Stop blaming homeowners for cost of housing – Santa Cruz Sentinel

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The letter from someone leaving Santa Cruz because of high rental costs implied that homeowners are unaware of the high cost of housing. Let me respectfully point out that homeowners are the group most aware of what it costs to live here, paying high mortgages month after month. We know how difficult it is to buy or rent here. But the false equivalency is this: equating empty homes with the high cost of housing is a fallacy. There are few empty homes in Santa Cruz, unless you count vacation rentals, which are not subject to the Empty Home Tax. Blaming homeowners for economic conditions and years of unwillingness to build housing is just scapegoating to get support for this misguided initiative. We are sorry you had to move. But one plus one does not equal 10 no matter how much you want it to. Stop blaming homeowners.

Steven McCarty, Santa Cruz

The Sentinel welcomes your letters to the editor. Letters should be short, no more than 150 words. We do not accept anonymous letters. Letter-writers should include their full name as well as a street address and telephone number. We dont publish those details in the newspaper, but need the information for verification purposes. Occasionally, we reject letters simply because we had so many on the same subject. Submit your letters online at www.santacruzsentinel.com/submit-letters.

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