The pressure on would-be buyers is only increasing, with 33 to 50% of the homes on the market attracting all-cash offers.
COVID Economy
Posted inPolitics & Policy
A tale of two recoveries: Rebuilding frustrates CZU families; officials say they’re ahead of the curve
With building costs up 20-30% from pre-pandemic levels, red tape, updated building codes, construction price hyperinflation and the recurring nightmare of personal loss have combined to stymie efforts to get Santa Cruz County residents back into houses in areas devastated by the 2020 CZU blaze.
Posted inEducation
The collapse of community college enrollment: Can California turn it around?
Despite sinking overall enrollment, some community colleges in California are seeing more students come back. Targeted state aid is likely helping, but so is more in-person instruction.
Posted inCity Life
Wallace Baine: What’s up with the MAH? Layoffs highlight uncertainty of this post-pandemic period
News that the Museum of Art & History laid off three full-time staffers earlier this month raises larger questions about how solid the footing is for Santa Cruz County’s most prominent arts organization, Wallace Baine writes.
Posted inCity Life
Fade to black? Revival of Santa Cruz’s beloved Nick could be a fantasy
Streaming and COVID-19 have dealt a double blow to the pastime of in-person moviegoing, and the half-century-old Nickelodeon looks like a casualty.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Facebook company ends its free laundry perk, and at least one worker is steamed
As Meta prepares for its return to office, one anonymous employee outlines their discontent over the loss of some on-campus perks.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
‘People are waiting — they don’t have their money’: How long are Californians waiting for rent relief?
A new study says that California has sent rent relief to only 16% of applicants, who are waiting months. The state disputes the analysis, but according to its figures, only 41% of applicants have been paid.
Posted inCoast Life
Here’s what putting a number on homelessness looked like, from Santa Cruz to Watsonville & beyond
As Santa Cruz County attempted to put a number to its homeless population for the first time since 2019 early Monday morning with the biennial “point-in-time” count, Lookout’s team of journalists embarked on ride-alongs with some of those involved with the enumeration. The number of people visible to count was surprising to many involved.
Posted inCoast Life
Unhoused Santa Cruz: A ‘proper place’ for the homeless? Push to spread the burden stirs NIMBY backlash
Neighborhoods are receiving little advance information about newly streamlined projects, as the state of California and the county of Santa Cruz move to rapidly build new housing. As Project Homekey-funded projects pop up around the county, we see pushback in Soquel, and maybe more widely. Lookout takes a closer look at the community whiplash and the likely growing pains ahead.
Posted inCOVID 2022
COVID-19 updates in Santa Cruz County: Infections, hospitalizations, deaths and demographic data
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…