Q: DON'T WE NEED ALL THE HOUSING WE CAN GET?

Yes, but these planned 12 to 20-story towers will not be affordable nor family-size units that the majority of Santa Cruz residents need.  We can create housing without building unaffordable, huge towers!  

Under current zoning dense housing is being built- up to 8 stories and over 1,200 units are allowed in just the South of Laurel area of downtown, behind the Ace Hardware. 

Plus, the City has 45 very large housing development projects in the works throughout the city: CLICK HERE TO SEE THEM.

Also, the State is requiring 3736 units of housing by 2031 and the City has identified space for 8,364 units- more than DOUBLE this requirement!   Eight years ago the State required 749 units, so their number increased 5 times to 3736.

We need housing AND it should be thoughtfully-designed, human-scale, environmentally-sensitive buildings, that includes all income levels!   It should include units that are designed for families, instead of tiny apartments for single tech workers.

• The 12-story towers being proposed are not going to help house Santa Cruz residents, low to moderate income workforce and long-term residents. They will be very expensive housing, affordable to highly-paid tech workers and UCSC students with wealthy parents.

If you want to maintain our diversity by increasing low-income housing, so family members, low and moderate wage earners, youth and elders can continue to live here, sign our initiative! 

• This initiative will increase affordable housing to 25% in all new development with over 30 units-a solution that was researched and recommended by the City Planning Commission.

What type of housing do you want? Unaffordable luxury units that the majority of people cannot afford?  

• If these market-rate units are second homes, they may be empty most of the year -making our local housing crisis worse. 

Adding more market rate housing (which by definition is expensive and unaffordable to the majority of residents) - makes the small percentage of affordable housing less available for those who need and qualify for it.