Quick Take
The Watsonville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve two new housing projects, on Evan Circle and Airport Road. The projects would develop a total of 18 new homes in Watsonville — 14 of which will be affordable housing.
The Watsonville City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve two new housing projects, on Airport Road and Evan Circle, that will include 14 new homes for lower-income households.
The housing development on Airport Road will create 13 affordable homes available for first-time homeowners with gross household incomes between 50% and 80% of the area median income for Santa Cruz County, depending on household size.
The project is led by Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay. It will include 11 three-bedroom, two-bathroom and two two-bedroom, one-bathroom semi-detached and detached homes. The homes will be built to be energy-efficient and with a universal design — every home will have one downstairs bedroom and bathroom that is wheelchair-accessible.
One home will be fully Americans With Disabilities Act–compliant, and another will be built with accessible features, but will not be fully compliant.
“We work with the families to make sure that when they’re on their own and paying that mortgage and having a home, that they’re set up for success,” said Catherine Stihler, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay. “And that’s what we want. We want our families to be as successful as possible.”
The Airport Road housing project is a great opportunity for the City of Watsonville, said Mayor Pro Tempore Maria Orozco. The project is located in the District 3 neighborhood, which Orozco represents.
The second housing project, on Evan Circle, just a street over from the Habitat for Humanity project, will create five new homes with five attached accessory dwelling units available for sale. Only one of the homes will be an affordable unit and will potentially be built by Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay, said Bill Kemp, architect for both housing projects.
Construction for the Airport Road project is projected for 2025. The Evan Circle development has no projected development date yet.
Santa Cruz County was named the most expensive rental market in the country earlier this year, surpassing the San Francisco metro area, made up of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin counties.
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.