Housing
The City of Monterey is required to build over 3,000 housing units under what's called Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA.
It’s urgent that we build new housing, especially in our downtown area close to jobs, schools, multi-modal transportation and services. Let’s continue to work towards completing housing projects on Garden Road and at our Fort Ord property near Ryan Ranch. I want to see new mixed-use projects on North Fremont and Lighthouse Avenue.
Housing affordability affects all of us, and can undermine the economic prosperity and quality of life for the entire city.
Housing affordability has long been an issue for our students and hospitality workers, but it has widened to an unsustainable level for most Monterey residents. It’s now a struggle for the middle-class and local families, and buying a home is largely unattainable.
We are struggling to retain or recruit workers for nearly every industry and business on the Peninsula. Our tourism economy and our city budget are reliant on a strong talent pool of service workers. I’m worried about losing quality teachers to educate our kids, and public safety and health is at risk if we can’t keep or attract police officers, firefighters, nurses and doctors. Families are leaving and schools are being consolidated because of population decline. We risk losing our military installations when cheaper locations become more attractive to the federal government.
Let’s not forget the inflated costs of child and elder care, groceries, gas and services on the Peninsula. Nearly 30% of Peninsula residents are food insecure, 20.6% report living in unhealthy or unsafe housing conditions, 24% do not have cash on hand to cover a $400 emergency expense, 22% of MPUSD students experience homelessness and 35% are worried about covering housing costs. Over 60% of our residents are renters and too many are vulnerable to displacement and even homelessness due to sudden layoffs, medical emergencies, major home repairs, reduced hours and/or the high cost of living. This housing insecurity can affect mental health, upward mobility out of poverty and the ability to raise a family.
Let’s use the rental registry for data to study year-after-year rent increases, and determine whether additional renter protections and assistance programs are needed for vulnerable residents.
I have seen a lack of representation of parents with young families on local elected boards and councils for a long time. We need to ensure that working-class residents and families can continue to live here or else we risk the collapse of our local economy.
