The new federal housing law does a lot of little things. Supporters hope it will put a dent in both California and the nation’s housing shortage.
Housing & Development
Posted inEducation
UC Santa Cruz expands undergraduate housing guarantee to two years starting this fall
UC Santa Cruz will begin offering two years of guaranteed housing to its new undergraduate students starting this fall.
Posted inFood & Drink
Santa Cruz’s Homeless Garden Project takes major step toward buying longtime farm
Homeless Garden Project is one step closer to owning its longtime Natural Bridges Farm after years of regulatory hurdles, with a key zoning decision this week that, if approved, would clear the way for the nonprofit to purchase the 4-acre property and begin construction on a permanent home as early as 2027.
Posted inHousing & Development
Live Oak Landing opens months after slated, set to offer interim housing and pathways to permanent housing
Housing Matters announced that its $5 million Live Oak Landing interim housing program was officially open and would be welcoming participants immediately, stating that construction finished months ago but there had been final permitting and occupancy approval delays. Advocates are hopeful that the project can help take people off the streets, but also expressed frustrations over the lack of transparency with its delayed opening.
Posted inHousing & Development
Between a lot and a high place: With two apartment buildings rising on either side, a car dealer watches the neighborhood change around him
A couple of hundred new tenants will be moving in next door, but is that good or bad for a used-car business?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Judge shoots down Trump’s homeless funding shift: ‘The hallmark of unreasoned decision making’
In a legal victory for California, a federal judge rejected President Donald Trump’s efforts to funnel money away from permanent homeless housing.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz County eased rules for ‘granny flats’ – so why did construction plummet by half?
Santa Cruz County homeowners embraced backyard cottages after state and local reforms made accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, far easier to build, but that boom is already fading. Rising construction costs, high interest rates and other economic headwinds have sharply slowed new ADU projects, making it harder for the county to meet its housing goals.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Should coastal commission get more power over rebuilding after wildfire? Some lawmakers say yes
A new proposal considers giving the powerful California Coastal Commission more oversight over homes destroyed by natural disasters.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz County shares 911 and libraries. Why not housing?
Santa Cruz County is losing its young families with children — and local activist Kevin Norton says our fractured, agency-by-agency approach to housing is why. Here, he offers up a new, collaborative approach to housing that he thinks will help families, teachers, first responders and others stay in our community. He believes we need to follow Orange County and the San Gabriel Valley and create a “joint powers housing trust” that allows cities, agencies and the county to work together – and reduces the bureaucracy of applying for low-income housing. We coordinate for book lending and emergency services, he argues. Why not housing?
Posted inHousing & Development
Tech billionaires hire Democratic dealmakers in renewed push to build a Bay Area city
Following years of local resistance, tech billionaires are turning to the state to fast-track their plan to build a new city in the Bay Area. They are lobbying for legislation to expedite environmental review of their project, enlisting political heavyweights to make their case.
