Join us in Celebrating Affordable Housing Month!
Did you know that your zip code is one of the most important data points to predict individual and families’ success, from educational outcomes, health factors, and opportunity to thrive?
As Matthew Desmond wrote in “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,”
“The home is the wellspring of personhood. It is where our identity takes root and blossoms, where as children, we imagine, play, and question, and as adolescents, we retreat and try. As we grow older, we hope to settle into a place to raise a family or pursue work. When we try to understand ourselves, we often begin by considering the kind of home in which we were raised.”
Access to safe, stable affordable homes, is one of the most important tools to create strong, thriving, equitable communities. That is why we are joining residents, community groups, and library branches from around the San Francisco Bay Area region to celebrate Affordable Housing Month this May.
During Affordable Housing Month, residents from all over the region come together to learn, engage, and add our voices to the conversation about how we strengthen our neighborhoods.
This year, we are inviting residents from across the region to embrace the Bay Area as our neighborhood and ponder in collective community: What would it look like to actively welcome all of our neighbors to live, work, play, and stay in our region? What would it take to create a space where everyone, no matter their background, is welcomed and valued?
Affordable Housing Month is an opportunity to deepen your awareness of your neighbors’ experiences; grow your understanding of the foundational role that home plays in strengthening our individual, family, and community outcomes; and cultivate a commitment to ongoing learning.
We’re also pleased to share local events organized by Housing Santa Cruz County (HSCC) uplifting Affordable Housing Month conversations and solutions throughout the month. You can join HSCC for an Affordable Housing Solutions festival and fair on May 6 at Cabrillo College to learn, dialogue, and stand in solidarity for housing solutions – all while having a great time! And view their full local events calendar here [LINK - will be sent by mid-April.]
Lastly, for individuals and families in need of direct services and resources, we offer the following local resources:
~ Our local 211 program, operated through United Way Santa Cruz, connects individuals with live support to help navigate the services, programs, and resources that may be available. Dial 2-1-1
The Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County has a set of resources including rental assistance, youth homeless response team, transitional age youth housing navigation, and Watsonville works and roaming assessor. To learn more: https://cabinc.org/rap/
~ The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Cruz offers a list of affordable housing provider contact information, where you can get information about income eligibility, restrictions, and wait lists. List can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/3kz6dcpu
Community Bridges offers a Family Resource Collective to meet family and individual needs. Learn more here: https://communitybridges.org/frc/
Imagine: A community where everyone sees you as their neighbor and where we are all stronger together for it!
For more information about the Bay Area’s Affordable Housing Month celebration, you can also visit: www.affordablehousingmonth.org
