157 new homes on Graham Hill Road faces an …

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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