Santa Cruz Gets $29M For Affordable Housing, Transit Hub

SANTA CRUZ, CA — The City of Santa Cruz was awarded $29.6 million to fund the affordable Pacific Station North mixed-use project, the city announced in a news release. $20 million of the funding will be used for housing, $9.5 million will be used for transportation, and roughly $300,000 will be used for social service programming.

Pacific Station North will provide 95 one, two, and three-bedroom units. 25 of the units will be reserved for families experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, and the remaining 66 units will be reserved for families at or below 50-60% of the median income: roughly $56-69,000 for a family of four.

The project will also be used to redevelop the bus transit station, enhance the pedestrian experience around Maple Alley, and create retail, office space, and a public bicycle hub. Funds will also support workforce development and transit passes for residents. The project aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions through a variety of means, including net-positive energy production, heat island mitigation, and carbon sequestration.

“In partnership with the Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District and the affordable housing non-profit First Community Housing, the City will create a transformative, environmentally sustainable, transit-oriented development on Lower Pacific Avenue. It will provide a new state-of-the-art bus transit facility and centralize affordable housing and community services at the City’s downtown transit hub,” said Economic Development Director Bonnie Lipscomb.

“The Pacific Station North development provides a rare opportunity to build much-needed affordable housing while achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The innovative site and building design is a model for future development as we work to support our low-income community members while still adapting to climate change,” said City Manager Matt Huffaker.

See here for more information on the project.