Commercial real estate agent Maybelle Manio is one of many middle-class Californians who found themselves financially stranded by the pandemic. The 42-year-old commercial real estate agent turned to public support for the first time in her life.
COVID Economy
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Child care in California hasn’t rebounded — why many workers aren’t coming back
California’s child care workforce is still 10% smaller than it was before the pandemic, as low wages contribute to acute staffing shortages.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The criminalization of car homelessness? How oversized vehicle ordinance could affect Santa Cruz’s unhoused
With a vote of 5-2 last week, the Santa Cruz City Council approved an oversized vehicle ordinance in its first reading, with a second reading yet unscheduled. Opponents to the ordinance, both local activists and legal experts, say it criminalizes homelessness, and could lead to greater issues for the city in addressing the unhoused.
Posted inHousing & Development
‘It’s infuriating’: Why Santa Cruz’s earliest ADU adopters are asking where to find their perks
The original restrictions faced by those who built ADUs when they became legal in 1986 — such as owner occupancy for renting them out, parking and setbacks — are no longer in order for today’s owners taking advantage. So why haven’t the terms been updated for those ADU pioneers?
Posted inCoast Life
‘A lot of full-cash offers right now’: Seabright ‘tiny home’ fetches a cool $1M amid multiple offers
After only four days on the market, a 328-square-foot home in Seabright sold for over $1 million, following five competitive offers and a packed open-house weekend. According to listing agent Walter Stauss, who’s sold homes in the area for nearly 25 years, it’s a sign of the demand vastly outpacing the supply: “There’s a huge pressure on the inventory.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Long time no see: Santa Cruz County’s international residents welcome loosening of travel restrictions
The U.S. State Department announced earlier this month that international travelers who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will be eligible to enter the United States beginning Nov. 8. Locals who have family abroad are breathing a sigh of relief.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
California’s job growth took a hit as the Delta variant spread
California’s job growth slowed last month and its unemployment rate remained high as the state struggled to recover economic momentum.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
County workers protest working conditions, say they are on the edge of a strike
Saying their concerns about working conditions and pay have not been taken seriously, unionized workers presented a petition Tuesday to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors urging them to take action. Leaders say many members are ready to strike immediately.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Post-pandemic California: Comeback or decline?
Is California making a big comeback from pandemic, as Gov. Gavin Newsom insists, or is it facing decline? New studies frame the issue.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Port backlogs sum up California’s COVID crisis
New Leaf Community Markets brand manager Lindsay Gizdich said the store is moving from Pacific Avenue in order to have…