By Zach Friend, Santa Cruz County Supervisor, 2nd District
Every five to eight years, the state requires local governments to create a “Housing Element,” which is one of several required elements of our General Plan. The program is designed to make sure local governments create land use patterns that meet the future needs of the community.
In other words, the program is designed to make sure there is enough housing for our community, and that the housing provided meets the needs of varying income groups.
Unfortunately, we have evidence here in Santa Cruz County that not enough people have access to housing, and that the available housing is often unaffordable. Rents and home prices are rising sharply, and some families have trouble even finding available homes.
Our children and grandchildren are being priced out of our community at alarming rates, and I’ve heard from many seniors on fixed incomes struggling with rising rents. Additionally, we have a persistent homelessness problem that is out of scale to the size of our community.
The Housing Element works to address those problems.
What is the Housing Element?
Housing elements are state-mandated documents required of every county that report on existing conditions about housing in a community and establish the community’s priorities with regard to addressing housing issues. The Housing Element lays the foundation for the policies, programs and projects that will be the focus of housing efforts over a specific timeframe – in our case, until the year 2023.
The document outlines community demographics, the existing housing stock, local housing and environmental regulations, affordable and senior housing needs, identifies specific locations where housing projects could be acceptable and more.
In essence, it helps provide a blueprint for addressing housing needs, all of which rightfully needs to be done within the constructs of the voter-approved local landmark law Measure J.
Measure J is visionary law passed by a community who sought to protect Santa Cruz County’s beauty and agricultural land for future generations by shaping development and assuring affordable housing was included in new housing developments. One key element of the law was focusing future housing within the urban core of our county to ensure rural and agricultural protections.
Over the last few years, the County has been actively working to ensure that current and future housing needs are met, and that we can adequately address this growing housing crisis. We’ve focused our efforts on the urban core by looking toward smaller, starter-sized (or downsized for empty nesters) homes that may be mixed use (residential above commercial) to provide the most environmentally respectful options toward meeting our housing needs.
By moving away from a single-family home, these types of homes are designed to create walkable communities along transportation corridors that allow for live/work options and smaller sizes that provide greater options and affordability.
We know we have a long way to go.
For example, did you know that a household seeking to rent a modest two-bedroom apartment in Santa Cruz County needs to earn $33.77 per hour, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition? That’s more than $70,000 per year.
These realities are starting to shape our neighborhoods. More homes are being purchased as second homes and vacation rentals, leaving declining home ownership declining rates among locals that mean, if current trends persist, fewer than half the households in Santa Cruz County will own their own homes within a matter of a few years.
Additionally, as more and more people get priced out of the market, the Housing Element shows how we’re seeing many people (including children) crowding into substandard, and often unsafe, homes.
We have more than 1 in 6 children that live in poverty in our community, with housing costs one of the top barriers toward escaping poverty. Study after study shows Santa Cruz County has some of the most burdensome housing costs in the country, and many local community programs have shown how this has led to more children living with food insecurity, as families choose between rent and food.
Clearly, we can do more to address these issues, and the policies outlined in the Housing Element (along with other recent changes to affordable housing policy) are a key step.
After public hearings and input sessions the Housing Element was approved by the Santa Cruz County Housing Advisory Commission, Planning Commission and, just recently, by the Board of Supervisors.
•••
As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Please feel free to call me at 454-2200.