OPINION: Public health data show that Santa Cruz County leads the Bay Area in rates of serious psychological distress and need for mental health or substance-use services. Mental health advocate Kevin Norton believes the real culprit isn’t our lifestyle — it’s our housing costs.
Housing & Development
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Yes on C: We are Santa Cruz faith leaders and we choose now to act for our neighbors
OPINION: A coalition of Santa Cruz faith leaders is urging a “yes” vote on Measure C, calling affordable housing a moral and spiritual duty and citing rabbis, the pope, Buddhist tradition and Jesus’ teachings.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz City Council is making real progress on accountability in affordable housing
OPINION: The Santa Cruz City Council’s move toward ensuring that local workers and residents get priority for affordable housing marks a major step in community trust, writes Bruce Van Allen, former mayor and a longtime housing advocate. The resolution aligns with Measure C, which he now supports.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Justin Cummings: Yes on Santa Cruz’s Measure C – we need solutions for affordable housing
Santa Cruz has become the most expensive rental market in the U.S, and the market alone won’t fix it, argues county supervisor and former mayor Justin Cummings. Measure C creates a reliable local fund through a modest parcel tax and a luxury home transfer tax to build affordable housing.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Yes on Santa Cruz’s Measure C: Let’s not let the perfect be the enemy of the good
OPINION: Measure C might not be perfect, but it will create needed affordable housing in Santa Cruz, writes former Santa Cruz mayor and housing advocate Don Lane. He refutes a recent op-ed by resident Keven Cook questioning loopholes in the measure and encourages the community to support it.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
This week in Santa Cruz County business: Capitola Mall redevelopment inches forward; Driscoll’s pledges $5M for new campus farm store in SLO
The Capitola Mall’s future as a housing development is on the agenda for the city’s planning commission this week, Driscoll’s invests at Cal Poly and a commercial crabbing delay are all in focus in Jessica M. Pasko’s weekly survey of Santa Cruz County business.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Will Measure C make a difference?
OPINION: After Lookout’s editorial board requested more transparency about how Santa Cruz has used its limited funds for affordable housing and prevention of homelessness, Yes on Measure C campaign volunteer Andrew Goldenkranz responds with a deeper dive into funding and results.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In the Public Interest: Decision day looms for Santa Cruz’s dueling affordable housing ballot measures
This week’s newsletter covering Santa Cruz County politics and policy highlights the stretch run for Measures B and C in the city of Santa Cruz, what’s on agendas for local city councils and commissions and other stories you might have missed.
Posted inHousing & Development
County planning commission approves Workbench project on Capitola Road; neighbors plan appeal
The Santa Cruz County Planning Commission unanimously approved a contentious housing project in Live Oak. The project, a 57-unit apartment complex on 841 Capitola Rd., is led by local development and architecture firm Workbench.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
I support Measure C, and I’d like to share with you why
OPINION: Seniors on fixed incomes and hardworking essential workers desperately need affordable housing in Santa Cruz, writes Elaine Johnson of nonprofit Housing Santa Cruz County. Johnson argues that Measure C is a balanced approach that will truly address the city’s housing affordability crisis.