January 2023 Newsletter

Written By Janine Roeth

🥂 Happy New Year 🥂
from Santa Cruz YIMBY!  

We wish you and yours the best for the year ahead.

2022: It Was a Great Year

We can't resist doing one last look back to 2022 and our YIMBY housing accomplishments:

Legislative Wins:  It was a major housing year in CA legislation. Our friends at YIMBY Action highlighted some of the best (Instagram, Part 1 and Part 2):

  • AB2011 (Wicks): Fewer Strip Malls, More Homes

  • AB2097 (Friedman): Fewer Cars, More Homes

  • SB6 (Caballero): More Homes in Commercial Zones

  • SB886 (Wiener): More Homes for Students

  • AB2234 (Rivas): Less Nonsense, More Homes

  • SCA 2 (Allen): Removing Biased Barriers to Public Housing

  • SB922 (Wiener): Less CEQA Nonsense, More Bikes & Buses

  • AB2221 (Quirk-SIlva): More ADUS

  • AB916 (Salas) :More Bedrooms, Taller ADUs near Transit

  • AB2668 (Grayson): SB-35 CleanUp

Election Wins: 

Local Planning:

Local Housing:

  • County of Santa Cruz receives nearly $20 Million in Project Homekey grants to help three(3) projects providing permanent supportive homes for the homeless and others: 801 River St, Park Haven Plaza and Veterans Village.

  • Lots of affordable housing groundbreakings (MAP below and here)

Map of Affordable Housing Groundbreakings

2023: Year of the Housing Element

Throughout 2022, we have been mentioning the Housing Elements for Santa Cruz County and its four cities (Watsonville, Capitola, Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley). The deadline is December 31, 2023 so get ready to learn more and TAKE ACTION all throughout the year.   

The Housing Element includes policies, programs, and actions that support and encourage housing growth at all income levels....for the next eight (8) years! We need YOU to participate and advocate for plans that:

  • result in affordable housing in high-resource neighborhoods,

  • avoid displacement in lower-income neighborhoods,

  • increase overall supply, and

  • Provide the variety of needed housing types for all income levels.

Here's a quick snapshot of each jurisdiction:

  • Capitola has a website for their Housing Element update. 
    ACTION:     Take the Capitola Housing Survey!

  • Santa Cruz has a website for their Housing Element update. They have had one community meeting and some stakeholder meetings.

  • Scotts Valley has a website for their Housing Element update.
    ACTION: Plan to attend their Virtual Community Workshop #1 on January 26, 2022. Check back on their website for details.

  • County of Santa Cruz has a website for their Housing Element update.

  • Watsonville has contracted with Kimley-Horn to do their Housing Element update.

There are consequences if a jurisdiction doesn't have a compliant Housing Element by the deadline. Here's is an explainer from YIMBY Law on those consequences.  (also see our November newsletter on Builder's Remedy!)

Two Actions to Help the City of Santa Cruz

1. Take the Coral Street Master Plan survey. This survey will help the City, County and Housing Matters better plan for additional housing and health and community services in this area.

2. Take the Strategic Planning Community Survey

Your opinion will inform a strategic plan that will prioritize efforts and resource allocation for the next three years.

Janine Roeth
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February 2023 Newsletter
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December 2022 Newsletter