Report finds Santa Cruz County needs almost 12,000 new affordable housing units

According to a nonprofit that looks at housing, Santa Cruz County needs to create nearly 12,000 affordable rental homes to meet local demand.

The California Housing Partnership released its report this month. It found that the average monthly rent price in Santa Cruz County is $2,650.

The report shows that a renter would need to make at least $51.60 per hour or a monthly salary of $8,833 – about four times California’s minimum wage.

Between 2007 and 2017 state funding for housing development in the county dropped by more than $16 million, according to the report. In recent years homelessness in the county rose by 15 percent.

The study recommends the county pass a housing, offer incentives and relax certain zoning rules to create more affordable rental options.