April 2022 Newsletter
This month’s newsletter highlights actions that you, friends, neighbors and family can take to make a pro-housing difference. Let's go!
1. Get Ready to Vote in June
CA Assembly 28 Candidate Forum - Santa Cruz and South Bay YIMBY
Attend Our Candidate Forum
with Assembly District 28 Candidates
Wednesday, April 13 at 5:00 (Zoom)
Santa Cruz YIMBY and South Bay YIMBY are pleased to host the candidates for a discussion about housing for Assembly District 28, the seat vacated by Mark Stone. Please join us virtually on Wednesday, April 13 from 5-6pm for an hour of discussion with Gail Pellerin, Rob Rennie and Joe Thompson.
2. Talk Directly to Legislators About Housing
YIMBY Lobby Week
Be Part of YIMBY Lobby Week
Join us for this year’s (Virtual) Lobby Week, happening May 3rd-5th. You’ll get to talk directly with your legislators about housing! You and other YIMBYs will gather on the one day that your legislator is scheduled AND we will help you prepare.
As a pro-housing constituent, your voice is crucial in helping your legislators decide whether or not to vote for housing. They want to hear from you! Sign up to meet with your representatives and tell them why housing is important to you.
3. Support Housing Projects in the County
These two housing projects will bring much needed affordable housing to our community. They also have vocal NIMBY opposition. Click each picture to say Yes to Housing, Yes to People!
Yes to Supportive Housing at 2838 Park Ave
Yes to Downtown Library Mixed-Use Project
4. Do a Little More
Jon Wizard for AD 30
Santa Cruz YIMBY - Opposed to Measure D
Empty Homes Tax
Sat, April 23rd - Santa Cruz YIMBY canvass for Jon Wizard - meet at Aptos Village Plaza at 1pm.
Sign up with No Way Greenway to help defeat Measure D.
Sign up with Empty Homes Tax to help get it on the ballot
Featured Event: Thursday, April 7, 6:30 - 8:00 PM
Fighting for Housing in America: Conor Dougherty, author of Golden Gates, in conversation with Jonathan Franzen. Santa Cruz Public Library, Downtown Branch, 224 Church St, Santa Cruz, or attend online. TICKETS HERE
Upcoming Events:
April 13 @ 6:00pm - Candidate forum for Assembly District 28, co-hosted by Santa Cruz YIMBY and South Bay YIMBY Zoom info here.
April 23 @ 1:00pm - Santa Cruz YIMBY Canvass for Jon Wizard in Aptos. Let's connect with voters in Santa Cruz County so they know about Jon Wizard running for a seat in the Assembly. There will be training before and socializing after! Meet at Aptos Village Plaza. Sign up here.
April 28 @ 6:00pm - From Courtrooms to Bedrooms: An overview of California Housing Law Santa Cruz YIMBY is pleased to have experts from the law firm of Zacks, Freedman & Patterson join us for a presentation on California Housing Laws. . Zoom info here.
Other Upcoming Events:
April 4 @ 6:00pm - Community Meeting for 1811/1815 Mission St. This is a three story SRO project with 27 planned homes. More info here.
April 12 @ 6:00pm - Bringing Social Housing to California Learn about Asm. Alex Lee's AB2053, the Social Housing Act. Zoom info here.
April 13 @ 6:00pm - AMBAG Board of Directors Meeting. The Board of Directors will consider approving the final RHNA methodology which leads to the release of (draft) RHNA plan. More info here.
April 13 @ 6:00pm - Community Meeting for 530 Front St. More info here.
Santa Cruz County Sustainability Update Community Meetings:
April 5 @ 6:30pm - Transportation Community Meeting
April 12 @ 6:30pm - Agriculture, Environmental Resources & Public Facilities Community Meeting
April 20 @ 6:30pm - Code Modernization and Map Amendments Community Meeting
We always enjoy Alfred Twu's Housing Legislative Highlights!
What We Are Reading
Handy list of current projects in the County
Local CEQA Debate Heats Up: it’s about student housing.
The San Jose Mercury News discusses housing realities at UC Berkeley, some of the same challenges faced by UCSC students: Long commutes, multiple roommates and friends' couches: how UC Berkeley students live
Here are a couple of explanations and some ideas of how to move forward to fix the problem of CEQA:.
'The law that swallowed California': Why the much-derided CEQA is so hard to change (LA Times)
Ezra Klein looks at CEQA and NEPA in light of Berkeley “environmentalists” v. UCB. Government Is Flailing, in Part Because Liberals Hobbled It - The New York Times
Land Use
Land Value Tax is a little known but increasingly discussed way to solve the lack of housing. Jerusalem Demsas explains what it is. A change to America's tax code could fix the housing crisis - Vox
Is it better to build market housing that will filter down to lower income people, or to protect existing tenants? Should the Bay Area build new housing or protect existing tenants? Data shows neither is good enough (SF Chronicle)
Construction Technology
Concrete has been identified as the least green building material there is, so it comes as a big surprise that concrete could be a “green” building material... 'Self-healing' concrete substitute sucks carbon out of the air | Construction Div
What We Are Streaming
It’s an hour, and it’s wonky, but it’s packed with info on what the enforcement capabilities are at HCD. State Housing Law Accountability and Enforcement: HCD's Housing Accountability Unit | SPUR
New Law Allows Housing Construction On BART Property As Of July 1 (YouTube - KPIX CBS SF Bay Area)
Political Representation and Housing Supply with Michael Hankinson How a shift from at-large to district-based elections has led to increased political representation but also declining housing production in affected cities (UCLA Housing Voice Podcast)