Affordable housing complex for senior citizens coming to Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz County and community leaders come together today to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new 40 unit affordable housing complex designated for senior citizens in the Live Oak neighborhood.

“The need for homes for seniors is critically important,” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor John Leopold. “At the end of your career and the end of your work life you shouldn’t have to worry about having shelter over your head,” added Leopold.

The new housing project is being built on land owned by and adjacent to the St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church.

Pastor James Lapp told KION that the idea for the affordable housing community came after a family in their congregation became homeless.

“When that happened to one of our own we began to really talk about what we could do,” said Lapp.

Still, Pastor Lapp said getting to this groundbreaking has taken a lot longer than expected.

“Six years ago, the congregation voted to have this land used for affordable housing so it’s been a six year process,” said Lapp.

A process which Pastor Lapp says has been made easier with the help of Santa Cruz County, a non-profit organization called COPA, and a non-profit developer called Mid-Pen, which is a California company that specializes in affordable housing.

“Really this is the beginning of making affordable homes that were originally envisioned six years ago,” said Ashley Schweickart of MidPen.

The housing community is set to be completed by May 2017.