The “Wildland Urban Interface” (WUI) – where housing mixes with or sits alongside natural areas – is currently the fastest area of housing growth in California, and also the most hazard-prone. But little is known about why people move to and live in “the WUI,” the diversity of people living there, nor about residents’ needs, experiences, and visions for the future. Over the last two years, UCSC faculty, students, and community partners have been conducting “WUI Research for Resilience," a large research project focused on these questions in the WUI of our Central Coast. Fanning out across the region, we have conducted over 1500 surveys in Santa Cruz and North Monterey Counties, numerous in depth interviews, and novel approaches to mapping and spatial analysis.

As part of Santa Cruz County Affordable Housing Month, we are excited to invite you to a presentation and feedback session with special focus on the San Lorenzo Valley. After sharing some preliminary findings, we will facilitate small group discussions to gather your valuable perspectives on areas and issues of particular interest such as: equitable disaster preparedness and recovery, the challenge of housing affordability and access, and land stewardship and conservation. Your input will directly shape the final phase of our research and the development of recommendations aimed at fostering greater resilience in our WUI communities and throughout the region.