SV approves changes to housing plan

The Scotts Valley City Council approved updates to the city’s housing element to comply with state standards.
The most significant change is a state requirement to allow for more low-income and transitional housing in the city.
While the council passed the amendments to the housing element unanimously, members were not necessarily happy with making the changes.
“This is one of those things that takes land-use authority away from local governments,” newly named Vice Mayor Dene Bustichi said.
However, the penalties for not having a state-certified housing element include lawsuits against the city, the halting of further development and being ineligible for state funding, Community Development Director Susan Westman said.
“Having a certified housing element is a significant step forward,” Westman said.
The housing element, a lengthy document that sets future housing goals as part of the city’s general plan, is mandated by the state and must be updated every five years.
Scotts Valley adopted its 2009-2014 housing element in April 2009, but the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development sent it back with the needed changes to make it certifiable.
One of the amendments allows transitional and supportive housing in all residential areas. Transitional housing is usually used by those who are homeless, and supportive housing is for those with mental and physical disabilities.
Homeless shelters are still only allowed in commercial areas along Mount Hermon Road and Scotts Valley Drive, Westman said.
However, the city will amend the zoning regulations to be more specific regarding homeless shelters by establishing a maximum number of beds, length of stay parameters and onsite security, among other things.
The other significant change is adding the state’s classification of “extremely low income” to the kind of housing the city must provide. The classifications are a percentage of the mid-level income level in Santa Cruz County.
“It may seem like a minor word change,” Westman said, “but the state is requiring the city to be more aggressive in providing affordable housing.”