Watsonville holds first time home buyer forum

A housing shortage in Watsonville has future home buyers looking to the city for help.

Watsonville city officials held a First Time Home Buyer Forum Wednesday evening trying to help people understand the ins and outs of real estate.

It was a max capacity room at the public library on Main Street. In fact, only about 90 people were allowed into the conference room where the presentations were held out of the over 200 that came.

“It is impossible. I’m a teacher and my salary, the salary that I have, it doesn’t let me afford a house,” said Lucia, who works in the Watsonville area and was unable to attend the max capacity meeting.

“Right now, there’s a crisis for the need for housing, affordable housing specifically in our county,” said Watsonville City Councilmember Felipe Hernandez. “Santa Cruz County is one of the most expensive places to live in the world.”

Hernandez says this coming year over 400 new houses are coming to the city. This forum tells people what they can do to land one.

“Give them, you know, a sneak peek of what’s ahead and offering them our first time home buyers assistance, offering them the county’s first time home buyers assistance and explaining to them our affordable housing program,” said Hernandez.

According to city code, 20 percent of new homes built in Watsonville must be slated as affordable. These homes would then cost between $200,000 and $400,000.

The median housing rate in Santa Cruz County is about $700,000.

People who qualify for first time home buyers assistance also get up to $40,000 in down payment help for a first home purchase.

The city hopes these programs open up housing for working people, but it is competitive.

“There’s going to be probably about a hundred homes that are slated as affordable housing in the next year, so we want to give our local residents here that live in the area the chance to purchase one of these homes,” said Hernandez.

A chance that may be many locals’ only shot at becoming a homeowner.

“To be realistic, if you live with a salary, a normal salary, you can’t buy a house,” said Lucia.

Hernandez says they will hold more of these forums in the coming months to accommodate all the people who were not able to attend Wednesday evening.

For more information, you can call the city line at 831-768-3080 or visit cityofwatsonville.org.