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Safety Assessments

CALL 911 for all life safety concerns (examples: fire, flood, debris flow, imminent failure of structures or slopes)

If your structure has been impacted by storm-related hazards and you believe it could be unsafe, please vacate the residence immediately and call (831) 454-3171 to request a safety assessment by a County Building Inspector.

If your structure has not been impacted but is threatened by land sliding or erosion above or below your residence, please vacate the residence immediately and request a geologic safety assessment via email to: GeologicHazards@santacruzcounty.us.

If you are calling to report road-related storm damage issues that need immediate attention by maintenance staff (i.e. plugged culverts, drainage inlets, road slip-outs) please call Public Works Road Dispatch at (831) 477-3999.

Please note that response times will vary, depending on number of calls and road access.

***Storm recovery FEMA and permitting information is available here.***

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News and Announcements​

The 2023 Housing Element Update is underway!

Every eight years, the state requires local communities to update their Housing Element to ensure the supply of adequate housing to meet community needs. The existing Housing Element cycle is coming to a close and a new 2023 Housing Element is currently being drafted for the 2023 - 2031 planning period.

Visit the project website to learn more at www.sccoplanning.com/2023HousingElement.

NEW THIS WEEK:  Are you a Santa Cruz County resident or member of an organization interested in housing development? Learn more about our community outreach groups and find out how you can GET INVOLVED in the 2023 Housing Element Update!.

  • County Seeking Input on Regional VMT Mitigation Program.

  • See here for more information - VMT Mitigation Program (sccoplanning.com)

  • Notice About Construction Change Documents

  • Starting January 2023, construction changes will be strictly limited to changes that are within the original scope of work. Work that exceeds the original scope of work shall be applied for as a new permit.

  • New Building Code Cycle
  • STARTING JANUARY 1, 2023 All new building permit applications must reference the newly adopted 2022 Building Code. Applications referencing previous code cycles cannot be accepted. Information on the new code cycle is available here: 2022 Title 24 California Code Changes. 
  • Year 2023 Growth Goal Adopted
  • Santa Cruz County Code sets out a growth management system that implements Measure J, the Growth Management measure approved by County voters in 1978. Each year, the Board of Supervisors is required to establish an annual population growth rate that represents Santa Cruz County's fair share of statewide population growth. On September 20, 2022, the Board of Supervisors adopted a 0.5% growth rate for the year 2023. Find more information here: Board of Supervisors Public Hearing, September 20, 2022, Year 2023 Growth Goal
  • New State Laws
  • The Planning Department has prepared public materials to help property owners understand new state laws in effect starting on January 1, 2022. Please use the links below to learn more about how these new laws might apply to your housing project.
    • • SB 8: extends the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 (SB 330) to encourage more housing production [SB 330/SB8 Guide] [SB 330 Pre-Application]
    • • SB 9: increases development potential on eligible urban single-family zoned lots [SB 9 Guide]
    • • SB 478: encourages development of small-scale multifamily “missing middle” housing [SB 478 Guide]
    • • AB 803: allows subdivision of multifamily-zoned lots for single-family starter homes [AB 803 Guide]
  • Local Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
  • The 2021 update of the County’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP) is now available. You can find more information and links to the documents here.