A Guide to Voting Without a Fixed Address
More and more states require a would-be voter to provide identification and an address, often excluding houseless populations. In California however, houseless people don’t need ID or even a fixed address to cast their ballot. With almost 2,000 houseless people in Santa Cruz, California regulation...
Local Officials Vow to Fight New Green Card Rules
Area officials are promising a fight over proposed restrictions that could prevent immigrants from getting green cards if they have received certain types of public assistance. A 60-day public comment period began last week, and local officials held a news conference Oct. 11 to urge...
Encampment Residents Still Wait for Housing
*Source preferred to use only their first names With the rainy season about to begin, 54 people living in a temporary Santa Cruz houseless encampment on River Street will continue living in tents for at least another six months. The city of Santa Cruz had...
Concerns Mount Over Student Housing West Project
UC Santa Cruz hired a company for the construction of Student Housing West (SHW) that is so incompetent it’s been accused of building units with faulty ventilation leaking carbon monoxide and faced lawsuits for safety violations and for cheating its subcontractors. The university is handing...
Forum Draws Criticism of Student Housing West
About 40 UC Santa Cruz students discussed their concerns on Wednesday about the 3,000 new beds slated to be built on campus and talked about plans to get more students to weigh in about the project. The forum was organized by the Student Environmental Center...
Housing Plan Hits New Roadblock
Building new student housing on the UC Santa Cruz campus continues to be a moving target. The original plan called for 3,000 beds built on 20 acres, stretching from the Kresge parking lot to the Porter Dining Hall. An environmental impact statement reduced the total...
Santa Cruz County Goes Green(er)
Santa Cruz area residents will soon be receiving their electricity from renewable power sources — and possibly saving money. Both the city and Santa Cruz County signed on to Monterey Bay Community Power (MBCP) in late February, along with 17 other municipalities, which are working...
Standing up for their Rights
Supporters of Planned Parenthood took over Pacific Avenue on Feb. 11 in a demonstration that drew hundreds in to a crowd that stretched three blocks long and several people deep. The rally in downtown Santa Cruz continued to grow. Many held pink signs reading “Stand...
Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Move Ahead with Body Cameras
Body cameras are becoming the new normal for law enforcement in Santa Cruz. The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office began rolling out body-worn cameras in late December, and both the Santa Cruz Police Department (SCPD) and UC Santa Cruz Police Department (UCSC PD) are creating...