A Call for Affordable Housing
Santa Cruz City Council proposed potential solutions to the housing crisis to an overflow crowd of about 100 residents at its Dec. 5 meeting, responding to months of community outreach. The city’s Santa Cruz Voices on Housing: 2017 Community Engagement report is the culmination of…
BSU Demands, Six Months Later
When the university failed to meet the Black Student Union’s (BSU) demands last year, there was no business as usual. Now, six months after the BSU — formerly the Afrikan/Black Student Association — reclaimed Kerr Hall, they are finally beginning to see some progress. The…
What to Know About Calif. Housing Legislation
Gov. Jerry Brown approved 15 housing bills designed to contend with the state’s growing demand for accessible and affordable housing. Signed in September, the bills primarily deal with zoning, accessibility and funding. They reshuffle how state and local governments prioritize buildable land and how they…
Gas Tax Funds Calif. Transportation Infrastructure
For the first time since the 2008 financial crisis, the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit Department (SCMTD) is breaking even. SCMTD’s budget will be supplemented by California Senate Bill (SB) 1 and Santa Cruz County Measure D, passed in November 2016. SB 1 fuel taxes went…
Protesters Demand Renters’ Rights
Marchers convened in the street as they walked down Soquel Avenue toward Pacific Avenue. Banners spanned the lane of traffic. Passers-by cheered and honked car horns. Chants of “Fight, fight, fight, housing is a right,” echoed off storefronts. About 35 marchers from the Santa Cruz…
New Statewide Policy for Community College Financial Aid
Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill (AB) 19 into law on Oct. 13 to alleviate community college students’ financial burdens. AB 19, known more commonly as the California College Promise, is an amendment to the Board of Governors (BOG) Fee Waiver. Prior to AB 19,…