The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz provides affordable housing to thousands of low-income individuals and families in our community each year.  Through our programs, we’re not just providing housing, we’re changing lives!  Check out our Agency Report 2017 to learn more about our programs, the families we serve, and how we’re working to provide and promote affordable housing.

The Summer Meal programs are ready for another season of feeding kids in the summer, and a new site finder has launched! https://www.fns.usda.gov/summerfoodrocks

There’s no paperwork or documentation required. Simply show up!

Weekly updates are provided by US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) through the first week of September 2017.

To find sites nearby, follow the four numbered steps shown on the website. Start with the Find Sites button located on the map. Enter an address (home, school, etc.) and then click Locate. Click on the plus-sign (+) of the scroll-bar (on the left side of the map) to get a closer view of lunch sites in this county. (The curser may be needed to move this county to the center of the webpage). Both Points on the map, and a List of the ten closest lunch sites will appear. To find out details of a nearby site, either click on the Point, or the List name; a card will pop-up with address, meal type, and hours. For directions click Open Directions on the card.

We believe children and youth with stable housing have better access to safe housing and stronger connections to their schools, which leads to better futures. The Housing Authority wants to display children and youth poster art in the office lobby. The theme is: “When I grow up I want to become…”

Participation is open to all children and youth (under age 18)

Young artists may use watercolor, oil or acrylic paint, pen and ink, pastel, pencil/graphite, marker, crayon, or collage; please consider that posters will need to be copied, as well as displayed in a glass wall case.

Size: cannot be smaller than 8″ x 10″ or larger than 18″ x 24″

Use the downloadable application and permission form. List the child or youth’s name and the grade level they will enter in the fall. Please write the career they want (doctors, dog breeders, pilots, farmers, artists, whatever they are dreaming of becoming). Sign the permission that allows the Housing Authority to display, copy and keep the poster art. Tape the form to the back of the poster.

Posters can be mailed or dropped off during business hours to the Housing Authority from June 18 through August 3, 2017.

The Housing Authority will not be able to return any of the posters.

The Housing Authority will award four prizes, one for each school-age group, in the late August 2017. The four winners will receive a $50 gift card or a gift basket from a local art or student supply store and a framed copy of their poster!

Questions: Please call Lorena at (831) 454-9455, ext. 280 or Tina at ext. 209.

The mission of the Housing Authority is to promote access to quality affordable housing, utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life, and support inclusive, healthy and sustainable communities free from discrimination. In this spirit, the Housing Authority has compiled a list of resources for immigrant families, many of whom have expressed concern about recent changes in immigration policy and enforcement. At this time, the Housing Authority is not aware of any proposed changes that would impact immigrant families receiving assistance through the federal housing programs we administer. However, If changes are proposed that would reduce the benefits offered to our families, the Housing Authority will work actively with local, statewide, and national organizations in collective advocacy to support all of our program participants, including immigrant families.

• Immigration Attorneys and Agencies
• Know Your Rights
• Family Preparedness Plan
• What To Do If ICE Comes To The Door
• National Immigration Law Center
• Immigration Legal Resource Center
• Santa Cruz County Immigration Project (SCCIP)

La misión de la Autoridad de Viviendas es promover el acceso a viviendas de calidad a precio razonable, utilizar la vivienda como plataforma para mejorar la calidad de vida, y apoyar comunidades inclusivas, saludables y sostenibles, libres de discriminación. En este espíritu, la Autoridad de Viviendas ha compilado una lista de recursos para familias inmigrantes, muchas de las cuales han expresado su preocupación a causa de los recientes cambios en normas de inmigración y su cumplimiento. En este momento, la Autoridad de Viviendas no conoce ningún cambio propuesto que pueda impactar a las familias inmigrantes recibiendo ayuda por medio de los programas federales que administramos. Sin embargo, si se proponen cambios que puedan reducir los beneficios ofrecidos a nuestras familias, la Autoridad de Viviendas trabajará activamente junto con las organizaciones locales, estatales y nacionales para advocar el apoyo a los participantes de nuestros programas, incluyendo a las familias inmigrantes.

• Abogados y Agencias de Inmigración
• Conozca sus derechos
• Plan Familiar en Caso de Emergencia
• Que hacer en Caso de Redadas
• Centro de Ley Nacional de Inmigración
• Centro de Recursos Legales de Inmigración
• Proyecto de Inmigración del Condado de Santa Cruz (SCCIP)

The Housing Authority wants to help bridge the digital divide for our participants and the whole community. Soon we will be mailing internet access information to all our participants receiving rental assistance. This information is from both AT&T and Comcast internet service providers. Both have special programs for connecting low-income households to the internet for a low monthly fee. AT&T and Comcast have slightly different ways of qualifying homes for the low cost internet service. AT&T qualifies homes with at least one person receiving CalFresh or SSI benefits. Comcast qualifies homes with persons receiving rental assistance through HUD/the Housing Authority. AT&T’s offer is $10 a month and Comcast’s is $9.95. Both companies prefer people apply online. Here are the company’s websites:

• Comcast – Xfinity: https://internetessentials.com/
• AT&T: att.com/access

If you need more information or help please contact the company directly:

• Comcast – Xfinity:1-(855)-847-3356
• AT&T: English 1-(855)-220-5211 or Spanish 1-(855)-220-5225

The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz has opened a new site based waiting list for Project Based Voucher (PBV) rental assistance at Resetar Residential Apartments in downtown Watsonville.

The Resetar Residential Hotel is an 89 unit supportive and affordable housing project in the heart of downtown Watsonville. There are a total of 52 Project Based units at Resetar, of which 5 units are set aside for formerly homeless veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program. There are 3 one-bedroom units and 49 studio apartment in the Project Based Voucher Program. Residents of Resetar Residential Hotel establish a service plan and receive case-management provided by Abode Services or other service providers.

In most ways, the PBV program operates just like the regular Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, with households paying roughly one third of their income towards housing, and the Housing Authority paying the remainder of the rent directly to the landlord on the tenant’s behalf. However, there are some key differences between the programs. For example, in the PBV program, assistance is tied to the unit, not the household. Therefore, you must reside in Resetar Residential Hotel for at least one year before potentially being eligible to transfer your assistance to another unit.

To be added to the Resetar waiting list, interested persons must submit a Pre-Application form to the Housing Authority. Pre-Application forms can be obtained on our website or from our lobby during office hours Monday-Thursday, or by calling (831) 454-5950. More information about the Project Based Voucher program can be found here.

The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz provides equal opportunity to all applicants for participation in the Housing Authority’s Programs, and is an equal opportunity employer. The Housing Authority does not discriminate based on race, ancestry, color, religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, age, citizenship, handicap or familial status.

If you have any questions, please contact our Waiting List Information Line at 831-454-5950.