San Benito County Local News: Homelessness

Homeless residents have built elaborate living arrangements along the San Benito River, and some of them include underground dwellings and walled communities, according to a recent census conducted by the San Benito County Sheriff’s Office.

Expanding California’s unprecedented support for local efforts to create long-term solutions to address homelessness, Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that 37 regional grantees representing 100 local communities and organizations statewide will receive more than $827 million in new state investments to create new housing, shelter and support for those experiencing homelessness.

Local Hollister thrift store Worth Saving Mercantile, the anchor for Linda Lampe’s Food Angels program, will be closing its doors next month. The downtown location has served as a haven for homeless and food-insecure people for the last six years.

The Coalition of Homeless Services Providers, in partnership with local governments, community-based organizations, and volunteers, has completed the annual Point-in-Time (PIT) Count for 2024, says a press release from the coalition. The results indicate an increase in the number of individuals and families experiencing homelessness in San Benito County, highlighting the growing challenges faced by the community.

In San Benito County, 621 people live on the streets or in homeless shelters. That is 264 more than in 2022 and 339 more than in 2019, aligning with the upward trend of homelessness in California.

Linda Lampe’s Worth Saving thrift store was supposed to be closed on the day of our interview, but she was otherwise occupied—fixing lunch in the back kitchen for a homeless man. He was one of the many people who came by needing food and a word of encouragement, knowing they could get both from Lampe without judgment.

The new ordinance allows officials to remove, incarcerate and fine residents who camp or sleep in public right-of-ways.