ARTICLE
By Trey Guzman, Santa Cruz Area Chamber Advocacy Intern It is no secret that the city of Santa Cruz and the county at large are amid a shortage of affordable units for moderate to low-income individuals. As it stands, the Chamber’s Board of Directors has previously expressed support for initiatives to procure and construct affordable housing for the Santa Cruz working community. This stance is rooted in practical applications of county-wide economic growth. Providing housing to the broader population and building more community spaces in deprived areas are expected to yield tangible benefits for the local economy. According to Jenn Steinfeld, Director of Economic Development at the National League of Cities Advocacy Group, a larger concentration of mixed incomes supports business growth due to a greater availability of disposable income that can be spent on local firms’ products. This can be coupled with Santa Cruz’s consistent tourist industry, allowing its businesses to be supported by both resident consumers and workers. More housing would also cause the exit rate of potential employees for businesses to decrease, as lowered costs of living permit a larger available workforce near firms and cut the need for long-distance commutes. To encourage this sentiment and secure funding for housing projects in Santa Cruz, several proposals have been presented as recently as January 2025. In the city of Santa Cruz, two ballot measures are set to hit the polls on November 4th: Measure C: the “Workforce Housing Affordability Act of 2025” and Measure B: the “Workforce Housing and Climate Protection Act.” Elaine Johnson of Housing Santa Cruz County (Measure C) and Victor Gomez of the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors (Measure B) presented their respective measures during the Chamber’s Community Affairs meeting on August 14th. Measure C stipulates a real property tax of $96 per parcel with a sunset (expiration) date of around 2046-2047. Revenue generated from the tax would be set aside for affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and community oversight and coverage of administrative costs for running the aforementioned programs. Measure B encourages a 10-year $50 per parcel tax and a 0.5% tax on real property transfers over $4 million. This tax is set to expire after the 2035-2036 fiscal year. Despite the proposed measures, there are still current projects erupting all throughout the county. During the Community Affairs meeting, Clay Toombs of the developer Workbench mentioned the ongoing progress of the 3500 Paul Sweet Road project in Live Oak. Workbench’s project was approved during “Builder’s Remedy,” which is a status placed when a local government falls short of a “housing element,” or housing plan. Builder’s remedy allows developers to bypass zoning ordinances to accelerate the construction of housing. Even though the addition of Workbench’s units spells hope for renewed focus on housing projects, it still falls short of the Regional Needs Housing Allocation target that is required to fully meet Santa Cruz’s current housing element. Credit: Clay Toombs (Workbench) Aside from Workbench, other developers are dipping their fingers into the viable Santa Cruz. In the previously discussed Community Affairs meeting, John Swift and Trisha Malone also spoke on the planning stages of the Anton Solana project on Soquel Drive. It is designated as a mixed-use community with 173 multi-family homes fixed with community spaces. The full details of this project’s approval will be ironed out during the Planning Commission’s scheduled meeting in late-September. Ultimately, despite ongoing battles with Santa Cruz’s development, construction is in session and will hopefully yield net positive results for the community - residents and businesses alike. If you have any questions about the Chamber’s stance on housing, feel free to contact kbrown@santacruzchamber.org.
By Trey Guzman, Santa Cruz Area Chamber Advocacy Intern
It is no secret that the city of Santa Cruz and the county at large are amid a shortage of affordable units for moderate to low-income individuals. As it stands, the Chamber’s Board of Directors has previously expressed support for initiatives to procure and construct affordable housing for the Santa Cruz working community.
This stance is rooted in practical applications of county-wide economic growth. Providing housing to the broader population and building more community spaces in deprived areas are expected to yield tangible benefits for the local economy. According to Jenn Steinfeld, Director of Economic Development at the National League of Cities Advocacy Group, a larger concentration of mixed incomes supports business growth due to a greater availability of disposable income that can be spent on local firms’ products. This can be coupled with Santa Cruz’s consistent tourist industry, allowing its businesses to be supported by both resident consumers and workers. More housing would also cause the exit rate of potential employees for businesses to decrease, as lowered costs of living permit a larger available workforce near firms and cut the need for long-distance commutes.
To encourage this sentiment and secure funding for housing projects in Santa Cruz, several proposals have been presented as recently as January 2025. In the city of Santa Cruz, two ballot measures are set to hit the polls on November 4th: Measure C: the “Workforce Housing Affordability Act of 2025” and Measure B: the “Workforce Housing and Climate Protection Act.”
Elaine Johnson of Housing Santa Cruz County (Measure C) and Victor Gomez of the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors (Measure B) presented their respective measures during the Chamber’s Community Affairs meeting on August 14th. Measure C stipulates a real property tax of $96 per parcel with a sunset (expiration) date of around 2046-2047. Revenue generated from the tax would be set aside for affordable housing, homelessness prevention, and community oversight and coverage of administrative costs for running the aforementioned programs. Measure B encourages a 10-year $50 per parcel tax and a 0.5% tax on real property transfers over $4 million. This tax is set to expire after the 2035-2036 fiscal year.
Despite the proposed measures, there are still current projects erupting all throughout the county. During the Community Affairs meeting, Clay Toombs of the developer Workbench mentioned the ongoing progress of the 3500 Paul Sweet Road project in Live Oak. Workbench’s project was approved during “Builder’s Remedy,” which is a status placed when a local government falls short of a “housing element,” or housing plan. Builder’s remedy allows developers to bypass zoning ordinances to accelerate the construction of housing. Even though the addition of Workbench’s units spells hope for renewed focus on housing projects, it still falls short of the Regional Needs Housing Allocation target that is required to fully meet Santa Cruz’s current housing element.
Credit: Clay Toombs (Workbench)
Aside from Workbench, other developers are dipping their fingers into the viable Santa Cruz. In the previously discussed Community Affairs meeting, John Swift and Trisha Malone also spoke on the planning stages of the Anton Solana project on Soquel Drive. It is designated as a mixed-use community with 173 multi-family homes fixed with community spaces. The full details of this project’s approval will be ironed out during the Planning Commission’s scheduled meeting in late-September.
Ultimately, despite ongoing battles with Santa Cruz’s development, construction is in session and will hopefully yield net positive results for the community - residents and businesses alike. If you have any questions about the Chamber’s stance on housing, feel free to contact kbrown@santacruzchamber.org.