Santa Cruz County has the disturbing but not surprising distinction of now being the second least affordable community in the entire country.It even ranks ahead of Silicon valley as far as rental affordabilityThe report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition was jointly released by Housing Santa Cruz County and dedicated to achieving for people with lower incomes. According to the, Out of Reach Report, the fair market rate for a two-bedroom rental in the county is $3,138, meaning residents would need to work four full-time jobs to afford it. And would need to earn an hourly wage of $60.35. This outpaces Silicon Valley, Santa Barbara and New York.The Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area is now considered the second most expensive region to rent in the country.The only region more expensive was San Francisco, which saw a housing wage of $61.50.View the map of zip codes below and how much you'd need to make per hour to rent a two-bedroom:>>See the full report. "It doesn't mean you literally have to make $60 an hour to get a place to live. It means, if you don't make that much you're spending such a large portion of your income on housing that the rest of your financial life is put under tremendous strain," said Don Lane, Housing Santa Cruz County Chair.Currently, four projects for low-income housing are progressing in downtown Santa Cruz with close to 400 affordable units in development.The Downtown Library Affordable Housing Project, the Pacific Station North, and Pacific Station South is affordable to individuals who are making 30% or below 60% or below the median income."We have two other sites right now, that are in the very early sort of planning stage. We're actually going through some acquisition efforts outside the downtown as future sites so it's assemble those parcels, putting them together to develop future affordable housing projects," said Bonnie Lipscomb, Economic Development and Housing Director. >>See the full report. In South County, 555 apartment units are under construction almost 300 of them will be affordable housing.New apartments are open to everyone for rent but some are designated for farm workers, people with disabilities or the homes or formerly homeless. And more affordable housing could be on its way downtown."We are working on a Downtown Specific plan that we believe will be able to accommodate more housing at higher densities and we're also updating our general plan and our housing element," said Carlos Landaverry, Watsonville Housing Manager.Housing Santa Cruz County Chair, Don Lane warns that the lack of affordable housing impacts everyone, even those making a higher income."Because if we don't have A workforce that can live in our community, even those of us who are fortunate to still live here won't be able to get the services we want."
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. —
Santa Cruz County has the disturbing but not surprising distinction of now being the second least affordable community in the entire country.
It even ranks ahead of Silicon valley as far as rental affordability
The report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition was jointly released by Housing Santa Cruz County and dedicated to achieving for people with lower incomes.
According to the, Out of Reach Report, the fair market rate for a two-bedroom rental in the county is $3,138, meaning residents would need to work four full-time jobs to afford it. And would need to earn an hourly wage of $60.35. This outpaces Silicon Valley, Santa Barbara and New York.
The Santa Cruz-Watsonville metro area is now considered the second most expensive region to rent in the country.
The only region more expensive was San Francisco, which saw a housing wage of $61.50.
View the map of zip codes below and how much you'd need to make per hour to rent a two-bedroom:
"It doesn't mean you literally have to make $60 an hour to get a place to live. It means, if you don't make that much you're spending such a large portion of your income on housing that the rest of your financial life is put under tremendous strain," said Don Lane, Housing Santa Cruz County Chair.
Currently, four projects for low-income housing are progressing in downtown Santa Cruz with close to 400 affordable units in development.
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The Downtown Library Affordable Housing Project, the Pacific Station North, and Pacific Station South is affordable to individuals who are making 30% or below 60% or below the median income.
"We have two other sites right now, that are in the very early sort of planning stage. We're actually going through some acquisition efforts outside the downtown as future sites so it's assemble those parcels, putting them together to develop future affordable housing projects," said Bonnie Lipscomb, Economic Development and Housing Director.
In South County, 555 apartment units are under construction almost 300 of them will be affordable housing.
New apartments are open to everyone for rent but some are designated for farm workers, people with disabilities or the homes or formerly homeless. And more affordable housing could be on its way downtown.
"We are working on a Downtown Specific plan that we believe will be able to accommodate more housing at higher densities and we're also updating our general plan and our housing element," said Carlos Landaverry, Watsonville Housing Manager.
Housing Santa Cruz County Chair, Don Lane warns that the lack of affordable housing impacts everyone, even those making a higher income.
"Because if we don't have A workforce that can live in our community, even those of us who are fortunate to still live here won't be able to get the services we want."
