.Letter to the Editor: Who Gets Homes?

Thank you to Johanna Miller and her recent report on the tight real estate market (GT online, 3/19).

Can our younger, working, middle-class families ever afford to live here? Our family has been here since 1959 and 1969, respectively. Mom and Dad (66 and 70) are employed in agriculture and construction, and were lucky enough to get a piece of land and build and raise two daughters in their one-bedroom. Daughters are now living and working as professionals in health care and education in our county. Problem is, they cannot afford to stay and ever buy a home. Their spouses are also employed in tech and health education. Very community oriented, working for Cabrillo, school districts, elder-care facilities, etc. We could split our property to allow them to build a home, but money to split is $60K-80K each and not guaranteed to be approved. Beyond that, cost of building is high; building permits and fees are over six figures. Will we be able to sustain our community? Can fees and regulations be trimmed to develop homes?   

Mary Bailey | Santa Cruz

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