In a Nov. 5 presentation to the Board of Commissioners, Housing Authority Director Judith Armendariz reported public-housing occupancy at 98%, matching HUD's operational target, and detailed waiting-list volumes and voucher-program availability for Santa Cruz County.

Armendariz said the public-housing waiting list counts are: 1-bedroom 175 applicants, 2-bedroom 108, 3-bedroom 56 and 4-bedroom 2. Because of the large lists, staff plan a purge beginning Nov. 15: the authority will mail letters to waiting-list applicants asking them to confirm continued interest; applicants who do not respond will be removed.

For the Housing Choice Voucher program (Section 8), the authority has 202 vouchers with 92% utilization, below HUD's 98% goal. Staff reported 163 vouchers in active use, 7 available and 7 voucher holders actively seeking units. Project-based vouchers at the Bowman Center total 20 (one referral pending). There are five stability vouchers (one currently available, allocations decided by the Mariposa coalition) and 15 emergency housing vouchers, of which 10 are leased.

Commissioners and staff discussed operational challenges: applicants who fail to show for scheduled interviews, mismatches between the size of unit needed and available unit types (particularly one-bedroom units for seniors, elderly and people with disabilities), landlord participation requirements for Section 8 (training, application and annual inspections), and how utilities are treated in voucher calculations.

Staff noted eligibility processes can delay placements, including federal background checks and required documentation. Commissioners suggested exploring programs used by other jurisdictions to prioritize applicants with special needs; one commissioner said Tucson's Access program streamlines referrals for people with serious mental-health needs, a model the board asked staff to review.

Director Armendariz said the waiting-list purge and outreach steps aim to clarify the true demand and to determine whether to reopen waiting lists in early 2026.