February 2022 Newsletter
At our January meeting, we started the discussion on local initiatives that are currently gathering signatures: The Empty Homes Tax, and the Our Downtown Our Future Initiative. We listened, we asked questions, we voted, and here are the results:
We encourage signing the Empty Homes initiative and for those interested to get involved.
We recommend not signing the ODOF initiative. If you have signed the petition and wish to remove your name, you can fill out and mail or hand-deliver a form with the Santa Cruz City Clerk. Download the (PDF) form.
Our Next Monthly Meeting, February 10th @ 5:30pm
(This meeting will be remote: ZOOM link for the February Monthly Meeting)
Take Action
National Transit Equity Day 2022
Friday, February 4 - 1:30-5:00
Join us for a March and Rally for transportation justice in Santa Cruz County!
Educate. Agitate. Organize.
Robust Public Transportation is a Civil Right!
February 28th: Santa Cruz County
Point in Time Count
One of the few ways that we can determine how many homeless are in our community is the Point-in-Time (PIT) Count — an observational count of the county’s unhoused population. The last PIT count was done in 2019 - an updated count can make a difference in funding to address the growing need locally.
In Santa Cruz County, the PIT count will be on February 28, so there’s still time to volunteer to be part of a pod of 2 or 3 persons. The count takes place between 5 AM and 10 AM.
Drop an email to santacruzyimby@gmail.com if you would like to help the effort.
Other Events:
February 3 @ 9:00am - Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission meeting. The RTC will consider two agenda items - one on the potential for preservation of the Santa Cruz Branch Rail Line by railbanking, and one on the ballot measure regarding rail and trail. Join via Zoom
February 8 @ 6:30 (EST) John T. Dunlop Lecture: The Honorable Marcia L. Fudge, “Building the World We Want to See: What Do We Want Our Legacy to Be?” Tune in to this page at the noted start time to watch.
February 10 @ 5:30pm: Santa Cruz YIMBY Monthly Meeting. Zoom link here
February 15 @ 5:00 pm: YIMBY Action Public Comment Workshop YIMBY Action Staff will provide training on how to give public comment at city council, planning commission, or other public hearings. Public comments are a great opportunity for people to advocate for more housing. Register for Zoom here.
February 22: 1st Public Hearing on Proposed Santa Cruz City District Maps. The City Council will hold a public meeting at a regular meeting, seeking input on the draft map(s) and elections schedule. Learn more here.
Local Housing News
314 Jessie Street, Santa Cruz
MidPen’s 50-unit affordable, supportive housing project had some key steps forward in January. It was approved by the Zoning Administrator AND MidPen will compete for the state's No Place Like Home grant with the support of the Board of Supervisors. Great news!
Oversized Vehicle Ordinance (OVO) - Appealed
The ACLU NorCal is appealing the OVO and its associated Coastal Permit. Their appeal highlights the disproportionate impact it would have on marginalized groups, driving people of color, people with disabilities, and low-income people out of the City. Read their detailed and compelling appeal letter here (PDF download).
Santa Cruz Cares filed an appeal to the OVO that was approved by the Santa Cruz City Council in 2021. They argue that the ordinance focus is on criminalizing those living in vehicles rather than serving them. Learn more about their appeal here.
Watch for these appeals to appear before the city Planning Commission as early as March 17th.
ACLU NorCal challenges Santa Cruz RV-parking ban (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Santa Cruz community group calls for removal of oversized vehicle ordinance (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
In search of Santa Cruz driveways: Startup links those living in vans with safe parking option (Santa Cruz Sentinel)
130 Center Street, Santa Cruz - Appeal Denied
130 Center St. would bring 233 homes, including 35 very-low income homes, to an area south of Laurel Street. The project, with student-oriented units, is close to transit. On January 26th, the Santa Cruz City Council denied the appeal. Notable at the meeting were the local students who showed massive support through oral and written comment - including The Student Housing Coalition.
Student housing advocates raise their voice, and city council passes 130 Center Street rather than delay it. (Lookout Santa Cruz)
More on Student Housing:
Student Housing Crisis Offers Hard Lessons for US Colleges (Bloomberg City Lab)
UC Accountability Report - Student Homelessness
Other Local Housing News
Pacific Station North, Santa Cruz: City Awarded $29.6M in Funding for Pacific Station North
Award Aims to Promote Dense Transit-Oriented Development, Lower Housing-Related Carbon Emissions
801 River Street, Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz County to apply for first Project Homekey grant
Downtown Santa Cruz Mixed-Use Library - The Our Downtown, Our Future initiative would KILL the Downtown Santa Cruz Mixed-Use Library project, including 125 affordable homes. Community led initiative and Library Mixed-Use project could face off in November.
A student opinion on the Library Mixed-use Housing Project: Letter | 'Xenophobia' toward UCSC students for housing – Santa Cruz Sentinel
Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA)
On Wed, Jan 12, the AMBAG Board of Directors approved a draft Regional Housing Needs Allocation plan with some ambitious and impactful targets! This affects the cities and counties of Santa Cruz and Monterey. The main factors that affected the options were feedback from California Dept of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and increased efforts to affirmatively further fair housing. As a result, areas of “racially concentrated areas of affluence” and “high opportunity” were allocated more housing and each city and county got a higher proportion of very-low and low income housing units to plan for. See more about Housing Elements and scroll down to see the draft RHNA numbers here.
From MidPen Housing: Case Studies of Getting RHNA Done: Housing Element Best Practices
Can Santa Cruz County Build Hundreds of Mandated New Housing Units? | Good Times Santa Cruz
Estimated Fair Market Values of private properties in the United States ($ per hectare)
What We Are Reading
Check this out
An inspiring look at how to make density, or almost anything, look desirable. Imagining a Walkable America
Economics
The realities of inclusionary zoning policies: Why It's Wrong to Turn Down Half a Loaf of Affordable Housing
Tackling Racism in the Real Estate Industry: How lawyers and real estate agents are bridging housing inequity
Taxes to Finance Regional Transit Expansion: from Common Ground California Value Capture
How market rate housing actually does create affordable housing: City-wide effects of new housing supply: Evidence from moving chains
Housing Crisis? Don’t worry, it’s business as usual Something Has to Give in the Housing Market. Or Does It? (New York Times)
Jerusalem Demsas on Remote Work and the implications for Housing 3 ways remote work could remake America
Zoning
Walkability: Why is that so important? What Is Walkability? | Planetizen Planopedia
A different thought on upzoning: Upzone America's side streets.
Conor Dougherty on ADUs in LA It's Been a Home for Decades, but Legal Only a Few Months - The New York Times
Climate
Brookings on the Climate Impacts of Land Use and Housing Development Practices Housing growth in the Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington, DC metro areas shows why the US is failing at climate resilience
The complicated relationship between greenhouse gasses, housing, and equity: Greenbiz LA must tackle building decarbonization and affordable housing together
Adding to the list of COVID casualties, from Bloomberg City Lab: How the Pandemic Supercharged Sprawl
Homeless Issues
Is Homelessness really about drug use and mental illness? San Fransicko Is Incorrect About Housing Affordability and Homelessness
Matthew Yglesias Substack, Homelessness is about housing - Slow Boring
News From Elsewhere
Zoning Reform in New Zealand, from Brookings, New Zealand's bipartisan housing reforms offer a model to other countries
Washington State: upcoming zoning legislation 18 Reasons Why Washington Should Legalize Middle Housing - Sightline Institute
Random
Housing Drama in Oceanside Oceanside approves 8-story high-density project. Almost no one is happy about it - The San Diego Union-Tribune
Wondering What AOC is up to these days? Depends on who you ask.
AOC Is a YIMBY Now
AOC Is a Fake YIMBYFor Architecture and Engineering Geeks: Why skyscrapers are so short - Works in Progress
What We Are Streaming
“Filtering” too abstract? Try this: Video: Cruel Musical Chairs (or Why Is Rent So High?) - Sightline Institute
What Does Progressive Housing Policy Look Like? Webinar - Housing Action Coalition
Meet the Enforcers: HCD's New Housing Accountability Unit Webinar - California Department of Housing and Community Development
What’s Happening with ADUs and SB 9 from our YIMBY Colleague: SB9 Update - January 2022 News About SB 9