Growing up in Santa Cruz as the son of a public school teacher, I saw the incredible dedication that educators have for improving the community in this thriving little stretch of the northern Central Coast. But the cost of living in Santa Cruz has skyrocketed since my parents bought their house in the late-1980s. Essential workers, like teachers and school staff, now have an extremely hard time buying a home and finding a permanent place to set roots and build financial security in the area.
That’s why I was particularly thrilled to have helped launch Landed in Santa Cruz County in partnership with all 10 public school districts in the county. Now all public school teachers, staff, and administrators who have worked for in a district in the county for at least two years have access to Landed’s down payment program, up to $120,000 per family.
“As the cost of housing in Santa Cruz County continues to rise, too many of our educators are feeling the squeeze. We believe Landed will be a valuable solution to help improve school recruitment and retention by providing educators with a new option to help make homeownership more accessible.” – Michael Watkins, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools
Since our launch, we’ve already heard from dozens of educators who didn’t know if they could ever afford to buy a home anywhere near Santa Cruz, but with Landed’s help, they have new hope that homeownership is within reach.
Below, we’ve shared press clips, articles, and videos from our announcement of Landed’s down payment program at Santa Cruz High on November 16, 2017.
Interested homebuyers can learn more and apply immediately here.
KION 546: Santa Cruz County launches program to help K-12 employees buy a home
KSBW Action News 8: Helping teachers find housing in Santa Cruz County
Press conference highlights: Landed Launches in Santa Cruz County
Casey Carlson, President of the Greater Santa Cruz Federation of Teachers
Michael Watkins, Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools
Ian Magruder, Partnership Lead, Landed
