Every year, the Economic Development Department‘s Housing Division and our partners dedicate the month of May to affordable housing. Through multiple events, we engage our thriving community of housing supporters around the City of Santa Cruz to collectively learn, engage, and understand the positive and extensive impact affordable housing brings. We accomplish this by offering informative workshops, project groundbreaking/ grand openings, housing policy panels, affordable housing tours, and more. Most of all, we come together to recognize the ongoing efforts and power of our local partners and communities in making affordable housing a priority in the City. Some upcoming events include:

NEW EVENT*Ocean Street 100% Affordable Apartments Grand Opening and ribbon cutting- Thursday, May 27^th from 11am-12:00pm Join the City of Santa Cruz and Pacific West Communities, Inc. for Ocean Street 100% Affordable Apartments Grand Opening and ribbon cutting on at 350 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060. This is a great way to learn more about the project. Light food and refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to Eventbrite to confirm your attendance.

Rental Applications are available now. For more information or to apply for a unit click here.

For more information about the project click here.

* This is an in person event and masks are required to keep all participants safe. All refreshments will be served following COVID protocol*

In-Person Bike Tour

Join us on the in-person bike tour on Saturday, May 22nd at 2pm-3:30pm to learn about the most recent affordable building properties in Santa Cruz and new ones that are on the horizon. The tour will be hosted by Jessica de Wit, Housing and Community Development Manager and will focus on North Route #1 beginning at Tannery Apartments and concluding at 350 Ocean Street Apartments. Participation will be limited to 10 people and masks will be required to keep all participants safe. RSVP to Andrea Inouye to reserve your spot, [email protected].

Self-Guided Bike Tour

Learn about the most recent affordable building properties in Santa Cruz and new ones that are on the horizon. The Self-Guided Bike Tour Map will be split into two routes- complete the north route and go the extra mile to complete the south route. The projects highlighted show the City of Santa Cruz's continued commitment to create diverse affordable housing projects. For more information on a specific project please click the linked project names directly on the tour map (pg 1).

***To celebrate Affordable Housing Month the Economic Development Department is promoting the #AHSCbiketour contest. Participate in the Self-Guided or in-Person Bike Tour and snap photos of yourself along the route at any 4 stops during the month of May and be entered to win Downtown Dollars. Tag us on Instagram at @ChooseSantaCruz and use the hashtag #AHSCbiketour. Four (4) lucky winners will win a $25 Downtown Dollar prize. Winners will be chosen by Monday, June 7th and announced on an IG post and contacted via DM.***

Brown Bag Lunch Presentation- Thursday, May 6, 2021 at 12pm join Senior Planner Sarah Neuse from the Advanced Planning team for a lunch-hour presentation with an overview of the City’s Multi-Family Objective Standards Project that will create new zoning standards for multi-family housing developments. Due to recent changes in state law, the City is now required to review new housing applications using only development standards that can be measured and described in an objective fashion. Drafting these standards provides an opportunity to address some of the ways multi-family housing has been harder to create in Santa Cruz and throughout California. The presentation will introduce the project and cover a brief history of zoning in the US, and how it has historically been a tool for excluding and segregating lower-income populations and communities of color. Creating objective zoning standards is one tool cities can use to start addressing this history and moving toward a more equitable future for all types of housing.

Zoom Link click here

Mobile +16699009128 Meeting ID: 985 5969 9907 Passcode: 573948

Housing Choice Voucher Program Informational Webinar- Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 6pm Have you ever wondered what the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program is or what the benefits are of providing housing to tenants who are participants in that program? The City of Santa Cruz and the Housing Authority of Santa Cruz County are jointly hosting a webinar primarily geared towards landlords which will provide an overview of the program, highlight and share information about the Landlord Incentive Program, new incentives available to participating landlords, and more. All members of the community are welcome to attend, however, the primary focus will be on providing information to landlords who are interested in renting units to Housing Choice Voucher holders. We hope that you can join us on May 19, 2021 at 6 pm via Zoom. To register for this webinar, please click the link below and enter your name and email address.

Instructions for accessing Spanish Translation

Registration Link click here

Affordable Housing Finance Class – What factors need to be considered when developing affordable housing? How does the financing work? Chuck Depew of the National Development Council (NDC) answers these questions and more in a pre-recorded class originally presented in October 2019.

Please visit the Affordable Housing Month page for more information on Regional Events.

** Due to COVID-19, all in-person events during Affordable Housing Month will require masks for all participants. We will also continue hosting virtual events and provide engaging at-home activities.