November 2023 Newsletter

We are getting closer to endorsements for the March 2024 primary. Our last Sip+Mix before we vote on local endorsements for County Supervisor and Santa Cruz City Council is coming up next Monday, November 6th at Beer Thirty in Soquel starting at 5:30. 

 We have RSVPs from District 2 County Supervisor candidates Kristen Brown and Kimberly De Serpa, District 1 County Supervisor candidate Manu Koenig and Santa Cruz City Council candidate Sonja Brunner. This is a casual event and everyone is welcome.

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Housing Element Update

There is 1 month left until the December deadline for Santa Cruz Housing Element updates.   Key upcoming actions:

• Capitola City Council will have an adoption hearing for their Housing Element on November 9, 2023 at 6pm

• Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors will have an adoption hearing on November 14, 2023 at 9am

Here's what's happened since last month with Housing Elements:

• Santa Cruz County (uninc): CA Housing and Community Development (HCD) sent their review letter to Scotts Valley on October 3, 2023. Santa Cruz County has an updated Housing Element in response to HCD comments.

  • HCD October 23rd letter to County

• Scotts Valley:  CA Housing and Community Development (HCD) sent their review letter to Scotts Valley on October 3rd. Scotts Valley has an updated Housing Element in response to HCD comments.

  • HCD October 3rd letter to Scotts Valley

  • Related: 

    Scotts Valley gets first notes from State on Housing Element - Press Banner 

• Capitola: CA Housing and Community Development (HCD) sent their review letter to Capitola on October 3rd. Capitola has done several updates in response to HCD comments as well as Santa Cruz YIMBY's input. Capitola's City Council received an update on October 12th and the Planning Commission held an adoption hearing on October 19, which informed the latest draft Housing Element.

  • HCD October 3rd letter to Capitola

  • Santa Cruz YIMBY input to City Council about Housing Element

  • Related: 

    Capitola leaders outline areas for new homes - Santa Cruz Local

• Watsonville:  We await the first draft of Watsonville's Housing Element. In the meantime, they did approve their Downtown Plan:

  • Downtown Watsonville plan adopted to add housing, shops, walkability  

• City of Santa Cruz: The City of Santa Cruz has an updated Housing Element in response to HCD comments. They expect another letter from HCD and should follow up with adoption hearings based on that feedback.

Links to the Housing Element information for all Santa Cruz cities and county are consolidated here.

Write to hello@santacruzyimby.org to learn more about how to be part of giving feedback to citys/county and HCD about Housing Elements!

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Housing News and Reading

We learned that approvals of 1800 Soquel Ave and Peace Village (900 High St) projects were appealed. Stay tuned for opportunities to support these great projects that add much-needed homes in Santa Cruz. 

Homelessness:

• As county confronts housing crisis, even some homeless outreach workers are on the brink of becoming unhoused  

• From Don Lane:

  • Homelessness won’t simply go away; here are three possible approaches for Santa Cruz

  • Homelessness 102: Santa Cruz County needs to spend more on emergency response  

• Working People Across the Country Are Living Out of Their Cars - The New York Times

• And recommended reading on homelessness....

  • When We Walk By by Kevin F. Adler, Donald W. Burnes