The city of Santa Cruz needs more taxes to support affordable housing, writes James Weller, a local housing advocate. A proposed 2024 ballot measure is under discussion by a citizens committee and in recent polls 63% preferred equally either a parcel tax or an assessed-value tax-rate increase. That leaves Weller optimistic. Anyone can join in the planning process over the next month; Weller invites Santa Cruz residents to participate.
James Weller
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Toward a March 2024 housing bond measure in Santa Cruz
James Weller, a local housing advocate, thinks he has an answer to our community’s most vexing issue, the fact that most of us cannot afford to pay the exorbitant cost of housing. The state has mandated Santa Cruz County build more, Weller writes, but developers won’t build unless they can make a profit by charging high rents. “But what if we had a public subsidization fund so we could pay developers some fraction of their marginal cost per unit” so that more units could be low-rent dwellings, he asks.”Maybe we could pay them enough to make a profit on the deal.”