Watsonville
In Compliance
Out of Compliance
Unincorporated Area
Unincorporated Area
Unincorporated Area
Overview
Population
52457
Avg. Household Income
$
72295
Experiencing Rent Burden
55
Providing adequate housing options is a key function of local governments. To help residents ensure their local government is meeting this need, we’ve compiled important information about this jurisdiction’s housing efforts below.
Housing Element is In Compliance
This city is currently working on implementing its housing element.
Housing Element is Out of Compliance
This city is currently working on implementing its housing element.
Good Progress
This city is currently on track to meet their RHNA housing targets.
Making Slow Progress
This city is falling behind. It is not on track to meet its housing targets.
Housing Targets
Every 8 years California assesses housing need and assigns each city with a target they must hit. If
Watsonville
repeats its efforts from the previous cycle
it will only meet 74% of the identified need.
Current RHNA Target
2023
-
2031
On Target
Behind
Hit Target
Missed
Very Low Income
Low Income
Median Income
Above Median Income
State Statutes
Organizers fighting for fair housing can use many state laws to ensure that jurisdictions meet their housing targets.
Builder’s Remedy
When a city’s Housing Element is out of compliance, the Builder’s Remedy allows developers to bypass the zoning code and city plans another couple of words.
Does not apply
Does not apply
Does not apply
SB 423
When cities lack a compliant housing element or are behind on RHNA, this statute streamlines approval of projects that meet a threshold of affordable units.
10% Affordable
10% Affordable
Conditions in
Santa Cruz County
HE Compliance
How does
Watsonville
compare to its neighboring cities?
This city is currently doing a better job than its neighbors at meeting housing needs.
Progress
0
0
Income
-3
-3
Density
25
25
Join the Fun!
Key parts of
Watsonville
’s housing element are currently being worked on. Get involved to hold them accountable for meeting their deadlines.
Santa Cruz County
's Volunteers
21
Current Watchdogs
Level III
21/40 Volunteers
Upcoming Opportunities
Add Event
These upcoming events and tasks are great opportunities to make a difference in your community.
Event Name
Stop by Drinks & Agendas
Each Friday at 12:00PST our team gets together via Zoom to monitor local agendas so we can direct watchdogs to key meetings where decisions are being made about housing.
Watchdog Reports
Add Report
Our watchdogs are on the ground observing and taking part in the fight for fair housing. Read their reports below.
Watsonville
's Reports
Anonymous
Rafa Sonnenfeld
09
/
24
This is to document Santa Cruz YIMBY's success with the Capitola housing element advocacy. Capitola recently got their housing element certified, thanks in part to SC YIMBY's push to get them to make more meaningful commitments to change. Specifically:
In Capitola, YIMBY advocated for:
- Explicit commitment to facilitate and monitor Mall redevelopment
- Addressing constraints, including higher density, increased height to facilitate development in commercial zones (including the Mall), and reduced parking requirements
- More for Affirmatively Further Fair Housing (AFFH), esp additional programs to encourage missing middle housing
- Additional programs to incentivize lot consolidation
- Increased use of objective standards
- More support for transit-oriented development
- More intra-cycle reviews
- Better analysis of non-vacant sites for probability of development, especially for low-income housing
- Realistic sites on the site inventory, including removing state sites.
In the Housing Element, Capitola:
- Added a program focused on Mall redevelopment, including increased total units from 627 to 1,777 for the Capitola Mall redevelopment, and increased height for the Capitola Mall parcels to 75’, excluded parking garages from FAR calculations and committed to monitoring the mall redevelopment and developing alternative strategies, including rezoning if not achievable.
- Added commitments and deadlines for their review and revision of development standards for residential development, including lower parking requirements and higher density residential zones.
- Added multiple programs for missing middle housing: Religious Facility Housing, SB9 Support, and housing on public/quasi-public land.
- Added additional sites with lower income housing to inventory; removed state sites.
- Committed to objective development standards for mall redevelopment and in their Incentives for Community Development. (As part of their implementation, they have been removing subjective language from their proposed zoning amendments. )
- Added commitment to work with AMBAG in the 2050 MTP/SCS (scheduled for June 2026) to designate the Capitola Mall as a planned high-quality major transit stop
- Committed to incentivizing the development of affordable housing on commercial sites along transit corridors
- Removed their obsolete Affordable Housing Overlay
- Added site analysis to support probability of redevelopment including for lower income housing.
- Added additional sites along transit corridors.
/
Loss
/
Pro Housing
/
Win
/
Pro Housing
/
Deferred
/
Pro Housing
Anonymous
07
/
23
SCC staff are insulating their work from council. May be an attempt to minimize the work necessary to implement the housing element.
/
Loss
/
Pro Housing
/
Win
/
Pro Housing
/
Deferred
/
Pro Housing
Anonymous
Rafa Sonnenfeld
01
/
22
Ambag approved a rhna methodology.
/
Loss
2
/
3
Pro Housing
/
Win
2
/
3
Pro Housing
/
Deferred
2
/
3
Pro Housing
Anonymous
Elizabeth Madrigal
11
/
21
- Selection of draft RHNA Methodology + continuation of public hearing to be deferred until December 8th special meeting
- AMBAG (finally!) brought incorporation of AFFH factor into methodology to board - no action was taken on it, but majority of board of directors were in support
- Salinas Valley jurisdictions (namely City of Soledad) would like to see farmworker housing set aside incorporated into methodology
- Water constantly being brought up as a concern by Monterey Peninsula jurisdictions
/
Loss
3
/
4
Pro Housing
/
Win
3
/
4
Pro Housing
/
Deferred
3
/
4
Pro Housing