Santa Cruz County Local News: Homelessness


All Local Homelessness News articles contributed by our local media allies and other local newsrooms.

Image caption: The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here

How the California mental health crisis emerged out of the state’s history of deinstitutionalization and laws designed to protect the mentally ill, as well as the communities around them.

Image caption: Working together with many volunteers, this crew feeds 65,000 people in Santa Cruz County every month.
California’s Oldest Food Bank Pays It Forward

For the food-insecure community in Santa Cruz County, Second Harvest Food Bank feeds the need.

Image caption: Kerry Wood, CEO of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation, says the organization researches areas of need to help donors direct their contributions.
What Is a Community Foundation?

By channeling funds to a number of nonprofits working on various issues in a given region, community foundations help solve big problems throughout California.

Image caption: Santa Cruz is lucky to have local groups that look beneath the surface of homeless encampments and find ways to help.
Doing the Work

Experts see these organizations as the most effective at fighting homelessness.

Image caption: A city-sanctioned homeless encampment directly adjacent to county government offices and across the San Lorenzo River from the heart of downtown Santa Cruz.
How the City and County Work on the Homelessness Crisis

As the population of unhoused individuals and families in Santa Cruz has exploded, officials from the City of Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz County tackle the issue.

Image caption: The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think

The links between homelessness and crime are complex, and the idea that unhoused individuals present a danger to their community seems to be exaggerated.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

02/12/2025
Outreach workers in the Bay Area city of Fremont worry the new ordinance could target them, despite assurances from the city.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

01/31/2025
Read on to learn more about the documentary ‘Beyond the Bridge’ about how American cities are responding to homelessness, playing on February 13 at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

01/14/2025
Jennielynn Holmes stood in the middle of a make-shift evacuation center when the scope of the crisis hit her.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/31/2024
A look at the shifting number and locations of homeless in the county in the last year.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

12/20/2024
Image for display with article titled County Remembers People Who Died While Homeless

The number of people who died while homeless this year saw a sizable decline from last year, when Santa Cruz County honored 121 people at its annual Homeless Memorial.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

12/19/2024
Another Watsonville resident has filed an appeal against the 34-unit homeless tiny village proposed for the parcel occupied by the Westview Presbyterian Church.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

12/11/2024
Gov. Newsom launched an ambitious program that uses Medi-Cal to help Californians access housing, healthy food and more. Now, its fate is in the hands of President-Elect Trump.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

12/09/2024
Image for display with article titled Will a New Court Program Address Severe Mental Illness in Santa Cruz County?

A state-mandated Santa Cruz County court program started this month to connect services to some people with serious mental illnesses.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

11/25/2024
Many California cities offer their homeless residents one-way bus tickets to other places.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

11/15/2024
The City of Watsonville is in the process of forming a citizen and agency task force to address the sharp increase in local homelessness. Read on for details and information about how you can apply to serve on the task force.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

11/15/2024
Learn more about a California Coastal Commission vote which paves the way for the City of Santa Cruz to begin weekly street sweeping on Westside streets favored by people living in their vehicles.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

10/30/2024
Homeless Californians face many barriers to casting a ballot, even in elections that affect their lives. Some counties and nonprofits are trying to boost turnout.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

10/17/2024
Multiple state agencies spent nearly $24 billion on housing and homeless programs in the first five years of Gavin Newsom’s governorship, but the number of people without homes continued to grow, rising by 20% to more than 180,000 in the most recent federal count in 2023.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

10/11/2024
An appeal has been filed against the approval of a 34-unit tiny home village for local homeless at the Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville.

California Local Pin Marker From Lookout Local...

10/08/2024
A report on the October 5 community workshop held by the City of Watsonville to brainstorm ideas about addressing homelessness in the city.

California Local Pin Marker From CalMatters...

09/30/2024
Homeless service providers are scaling back and taking out loans as they wait for late payments from the government.

The Pajaronian logo From The Pajaronian...

09/27/2024
Image for display with article titled Watsonville City Council Slams Tiny Village Plan, Approves Mobile Home Ordinance

The Watsonville City Council on September 24 expressed frustration at a new planned tiny village community for homeless people slated for the parking lot of Westview Presbyterian Church at 118 First St.

Santa Cruz Local logo From Santa Cruz Local...

09/26/2024
Image for display with article titled What Triggers a Homeless Camp Sweep in Santa Cruz County?

While outreach and public health are supposed to guide how authorities deal with homeless camps, unhoused residents and their advocates have said the rules are enforced unevenly and arbitrarily throughout Santa Cruz County.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

09/18/2024
In a webinar presentation on September 17, City of Santa Cruz Homelessness Response Manager Larry Imwalle gave a report on the progress of city homelessness programs, noting successes and addressing submitted community questions.