The Santa Cruz community has broken ground on a new affordable housing complex. Pacific Station North Apartments – developed by Eden Housing in partnership with For the Future Housing, Inc. – will be a 128-unit affordable housing development in the heart of downtown. With a planned ground floor retail and commercial space, this seven-story project will set aside 32 units for extremely low-income households and 21 units for individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

This development marks the final phase of Pacific Station, a massive transit-oriented redevelopment in downtown Santa Cruz. Residents of Pacific Station North will have on-site access to a computer lab, a community center, a communal laundry facility, and an after-school program for their children. Wi-Fi will be installed in all community spaces.

Replacing the former METRO bus station, the development site required multiple infrastructure improvements before a groundbreaking could take place. These improvements included new traffic signals, stormwater management installation, bike lanes, lighting, bus turn lanes, and the demolition of previous buildings. Funding for this part of the project was provided in part by a $5.8 million Infill Infrastructure Grant from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), as well as another $20 million from the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) program administered jointly by HCD and the Strategic Growth Council.

When completed, Pacific Station North will be a net-zero carbon emission structure, providing affordable housing, a new METRO bus transit hub, a pedestrian paseo, and retail space for the city.