If you have been following the issue of housing in the California State legislature for any significant period of time then you have probably heard of the Costa-Hawkins Act, otherwise known as the Rental Housing Act, or “Rent Control” Act. Costa-Hawkins is a piece of legislation enacted in 1995 that regulates how local jurisdictions (Cities […]
News
Public Correspondence: Amendments to County Housing Policy
The following is letter written in part by Business Council staff, in concert with other housing and community leaders, regarding the County’s proposed amendments to it Inclusionary Zoning Ordinance. The current list of signatories may not reflect the final number of people who have signed in support of the letter. [Proposed Amendments Under Item 59 […]
Santa Cruz Shows Up for Housing
On Tuesday night the Santa Cruz City Council passed the latest iteration of the Downtown Plan, increasing the zoning densities along lower Pacific Avenue and Front Street, and clearing the way for potentially up to 800 new units of housing. It was the single largest increase in zoning density within the City since the 1989 […]
Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz
MBoSC recently presented at the joint committee meeting of the SCCBC, sharing topics such as the current state of mountain biking locally, upcoming projects, land use planning opportunities, and more. If you weren’t at the meeting, you can check out their presentations: Sign up for their newsletter for regular updates.
MBEP Regional Transportation Initiative
Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) announced its latest initiative focused on creating regional transportation options that lead to walkable neighborhoods, dynamic main streets and healthier communities. This new initiative was unveiled at MBEP’s 3rd Annual State of the Region conference on November 8. MBEP is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the region, and how we move within and between our cities has a major impact on the well – being of our neighborhoods and residents. […]
County Updates – Developer Option in Jeopardy, Inclusionary Rental?
The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors recently gave direction to Planning staff to once again amend the County’s Affordable Housing Program (second time in 3 years), despite the process and economic concerns laid out by representatives the Business and Development Community. The proposed amendments appear to be staff driven, and include the elimination of […]
Congrats to Bay Fed CU
SCCBC member Bay Federal Credit Union was recently named one of “2017 Best Credit Unions to Work For” for the second time in three years! Bay Federal was also named one of the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area the past three years running. As part of its efforts to be an employer of […]
An Introduction to the Downtown Streets Team
At Downtown Streets Team our goal is to prepare homeless men and women for the workforce and to help them move forward and into regular employment. The old adage, “get a job, bum” is too simple and unrealistic when we stop to think about the many challenges that people face simply to find a place […]