Mission Hill Middle School student Gavin Roth argues that California’s housing crisis threatens his generation’s future and calls on Assemblymember Gail Pellerin to vote yes on SB 79, to legalize mid-rise apartments near transit hubs to cut emissions, fight sprawl and create affordable housing.
Housing & Development
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz City Council tosses appeal of 67-unit Mission Street housing development
The Santa Cruz City Council rejected an appeal of a six-story, 67-unit housing development planned for Mission Street on Tuesday. Neighbors originally appealed the student-focused project due to road safety concerns and inadequate loading areas along busy streets.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Why do UCSC students have the worst mental health in the UC system? Let’s start with housing
UC Santa Cruz students report the worst mental health in the UC system, citing stress, anxiety and housing insecurity. Activist Kevin Norton calls on UCSC to provide more on-campus housing, slow enrollment growth and establish stronger ties between students and the wider community.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County homeless services dealt double blow as MHCAN, Downtown Streets Team abruptly shutter
Santa Cruz’s homeless services network faces new uncertainty as the Mental Health Client Advocacy Network abruptly closed “until further notice” and Downtown Streets Team announced plans to shut down statewide this fall.
Posted inHousing & Development
Breakthrough on California housing could put taller buildings in single-family neighborhoods
A powerful California construction union is no longer fighting a bill that would ease barriers to the construction of tall apartment buildings near train and bus stations.
Posted inEducation
Joint Cabrillo-UCSC student housing project to finally break ground this month
Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz will break ground Sept. 29 on a long-planned, $111 million joint student housing and child care project at Cabrillo’s Aptos campus, marking the community college’s first-ever student housing.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Ribbon cut at La Bahia: Santa Cruz’s most opulent hotel set to welcome guests Sept. 8
After more than 40 years of planning and three years of construction, the La Bahia Hotel & Spa is set to officially open Sept. 8 on the Santa Cruz waterfront, bringing 155 rooms, two restaurants, a spa, rooftop pool and luxury amenities.
Posted inHousing & Development
With thousands of new housing units on horizon, Santa Cruz looks to tackle looming parking squeeze
A statewide prohibition on parking minimums has placed cities like Santa Cruz in a tough spot as it prepares to permit thousands of new housing units over the next five years. This means more cars but not necessarily more places to fit them. Local lawmakers are now pushing for a way to mitigate what they worry will be a parking squeeze.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In the Public Interest: The lost summer: City scrambles to make it up to Seabright businesses
Around Santa Cruz County politics and policy with Lookout correspondent Christopher Neely.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County housing picture ‘almost a buyer’s market’ as inventory, sales continue rising
Inventory and sales were up in both July over the previous month and over July 2024 as the busy summer for Santa Cruz County’s housing market continues. Realtors say the market is shifting more in favor of buyers, even if it hasn’t quite gotten there yet. They look ahead to the fall, which is typically slower, to better gauge the economy and see if the Federal Reserve makes any major moves.