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To the editor:
Measure O proponents claim to support affordable housing, but facts say otherwise.
First, O will kill 124 permanently affordable homes already approved for construction with the new library in downtown Santa Cruz.
Second, according to Keyser Marston Associates, housing experts with decades of experience, O will actually shrink the potential for any more affordable housing projects in downtown by unreasonably restricting all required parking to a single ground-floor level.
Third, of the eight existing parking lots O identifies for affordable housing, KMA’s rigorous analysis concludes only three can be feasibly developed for affordable housing. Those other five sites will just remain ugly, underutilized surface parking lots for cars.
Many hard-working people are suffering because there is not enough affordable housing in Santa Cruz. With three strikes against it, Measure O is clearly out. Vote no on O and help real people get real homes right now.
Mark Mesiti-Miller, engineer
Santa Cruz