County Working to Address Housing Crisis

By Zach Friend

The Problem

Over the last few weeks I’ve heard stories that I believe are all too common in our County. A 40 year resident, whose daughter was born and raised here but unable to stay due to high housing costs, is now being forced to move because her Social Security check can’t keep up with escalating rents. A State Parks worker is seeking transfer to another location in order to not have to share a rental with multiple people. With median home prices topping $750,000 locally it’s easy to see why many in our community find it difficult to afford to live there.

It’s common to hear stories about families that know their children or grandchildren will be unlikely to afford to buy a home here and that homes are being scooped up as second homes or vacation homes by people from out of the area.

According to a recent report from the Human Care Alliance — a collaboration of over 50 nonprofit agencies in Santa Cruz County — the poverty rate locally is 22 percent. “Due in part to high housing costs,” the report reads, “Santa Cruz County consistently ranks among the top ten least affordable communities in the nation [with] the high cost of living a major obstacle for those seeking to avoid or escape poverty.”

Over the last two years the Board of Supervisors has been working to address these issues through changes in affordable housing regulations, improvements to economic vitality policies and now directly through the state-required local housing element. Housing element law, enacted in 1969, mandates that local governments adequately plan to meet the existing and projected housing needs of all economic segments of the community. The County is updating its housing element, which addresses the 2016-2023 planning period. The goal is to provide for the housing needs of our community, by helping address the very real affordability issues many face, while maintaining the character, strong environmental protections and voter-approved Measure J requirements that we all cherish.

How is the Board addressing housing needs?

Over the last year, the County has taken significant steps toward modernizing and improving housing regulations to help encourage the creation of affordable housing. With the loss of redevelopment funding, changes to legal frameworks around affordable housing in the state and the reality that there hadn’t been a substantive look at these polices in quite some time the Board worked with County Planning staff and outside housing experts to craft policies that would encourage more affordable housing in the area moving forward. Overall, the policies:

• Encourage smaller, more affordable, unit sizes
• Reduces fees/provides incentives for property owners wanting to build deed-restricted Accessory Dwelling Units (as many have children, parents or others wanting to live on the property)
• Encourages creation of sustainable mixed use housing along commercial transportation corridors to protect open space, rural and agricultural land

One of the key elements of the housing proposals is to focus on infill mixed-use projects in commercial and professional office space districts. This ensures agricultural land and rural areas are protected and that smaller units (which are more affordable by design and more environmentally sustainable) be created. Voter-approved Measure J requirements focuses housing within the urban service line and these new policies seek to make those units smaller, more affordable and within walking distance to services and public transportation. In addition, smaller, mixed used units use significantly less water than traditional single-family homes, which often have yards and other larger water-using elements.

Meeting the County’s current and future housing needs won’t be easy – and it’s about ensuring a balance is struck. We have a strong responsibility to both current and future generations that we protect our natural resources, preserve the agricultural and rural areas of our County and still provide the most sustainable housing possible. The poverty rate, the numbers of families unable to stay, the inability for young professionals and fixed-income seniors to afford local housing (rents and ownership) are problems that we have to address.

The County is in the midst of working on these housing policies and the draft Housing Element Update and your input is essential. Please review the draft Housing Element on the Planning Department’s website at www.sccoplanning.com.

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As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to call at 454-2200.