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UID:Indybay-18762441
SEQUENCE:18878850
CREATED:20141005T182400Z
DESCRIPTION:Dear Constituents,\n\nOn Tuesday October 7th, at 7PM in the evening, the 
 City Council has called a special City Council study session to try to 
 figure out how to permit dwelling units that are basically safe and 
 complaint free within the context of the city’s proactive Rental 
 Inspection Program and Accessory Dwelling Ordinances. Please consider 
 weighing in on these important and complicated policy matters. As an 
 unintended consequence of city policies designed to raise the quality of 
 housing people are being kicked out of their units. This includes single 
 mother Paula Gregoire, who has garnered a certain amount of sympathetic 
 notoriety, including (of course) a facebook page: Save Paula’s 
 Cottage\n\nThough neither City Staff nor Councilmembers want to see anyone 
 lose their housing, the City’s Rental Inspection Ordinance is exposing 
 100’s of residents to the potential of eviction. And more will surface as 
 the program reaches out to more landlords.  Some rentals that have been 
 safely lived in for many years without complaints from neighbors are being 
 deemed illegal and forced into closure due to zoning ordinances that 
 require certain setbacks and automobile parking requirements. Some are 
 falling victim to the well intentioned law that only allows accessory 
 dwelling units on owner occupied lots. Others are being shut down due to 
 the daunting task of renovating old housing stock up to modern building 
 codes. Most of the housing is abandoned without the city’s knowledge as 
 landlords try to stay under the radar of the new ordinances.\n\n To solve 
 the problem we could:\n\n·         Get rid of the proactive Rental 
 Inspection Program and go back to a complaint driven system. We could add 
 more aggressive outreach in Spanish and English in an attempt to address 
 unsafe housing. This is being proposed by an organization called Rental 
 Ordinance Action- Repeal with a website at 
 www.santacruzrentalrights.com\n\n·         Enact a moratorium on 
 abatements other than health and safety issues while we figure this out. 
 This was recommended by the City’s Planning Commission several months 
 ago.\n\n·         Make it easier to legalize units including rolling back 
 some setback and parking requirements and possibly getting rid of the owner 
 occupied requirement.\n \nCouncilmember Comstock and I are interested in 
 all of the above but only the latter approach fits easily within the 
 current structure of the City.  While I support incremental changes to the 
 zoning code, they will not apply to all housing and so we will still be in 
 the position of evicting some people from reasonable safe housing that is 
 acceptable to neighbors. Additionally, this approach will require expensive 
 renovations to bring residences up to current code, even if they are 
 basically safe.  \n\nHow do you think the Council should proceed on this 
 matter?  Please consider coming to the study session to work on these 
 issues with us and/or send us your questions or comments to 
 citycouncil@cityofsantacruz.com.\n\nMicah Posner\n\nYour advocate on the 
 City Council\n https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/10/05/18762441.php
SUMMARY:Loss of Housing on Agenda at Santa Cruz City Council
LOCATION:Santa Cruz City Hall\nChurch and Center
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2014/10/05/18762441.php
DTSTART:20141008T020000Z
DTEND:20141008T040000Z
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