The Santa Cruz City Council has approved a plan that moves the Homeless Garden Project to a permanent home on the upper meadows at Pogonip, near UCSC’s upper campus. The two-year process will seek public input and look into environmental impacts.
Housing
Posted inCOVID 2022
Eviction moratorium ends Thursday; what Santa Cruz County tenants need to know
California’s eviction moratorium — meant to protect renters during the COVID-19 pandemic and implemented amid increased unemployment — is set to expire Thursday. Throughout the county, advocates such as the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County are working to inform those at risk about their options before the deadline.
Posted inHousing & Development
Don’t be fooled: California’s new housing laws make significant changes to zoning
California’s urban areas must become more densely populated to provide enough affordable housing for 40 million-plus people, columnist George Skelton writes.
Posted inEducation
Housing at the forefront: UC regents to consider plan for a 44% increase in UCSC enrollment by 2040
The university’s governing board is expected to vote on a plan next week that would increase enrollment at UC Santa Cruz from about 19,000 to 28,000 — a 44% increase — by 2040. Opponents say UCSC’s commitment to house considerably more students, staff and faculty is unrealistic and will only make the region’s housing crunch worse.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Not my preferred way of living’: Where overnight RVs can be, and when, remains in city-discussion gridlock
With Delaware Avenue and Natural Bridges Drive the epicenter of vehicle abatement in Santa Cruz, local officials are working on an ordinance that would create a permitting process for those who want to sleep overnight in their oversized vehicles.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Why red-hot Boulder Creek & the 95006 are bucking expectations: Tech influx began with social, political unrest
Looking for refuge in the redwoods, many “people in Silicon Valley wanted to get out of the cities. I’ve been working here since 2004 … and this is the busiest year we’ve ever had,” said one local realtor. A closer look at how and why a fire-ravaged zone remains one of the county’s hottest real estate markets.
Posted inHousing & Development
California commits $500 million more to student housing: ‘A drop in the bucket’
Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature reached a deal that will provide $500 million toward affordable student housing this year and possibly up to $2 billion in future years. Experts say it’s “a drop in the bucket” compared to what’s needed.
Posted inHousing & Development
California risks forfeiting millions meant for struggling renters, auditor warns
Auditor Elaine Howle says delays in the rent relief program and uncertainty over federal rules raise concern that California won’t distribute $1.8 billion by Sept. 30.
Posted inHousing & Development
Santa Cruz median home price up again: How our real estate figures stack up with our neighbors
The median price of a single-family home in Santa Cruz County rose to $1,255,000 in August — just off the all-time high. We crunch the numbers to see how our real estate looks compared to Monterey County and our neighbors in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Proposed change to Santa Cruz mixed-use library plan exposes deep divides
On Monday, two groups sent a proposal to Santa Cruz City Council asking it to reevaluate spending $2.29 million on the library master architect contract. But some affordable housing advocates say the proposal will take away affordable units from downtown under the guise of more open space for Santa Cruzans.