Santa Cruz County Homelessness Articles

In Watsonville, we see the human cost of California's housing crisis every day. As homelessness rises, we face a critical choice: continue with inadequate approaches or embrace innovative solutions reflecting our values of compassion and dignity for all.

A sign warns drivers not to park on part of Ocean Street 5-7 a.m. Thursdays. The city plans to issue first warnings, then increasing fees for cars parked during street sweeping hours. (Nik Altenberg — Santa Cruz Local)
SANTA CRUZ …

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.

A state-mandated Santa Cruz County court program started this month to connect services to some people with serious mental illnesses. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> CARE Courts opened in Santa Cruz County this month, offering …

The Watsonville City Council on Tuesday 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.

A tent camp floods at the benchlands of San Lorenzo Park in Santa Cruz in December 2021. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
Key takeaways

Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley sent a clear message last week during an early morning press conference: Santa Cruz will not take on other cities’ unhoused populations. Accompanied by city and county officials, Keeley convened the media to unveil a …

Homelessness remains one of the most pressing social issues of our time, particularly in communities like Watsonville.

Small, less-expensive readymade homes could buy time as the state continues to struggle with homelessness and high building costs.  By Mark Kreidler, Capital & Main...

Days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing jurisdictions throughout the state to address the homeless encampments within their borders—and about one month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that laws banning sleeping in public do not constitute …

Days after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order directing jurisdictions throughout the state to address the homeless camps within their borders—and about one month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that laws banning sleeping in public do not constitute …

Residents of a Watsonville neighborhood are pushing back against a proposed housing project meant to help homeless people staying along the Pajaro River levee. They say that local officials have ignored their concerns over crime and safety and are moving …

Watsonville city officials on Monday began clearing a sprawling unsanctioned homeless encampment along the Pajaro River that runs from Sakata Lane to Loughead Avenue.

Tents are set up under the Pajaro River bridge in Watsonville in 2022. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> Homelessness dropped 36% in the City of Santa Cruz and jumped 60% in Watsonville from 2023 to …

After Santa Cruz County last year saw a drop in the numbers of unhoused people, the numbers this year from the annual Point In Time (PIT) count conducted in January stayed mostly static.

Housing Matters in Santa Cruz said it helped 427 people into homes last year. Other organizations also helped hundreds more find homes. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
Why we wrote this story
A Santa Cruz Local story this …

Nearly 300 people marched the streets of downtown Santa Cruz May 18 to help end homelessness.

California voters narrowly passed Proposition 1, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measure to fund mental health housing. He’s prodding counties to use the money quickly.

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.