Santa Cruz County homeowners with unpermitted structures have a pathway to certifying them for safe habitation through a new county program. The Safe Structures Program is in place in part to relieve the housing crisis happening throughout the county. Landlords could be required to pay to relocate tenants when rentals are illegal or unsafe. The new program that certifies the buildings would take the pressure off landlords to pay the relocation fee. Buildings that qualify must have been built before 2014 and be located in an unincorporated part of the county.
