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Santa Cruz County Grand Jury
• 2024-2025
Housing For Whom? An Investigation of Inclusionary Housing in the City of Santa Cruz
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 3 findings
F1
The contradictory entries on the City’s website and in the City’s legal documents on whether Inclusionary Housing is restricted to Low, Very Low and Extremely Low income levels or whether it includes the Moderate income level is a major discrepancy with consequences about who is eligible for and who obtains Inclusionary Housing.
Related Recommendations (2)
R1
The Grand Jury recommends that the Santa Cruz City Council state exactly which HCD Income Levels are covered by the City’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and Resolutions, and make that information public by December 31, 2024. (F1)
R4
The Grand Jury recommends that the Santa Cruz City Council create an Inclusionary Housing public dashboard that covers the data called for in this report by February 28, 2025. (F1, F2, F3)
F2
The City has no data on whether Inclusionary Housing is occupied by income-verified local residents and local workers. Both groups are given preference for housing as required by Ordinance. Without data, neither the City nor the community can be assured that such housing is meeting its intended purpose.
Related Recommendations (2)
R2
The Grand Jury recommends that the Santa Cruz City Council develop an ongoing system to track, document and verify of occupancy whether a unit is occupied by an income-verified local resident or local worker as required by the Ordinance, specifying which category the renter fulfills, and have such a system in place by January 31, 2025. (F2)
R4
The Grand Jury recommends that the Santa Cruz City Council create an Inclusionary Housing public dashboard that covers the data called for in this report by February 28, 2025. (F1, F2, F3)
F3
The City has no data on the percentage of units in Inclusionary and 100% Affordable Housing projects that are rented to UCSC students. This leaves the City and the public unable to assess the impact of UCSC on the local affordable housing supply. Such data is important for the City’s ongoing negotiations with UCSC to build more on-campus housing.
Related Recommendations (2)
R3
The Grand Jury recommends that the Santa Cruz City Council document the percentage of the City’s Inclusionary and 100% Affordable Housing units that are rented to UCSC students, making that data public by February 28, 2025 with annual updates. (F3)
R4
The Grand Jury recommends that the Santa Cruz City Council create an Inclusionary Housing public dashboard that covers the data called for in this report by February 28, 2025. (F1, F2, F3)
Conclusions 1
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CL1 Page 11The main function of the Civil Grand Jury is to improve transparency and accountability in local government. If adopted, the four recommendations from the Civil Grand Jury will help the City clarify its Inclusionary Housing regulations. Doing so will provide the City and the community with clear data on which to base claims and conclusions about who occupies affordable housing in the City of Santa Cruz.
Agency Responses 1
Government agencies' official responses to this report's findings and recommendations. Click on a response to see the structured breakdown.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
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