Hello there! It is Thursday, July 23, and sunny skies look to be the order of the day for Santa Cruz County (after some patchy morning fog), with highs reaching the mid-80s in the mountains, upper 70s at our beaches.
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The Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area is once again the nation’s least affordable for renters, with Max Chun reporting that it’s the fourth year in a row we’ve taken the dubious honor in an annual report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition. A full-time worker in Santa Cruz County now needs to earn $81.04 an hour – the equivalent of five jobs for a resident making minimum wage – to afford a decent, non-luxury rental home without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
For the first time in its history, the Cabrillo College faculty union declared an impasse this week amid its contract negotiations with the school’s administration, Hillary Ojeda reports. Disagreement over a cost-of-living pay increase is at the center of the impasse.
Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” is a must-see centerpiece of the summer season, Jana Marcus writes in her latest theater review. Paul Mullins masterfully directs Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy, pairing exceptional performances with vivid stagecraft.
There’s more on housing affordability in Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, with Santa Cruz Works founder Doug Erickson explaining why developers of new market-rate housing aren’t the villains they’re often made out to be, and why affordable and market-rate homes play different but complementary roles.
To the headlines …
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Lookout is contributing 10% of membership purchases or upgrades to United Way Santa Cruz County’s Stuff the Bus school supply drive, which provides backpacks full of supplies for local students experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity and other hardships. More than 2,800 local students experienced homelessness during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Santa Cruz County Office of Education.
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The unwanted top spot: Santa Cruz County remains most expensive rental market
Santa Cruz County is in first place — but not in a good way. It has once again been named the country’s most expensive rental market, marking four years in a row that it has claimed the top spot. Max Chun has the story.
Cabrillo College faculty union declares impasse amid negotiations with administration
The Cabrillo College faculty union, which represents more than 450 members, declared an impasse amid its negotiations with the school’s administration this week. Faculty say they’re asking for a higher cost-of-living increase. Get the details from Hillary Ojeda.
DAILY DIGEST
Is there more coming from Lookout on Thursday? You know it – among what’s still on tap is your cheat sheet to eating well and going out around Santa Cruz County in the form of Weekender, one of the many free newsletters and breaking news alerts you can sign up for here. Breaking news notifications are just one feature of the Lookout Santa Cruz app, now available for download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store and a great way to get all our local coverage, games and more right on your handy smartphone. Don’t forget the social media piece – come find Lookout on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram and/or Threads.
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May your Thursday be a good one – thanks for reading!
Will McCahill