Santa Cruz Changes 158: Filling those new apartments

Changes 156 counted the number of new apartment units recently opened or under construction in downtown Santa Cruz. That post noted an unanswered question: How can we estimate the number of residents per new apartment? I haven't worked that one out yet, but instead came up against another question: how fast are those new housing units filling up?

The City recently tried to answer that question with the informational document copied at right. It shows very high occupancy at all three of the newly-opened multi-family housing projects, even at market-rate Anton Pacific, the oldest and largest of the three. The Anton occupancy figures no doubt came from the developer and could be inflated, but the other two are city-sponsored projects, so the figures are presumably reliable. They seem to indicate plenty of appetite for this type of downtown housing.

We'll learn more as River Row and Pacific Station North fill up, but I expect the numbers to be similar. I talked to the folks at Mercy Housing who are running the PacStation North application process, and was told that there were over 1,500 applications for the 228 apartments. Not too far behind is another large project: the mixed-use library/housing/garage. I've also noticed a recent slight decline in asking rents for existing apartments, which may be attributable in part to all the new units coming onto the market.

Santa Cruz Changes 157: Santa Cruz design guidelines

 

On July 23, the City Planning Commission will host a public meeting, seeking input as part of a "design guidelines" project. At right is a timeline for the project (from the project webpage). As you can see, this meeting will be the third event, and the first open to public participation.

An informational email offers this description of the event:

The Planning Commission of the City of Santa Cruz will hold a community meeting to consider the project listed below on Thursday, July 23, 2026, on or after the hour of 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers – City Hall, 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz, CA. Please join us for a community meeting on design guidelines hosted by a special meeting of the Planning Commission. 

The City of Santa Cruz is developing design guidelines for multifamily housing and mixed-use development. Design guidelines are principles and recommendations that the City can use to express the community’s vision for how new development looks and feels. These guidelines will help shape how new housing is designed so it fits well within neighborhoods, contributes to the character of Santa Cruz, and supports safe, attractive, and livable communities. 

Building on the City’s existing design standards, the new guidelines will provide additional direction for future housing development. Community input will help shape the final guidelines and ensure they reflect local values, priorities, and the unique character of Santa Cruz. 

This meeting will provide an opportunity to learn about the Design Guidelines project, ask questions, and engage in discussion with Planning Commissioners, members of the City Council Design Guidelines Ad Hoc Committee, City staff, and fellow community members. 

We look forward to your participation in this community event.

• Date: Thursday, July 23, 2026
• Start Time: 6:00 PM
• Location: City Council Chambers, 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 
• Project Number: FP26-0005
• APN: Citywide 
• Website: www.santacruzca.gov/designguidelines 
• RSVP and Sign‑Up for Project Updates: Use this Form to RSVP and sign up for the project interest list if you'd like to receive updates. RSVPs help us plan for attendance. They are anonymous, optional, and not required to join the community meeting.

While I always support any governmental effort to increase public awareness and participation, it's hard to envision how this project will have meaningful effects on planning processes for housing development, given recent state law constriction of local options. Nevertheless, I have signed up on the project interest list (using the linked "Form" above), and will keep track of project progress.