Gateway Plaza Camp to Remain Open for Now
After over a month of flip-flopping on what to do with the houseless encampment behind Gateway Plaza, sometimes called the Ross encampment, the Santa Cruz City Council rejected a plan to close the camp. Council members Cynthia Mathews and Donna Meyers and Mayor Martine Watkins…
Houseless Relocation Moves Forward
Tuesday’s contentious City Council meeting began with accusations of misinformation and sexism and ended with a vote approving a plan to vacate the current houseless camp next to Gateway Plaza on River Street. Although the plan was passed with a 4-3 majority, it was met…
Sunrise Comes to Santa Cruz
Tired of politicians dragging their feet on climate policy, youth activists are taking the lead. Gathering at the Walnut Commons on Feb. 5, community members young and old strategized how to take power in the 2020 election cycle as part of the Sunrise movement. Sunrise…
New Protections for Renters
From the gallery, the windows and a screen in the nearby Tony Hill room, onlookers witnessed City Council vote to establish an interim just cause eviction ordinance and finalize a renter relocation assistance ordinance. The first meeting of the new City Council on Jan. 8…
Unsheltered
At about 5 a.m. on an October morning, two houseless people were tucked away beneath the arch of a Pacific Avenue doorway. Red and blue lights brought an end to their rest as a police vehicle came to a stop before them. The emerging officer…
Renters and Landlords Clash at City Council Meeting
A tense crowd of about 114 people filled Santa Cruz City Hall to capacity, with about 100 people looking on from outside, during the Nov. 27 City Council meeting intended to discuss potential amendments to the Relocation Assistance For Displaced Tenants Ordinance. The meeting surged on…
Lay Down Our Arms
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 2018, the Santa Cruz clock tower tolled to mark 100 years since the end of World War I, known as Armistice Day. Timing his strikes with the tower’s, Vietnam War veteran and…
Q&A with New Council Member Justin Cummings
CITY ON A HILL PRESS (CHP): What’s the first thing you plan to do in office? JUSTIN CUMMINGS: Make sure that the rent freeze stays in effect […], make sure that we get something [to replace Measure M], and not lift the freeze until we do….
Restoring Justice
The paintings and poetry flanking the room, created by inmates at the Santa Cruz County Jail, laid a fitting backdrop for a conversation about the criminal justice system. About 80 Santa Cruz residents packed into the Resource Center for Nonviolence, across the street from the…
Warming Center Celebrates Storage Facility Success
The Warming Center hosted a celebration for the success of the new permanent location of its storage program at 150 Felker St. on Nov. 3, after running the program out of a converted shuttle bus for three months. The program currently serves about 150 houseless…