Elizabeth Conlan
Scientist  www.conlanforcouncil.com conlanforcouncil@gmail.com       Age: 32

I want to address the crisis of housing affordability and availability which I see as the most urgent issue facing the City of Santa Cruz. I am a renter on the eastside of Santa Cruz and work as a researcher at Driscoll's in Watsonville. I will fight for a more inclusive and vibrant Santa Cruz through new housing for all income levels, an outreach-focused approach to homelessness, and safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists.

More housing is central to addressing income and racial inequality, homelessness, and climate change. Housing that can shelter our workforce will strengthen the diversity of our neighborhoods and further enrich the charm of our community. In the pandemic and economic downturn, safe and stable housing is a necessity. We should adopt an “outreach first” approach to homelessness with 24/7 crisis intervention, where social workers connected to resources interact with people instead of the police. Our city can and should lead the way as a model community that relies less on cars and is more walkable and bikeable. More people living near transit will make our transit system better. Housing located by jobs, transit, and schools creates sustainable communities.