Longtime resident says new construction lacks for-sale units; urges more 'move‑down' housing

Kathy Haber, a longtime Santa Cruz resident, told the commission she wants new construction to include smaller for‑sale units so older homeowners can move to smaller homes and free up family-sized houses. "I would like to move to a smaller space, and that would make my home available to a family," Haber said. She added that many recent projects that were initially proposed as condominiums ended up rental-only and she finds no for‑sale options suitable for her needs.

Commissioners acknowledged the difficulty of producing for‑sale units under current market and regulatory conditions and discussed state-level constraints and the high costs of building all‑electric, efficient buildings. Several commissioners raised the challenge of balancing affordability, ownership opportunities and construction costs as the city pursues new housing supply.