City of Santa Cruz releases Housing Element document for public review

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV)- The City of Santa Cruz released the Public Review Draft of the Housing Element document on Tuesday afternoon.

The document is available for the community to review on the city's website.

City officials said that the Housing Element is a crucial part of the city's plan to address housing needs in the community. The document outlines strategies and policies to promote the development of affordable housing and meet the housing needs for residents of all income levels. 

The city's planning department has scheduled community events related to the release of the Public Review Draft.

On Tuesday April 4th, the planning department will host a virtual webinar to discuss the draft document and answer questions from the public. The webinar will take place at 6 p.m.

The document will also be presented during a planning commission meeting on April 20th and a City Council meeting on April 25th. City officials said those meetings allow for additional opportunities for public input and comment.

City of Santa Cruz planning and community development director Lee Butler said that the release of the document allows for a better collaboration between the city and the community on addressing the housing crisis.

“We are excited about the release of the draft Housing Element and encourage community members to review it and provide feedback," Butler said. "The draft document highlights how we are committed to working collaboratively with the community to address our housing challenges and ensure a diverse and thriving community for all.”

Butler told KION that California Department of Housing and Community Development has allocated 3,736 housing units at specific affordability levels to accommodate the City's projected housing needs.

Butler said once the public document is presented to City Council, the planning commission will send the document to the state's Department of Housing and Community Development and they will have up to 90 days to make revisions on the document.

The planning and community department will have more public workshops later this summer. Butler said they have a deadline until Dec. 15 for the City Council to adopt the housing element document in the City's general plan.