ARTICLE
In July 2017, at the height of the legislative debate on housing, Supervisor Zach Friend opined in a statement regarding the high cost of housing and its damaging impact on the quality of life for our region. Quoting directly from his comments, “The high housing costs have real social, environmental and economic costs. High housing costs lead to displacement and even changes in community diversity and cohesion as working families are forced to live further away from their jobs. Longer commutes have real environmental impacts as well as impacts to a family’s quality of life.” “But we need to do something. The poorest 25 percent of California households spend four times more of their income (67 percent, on average) than the top 25 percent of income earners. To not act is the most regressive policy option.” Zach Friend - Addressing our Local Housing Crisis Why repeat a story line from a year ago? The sound of our housing crisis is like a bad lyric stuck in your mind that continues endlessly. The housing lyric is compounded by a lack of affordable units at the low and moderate economic level (rental and market), a growing homeless population, a public health and safety concerns and longer commutes for low income workers. The term déjà vu is French and means, literally, "already seen." Those who have experienced the feeling describe it as an overwhelming sense of familiarity with something that shouldn't be familiar at all. Say, for example, you are having dinner with a group of friends, discussing some current political topic (housing) and you have the feeling that you've already experienced this very thing -- same friends, same dinner, same topic. Santa Cruz, like many cities in California, (especially coastal communities) are stuck in a déjà vu moment. The Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board (SCWDB) just produced a report that brings a laser focus on Santa Cruz County’s economic health. You can read the report here: SCWDB 2018 Report.pdf The report’s key findings outline the systemic issues that are part of the fabric of our community: 1. Despite steady job growth over the last several years, there are not enough jobs in Santa Cruz County to support the region’s working age population. 2. In addition to a limited overall job supply, employment growth in Santa Cruz County is concentrated in low-skill, low-wage work. 3. Low-wage job prospects and above-average (high) cost of living is affecting economic self-sufficiency. 4. There are significant differences in economic opportunity for South County Santa Cruz residents compared to North County Santa Cruz residents. 5. The region has valuable opportunities for career pathway and workforce development programs that focus on four promising industry clusters in Santa Cruz County. The following industry clusters, (a) Information and Communications Technologies, (b) Finance and Banking, Insurance, and Real estate, (c) Healthcare, and (d) Biotechnology and Biomedical Devices have all grown by at least 10 percent between 2012 and 2017 and offer above average wages as well as strong career pathway opportunities for new skill development and career progression. The SCWDB identified several options to meet the challenges with these recommendations: 1. Engage relevant stakeholders to develop an education network that reaches out to underutilized potential. There are barriers to educational attainment or entering the workforce in general that have led to regional inequality in Santa Cruz County. In particular, there is untapped talent potential in the youth and young adults of South County, yet these individuals lack the education or training to enter into one of the region’s high-wage, high-skill industry clusters. 2. Support local job creation by attracting new businesses to the region. With the region’s high costs of living and limited supply of high quality jobs, it is important for Santa Cruz County to not only recruit high-wage businesses to the region but also support current industry clusters to grow and create more jobs. 3. Understand the challenges of Santa Cruz County residents. The region faces high turnover and low retention rates due to cost of living. In fact, many employers invest in training workers for higher-skill, higher-wage positions, but once these workers have gained experience and training, they often leave the region. The four legs of the community stool need to be properly balanced for Santa Cruz County to thrive in 21st Century economy: 1. Adequate, affordable and available housing for our workforce and families. 2. Plentiful job opportunities in all industry clusters especially to those industries that produce higher skilled and higher paying jobs. 3. An educated (local) workforce that can fill the available job market. 4. Santa Cruz County is blessed with a natural environment that produces an abundance of healthy foods (farm to table) that increases a healthy lifestyle. The Santa Cruz Area Chamber is committed to assist the Workforce Development Board and its partners across the County to facilitate countywide workforce and economic development strategies that connect with the needs and objectives of local job-seekers and businesses. Let’s be a part of the solution.
In July 2017, at the height of the legislative debate on housing, Supervisor Zach Friend opined in a statement regarding the high cost of housing and its damaging impact on the quality of life for our region.
Quoting directly from his comments, “The high housing costs have real social, environmental and economic costs. High housing costs lead to displacement and even changes in community diversity and cohesion as working families are forced to live further away from their jobs. Longer commutes have real environmental impacts as well as impacts to a family’s quality of life.”
“But we need to do something. The poorest 25 percent of California households spend four times more of their income (67 percent, on average) than the top 25 percent of income earners. To not act is the most regressive policy option.” Zach Friend - Addressing our Local Housing Crisis
Why repeat a story line from a year ago? The sound of our housing crisis is like a bad lyric stuck in your mind that continues endlessly. The housing lyric is compounded by a lack of affordable units at the low and moderate economic level (rental and market), a growing homeless population, a public health and safety concerns and longer commutes for low income workers.
The term déjà vu is French and means, literally, "already seen." Those who have experienced the feeling describe it as an overwhelming sense of familiarity with something that shouldn't be familiar at all. Say, for example, you are having dinner with a group of friends, discussing some current political topic (housing) and you have the feeling that you've already experienced this very thing -- same friends, same dinner, same topic. Santa Cruz, like many cities in California, (especially coastal communities) are stuck in a déjà vu moment.
The Santa Cruz County Workforce Development Board (SCWDB) just produced a report that brings a laser focus on Santa Cruz County’s economic health. You can read the report here: SCWDB 2018 Report.pdf
The report’s key findings outline the systemic issues that are part of the fabric of our community: 1. Despite steady job growth over the last several years, there are not enough jobs in Santa Cruz County to support the region’s working age population.
2. In addition to a limited overall job supply, employment growth in Santa Cruz County is concentrated in low-skill, low-wage work.
3. Low-wage job prospects and above-average (high) cost of living is affecting economic self-sufficiency.
4. There are significant differences in economic opportunity for South County Santa Cruz residents compared to North County Santa Cruz residents.
5. The region has valuable opportunities for career pathway and workforce development programs that focus on four promising industry clusters in Santa Cruz County. The following industry clusters, (a) Information and Communications Technologies, (b) Finance and Banking, Insurance, and Real estate, (c) Healthcare, and (d) Biotechnology and Biomedical Devices have all grown by at least 10 percent between 2012 and 2017 and offer above average wages as well as strong career pathway opportunities for new skill development and career progression. The SCWDB identified several options to meet the challenges with these recommendations: 1. Engage relevant stakeholders to develop an education network that reaches out to underutilized potential. There are barriers to educational attainment or entering the workforce in general that have led to regional inequality in Santa Cruz County. In particular, there is untapped talent potential in the youth and young adults of South County, yet these individuals lack the education or training to enter into one of the region’s high-wage, high-skill industry clusters.
2. Support local job creation by attracting new businesses to the region. With the region’s high costs of living and limited supply of high quality jobs, it is important for Santa Cruz County to not only recruit high-wage businesses to the region but also support current industry clusters to grow and create more jobs.
3. Understand the challenges of Santa Cruz County residents. The region faces high turnover and low retention rates due to cost of living. In fact, many employers invest in training workers for higher-skill, higher-wage positions, but once these workers have gained experience and training, they often leave the region.
The four legs of the community stool need to be properly balanced for Santa Cruz County to thrive in 21st Century economy: 1. Adequate, affordable and available housing for our workforce and families.
2. Plentiful job opportunities in all industry clusters especially to those industries that produce higher skilled and higher paying jobs.
3. An educated (local) workforce that can fill the available job market.
4. Santa Cruz County is blessed with a natural environment that produces an abundance of healthy foods (farm to table) that increases a healthy lifestyle.
The Santa Cruz Area Chamber is committed to assist the Workforce Development Board and its partners across the County to facilitate countywide workforce and economic development strategies that connect with the needs and objectives of local job-seekers and businesses. Let’s be a part of the solution.