Lookout Santa Cruz: Guest Commentary | Yes on C: We are Santa Cruz faith leaders and we choose now to act for our neighbors

By Rabbi Eli Cohen, Rev. Simon Dinglasan, Pastor James P. Lapp, Rabbi Paula Marcus, Rev. David Pattee, Rev. Manuel Recera

We as faith leaders in the Santa Cruz community see an ethical imperative to pass Measure C, the Workforce Housing Affordability Act. We represent thousands of locals and are always conscious of where there is common ground among us.

There’s an old story about the great sage Rabbi Hillel. A skeptic asked him if he could recite the holy books while standing on one foot. Hillel picked one foot up and said, “Love thy neighbor. The rest is detail.”

American-born Pope Leo XIV recently said that housing is a sacred right and that he supports the fight for it. He committed to fighting for housing through popular movements.

Buddhist tradition teaches that a lack of adequate housing is a form of suffering. In fact, Buddhism encourages societal actions to ensure housing is accessible to all.

More recently, the great 20th-century religious scholar Walter Brueggemann, in his seminal book “The Land,” wrote, “When we die, we will not be judged on our property values, but on how well we value our neighbors.”  

Our common heritage strongly supports the idea that housing is a human right. There is a long-standing commitment to address housing needs, including advocacy for affordable housing.

When the community coalition that created Measure C reached out to include faith-based perspectives, we responded. We held congregational, small group and individual meetings. We heard over and over about families living in cars, young people raised in Santa Cruz who can’t afford to stay, and folks paying 60% of their income on rent.

Housing stress causes health stress. It affects school performance. It tears at the fabric of our beloved community. Our congregations also suffer when families are torn apart and displaced.

We were especially encouraged by the efforts of Measure C volunteers to include a broad consensus of community opinion. This means there were inevitable compromises in crafting the measure. No ballot measure is perfect, but we knew this measure would be a major breakthrough because it creates a locally controlled, accountable pathway to more affordability for the people who need it most.

For those who feel Measure C doesn’t go far enough, the reality is that we are choosing between helping thousands of people or doing nothing to address our community’s housing crisis. 

We choose to act now for our neighbors.

Out-of-town realtor associations chose to not only oppose Measure C, but also presented their own deceptive and much weaker countermeasure (Measure B). We were disappointed by their decision. We’re also worried about their divisive campaign tactics.

Jesus talked about a world of organized people versus organized money, and that’s what we’re seeing today with the realtor associations saying Measure C’s $8 per month property tax and a $1,000 fee on a $2 million home are “massive taxes and confiscation of property.” We say that’s not just bad economics on their part, but it represents bad faith with local voters. From their campaign reporting, 100% of the funding against B is coming from out-of-town PACs and lobbyists.

As people of faith, we stand for a better world, where loving your neighbor as yourself – Jesus’s second-highest commandment – is taken more seriously. What is our obligation to our neighbors? It’s the priceless value gained from ensuring we have a community where seniors, teachers, health care professionals, veterans and families of all kinds can live safely and securely.

The benefits of Measure C include prevention of evictions (and the homelessness that often results), development of more affordable rental opportunities and pathways to home ownership. Measure C has restricted the city’s “administrative charge” to 3% (down from the more typical 10%) and earmarked all revenue from the measure into an accountable, auditable fund with public oversight and reporting requirements. Measure C establishes preferences for people currently living or working in Santa Cruz, as well as veterans. The measure also includes exemptions for property transfers within families and for people with limited income.

Primarily, we support Measure C because it gives ordinary people a fighting chance to reclaim their place in this wonderful community. It is fair, reasonable and will make a big difference.

Our spiritual calling led to our strong support for Measure C. We hope you will join us in supporting Measure C for a brighter and more sustainable future for the Santa Cruz community we love so much.

Rabbi Eli Cohen represents Chadeish Yameinu.

Rev. Simon Dinglasan represents Calvary Episcopal Church.

Pastor James P. Lapp represents St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church.

Rabbi Paula Marcus represents Temple Beth El.

Rev. David Pattee represents Peace United Church of Christ.

Rev.  Manuel Recera represents Holy Cross Catholic Church.