Morning Lookout: Santa Cruz still the most expensive rental market, UC strike ends, Clocktower push-pull and a guide to summer

Good morning, Santa Cruz County. It’s Friday, June 28th – a typical summer day with temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees on the coast as the marine layer retreats, and temperatures around 80 degrees in the mountains. Warming is forecast for early next week.

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Santa Cruz County once again tops a list we’d rather not be on – the most expensive rental market in the country. According to calculations by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, Max Chun reports, locals would need to earn an average “housing wage” of $77.96 per hour to afford fair-market rent.

The strike by student assistants at the University of California is officially over, reports Hillary Ojeda, after the UC and the union reached an agreement.

Christopher Neely reports on the last town hall meeting on the planned 16-story Clocktower Center construction project in the city center, which continued to be criticized by residents but also met with some enthusiasm.

Friday’s headlines include not only Wallace Baines’ guide to all the summer fun in Santa Cruz County, but also Wallace’s weekly roundup of news, tips and recommendations from the local arts and entertainment industry. Let’s take a look at it all.

Yes, Santa Cruz County is once again named the most expensive rental market in the country – and the gap has grown

For the second year in a row, Santa Cruz County is considered the most expensive rental market in the country. In addition, the gap between the county and the second most expensive area, the San Francisco metropolitan area, has widened significantly. Housing activists are not surprised by this. Max Chun reports.

Summer Guide: Your top events this coming summer in Santa Cruz

From music, beer, art and wine festivals to extensive entertainment on the Beach Boardwalk, sophisticated productions on local stages and annual traditions like the Wharf-to-Wharf Race, the summer opportunities in Santa Cruz County (and beyond) are virtually endless. Wallace Baine goes through everything.

DAILY SUMMARY

As you can see, there’s a lot on the menu on Friday, and Lookout has even more to offer. Lily Belli is joining us to treat us to another serving of Eaters Digest delivered straight to your door, along with all of our other newsletters and breaking news. by registering here. You can also stay up to date with Santa Cruz County news and views by connecting with Lookout on social media – you can find us on Facebook, Þjórsárden, Instagram And threadS.

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I’m going away for a while, but as I said Thursday morning, you’ll be in good hands with Max Chun and the rest of the award-winning Lookout crew until I return. Behave yourselves, and I’ll see you on the other side.

Will McCahill