A listening session at Raíces y Cariño in July connected Noticias Watsonville with residents, who shared their concerns about the soaring cost of living. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local)

Editor’s note: Erandi García is the lead reporter for Noticias Watsonville. She covers issues and decisions made by elected officials that shape life in the Pajaro Valley and across Santa Cruz County. Her stories appear in Spanish and English, on WhatsApp, Instagram and on Santa Cruz Local.

This story was written in first person, documenting Erandi’s experience conducting listening sessions throughout South Santa Cruz County in July and August.

WATSONVILLE >> This summer, I went out into the community with my Noticias Watsonville colleagues Catalina Jaramillo and Nik Alterberg to hold listening sessions in preparation for curating the Nov. 3 election guide we published Oct. 5.

Because I had only been reporting at Santa Cruz Local/Noticias Watsonville for a couple of weeks, I initially felt nervous, but also excited, to reconnect directly with the community where I grew up. It had been more than five years since I had worked as a journalist here, and even though I live in Watsonville, this would be a new opportunity to listen to my community’s concerns and hear about the changes they would like leaders to address in their city.

We worked with trusted community partners to organize these sessions across Watsonville and Pajaro Valley. We determined the best way to reach people and listen to what they have to say is by meeting them where they’re already gathering. We interviewed residents at Fruition Brewing, the Strawberry Jam Fun Run and the Watsonville Strawberry Festival. We also visited community organizations to hold listening sessions at Raíces y Cariño during its tea party and ceramics class. We went to the Watsonville Senior Center and Pajaro CDC during one of the informational outreach visits by the Consulate General of Mexico in San Jose.

Thanks to the community’s participation, we had the opportunity to survey and interact with more than 400 people. We interviewed 119 residents of different ages and occupations, including students, teachers, agricultural workers, small-business owners and older adults.

The conversations covered a wide range of issues, but there were a handful that came up again and again. We used those conversations to press candidates running for Watsonville City Council and Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees. You can read their responses in English and Spanish on our election guide.

Living in Watsonville is getting more expensive

To no one’s surprise, the cost of housing and basic necessities came up in most of our conversations.

“Everything is so expensive,” said Alicia Rodríguez, 52, who has lived in Watsonville for 30 years and works as a caregiver. She said she currently works part-time, and much of her income goes toward rent and other basic expenses.

“One paycheck goes to rent and the other to bills, and there’s nothing left to save,” Rodríguez said.

Rodríguez and 25 other people named the high cost of rent as one of their biggest concerns. Many said they do not know how long they will be able to remain in Watsonville with prices as high as they are.

“It’s hard to find housing or move out of my parents’ house,” said Jonathan García, 25, who has not been able to find an affordable place to live despite owning a roofing business. “Rent is really high right now.”

The lack of well-paying jobs in Watsonville compounds the situation. Amber Lerma, 45, has lived in Watsonville her entire life but has always had to work in another city to afford to stay in town.

“I would love to work in Watsonville doing what I do in Santa Cruz and not have to make that commute because it’s dangerous, exhausting and stressful,” Lerma said.

Now that her daughters are adults, she worries that Watsonville also lacks enough job opportunities for young people like them to build their futures here. Many young people shared with us that although they don’t want to leave their families and communities in Watsonville, they most likely won’t be able to afford to stay.

The rising cost of living is also hitting small-business owners like Leticia, owner of La Misma Taquería in Watsonville. In the three years of operating her business, she has seen a decline in customers, making it increasingly difficult to keep the taquería open.

“Everything is so expensive right now, and it’s really hard for everyone,” Leticia said.

Jules Mandujano, a lifelong Watsonville resident and owner of bikeshop Watsonville Cyclery, walks along Main Street in Watsonville on July 31, 2025. Watsonville’s walking and biking deaths have historically outpaced the county average. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

Safety for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers

Safety came up most often in our conversations. Residents talked about crime and violence, but also about everyday problems such as traffic, inadequate street lighting in some areas and risks to pedestrians and cyclists.

Rodolfo Manriquez, 84, has lived in Freedom near the Watsonville Airport for two years. During our listening session at the Senior Center, Manriquez said he’s limited with how often he can go out because of his mobility issues and the lack of sidewalks or walkways near his home.

“I can’t get around because there’s no way for me to get out,” he said. “It’s about half a kilometer to the first bus stop.”

María Hernández and Javier Vásquez, a retired couple who have lived in Watsonville for 30 years, said they would like police to pay more attention to the area where they live.

“The signs say 25 (mph), and they go flying by at 50, 60,” Vásquez said of drivers in the area. “We’ve talked to the police, but when you’re Mexican, they ignore you.”

Schools and young people need more resources

Like many of the people we spoke with, Alexis Vargas, 31, is concerned about the ongoing budget cuts at Pajaro Valley Unified School District. The district has seen layoffs to mental health clinicians and other staff in the last year.

“If we get rid of counselors, who is going to take on that additional load?” said Vargas, a lifelong Watsonville resident and school counselor in Gilroy. “Counselors are already overloaded. They have a huge number of students. Who is going to be there for them?”

Many parents told us they want more after school activities for children and young people, with particular attention to the most vulnerable families who can’t afford expensive programs.

“I think about the kids in Pajaro. They don’t have access to these kinds of things,” said Sandra Anaya, a 28-year-old teacher and lifelong Watsonville resident. “For me, it would be really important to have more access to programs and recreational activities that keep children and young people engaged outside of school hours — structured programs that are preferably free or low-cost.”

Radcliffe Elementary school in Watsonville on Aug. 25. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local)

What’s next

Although the experiences of the 119 people we interviewed do not represent the views of all Watsonville and Pajaro residents, they helped us better understand what questions people want us to ask the candidates seeking to represent us and what issues they want to see reflected in our coverage more broadly.

That is exactly what we did with our election guide. We used what residents told us to interview candidates about these issues. Their responses, along with information about the races and candidates, are part of our election guide for the Nov. 3 election, which you can now read in English or Spanish.

We will also soon distribute a special print edition for our readers.

My work as a reporter does not end with this guide. I want to continue having these conversations, listening to what is happening in different parts of Watsonville and Pajaro, and asking questions of the people making decisions about the issues that affect our community.

Thank you, and I’ll see you around town!

Questions or comments? Email [email protected]. Santa Cruz Local is supported by members, major donors, sponsors and grants for the general support of our newsroom. Our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support. Learn more about Santa Cruz Local and how we are funded.