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Santa Cruz County Homelessness Articles



Image caption: A legislative analyst’s report is sharply critical of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s shifting priorities in mental health funding.
Newsom’s Mental Health Plan May Shift $720 Million to Housing

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to rethink how California spends its millionaires tax by directing more money toward housing. Some county-run mental health programs could lose out.

Image caption: Should California adopt the Texas approach to handling the homeless problem?
4 Reasons Texas Beats California on Homelessness Reduction

The homeless population fell by a third in Texas over the past decade as it surged in California. The cost of living is a big reason Texas is doing a better job at alleviating homelessness.

Image caption: Under the Inside Safe program homeless camps have been cleared, but where do the people go?
'Inside Safe' Homeless Plan Struggles to Get People into Housing

Los Angeles’ new homelessness solution is meant to quickly get people out of encampments and into housing—as the city grapples with the state’s largest population of unhoused residents. But the program is struggling to house people and connect them with …

Image caption: "Housing First" prioritizes getting the homeless into housing before anything else.
Why Hasn't Housing First Policy Worked in California?

Housing First policy works to reduce homelessness, evidence shows. But in California the policy has proven ineffective. What is the state doing wrong?

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Salvation Army shelter facing closure after funding loss

For years, the Salvation Army in Watsonville has provided temporary shelter for homeless people, in addition to services such as showers, clothing, mail, lockers and laundry at the organization’s Navigation Center. This includes roughly 120 dinners per day, as well …

Image caption: Grass Valley, in Nevada County, was making headway against the homeless problem until its grant money dried up.
Why Efforts to Help the Homeless Stalled in Grass Valley

Gov. Gavin Newsom poured ‘unprecedented’ money into homelessness, but providers say his use of one-time grants does not allow for long-term solutions to the state’s biggest crisis. That's what happened in Grass Valley.

Image caption: Gov. Gavin Newsom and top legislators say they have a deal on the new California budget. But who's in and who's out?
New California Budget Deal: What You Need to Know

After weeks of negotiations, the governor and top Democrats in the Legislature say they have a budget deal. Legislators will start voting today on bills related to the agreement, which sets spending and policy across a wide range of issues …

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Grant to help move homeless from Pajaro River encampments

Homeless services advocates from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties are considering placing a small community of modular tiny homes in a church parking lot in Watsonville, aimed at reducing the number of people camped out along the Pajaro River. The …

Image caption: Kara Meyberg Guzman and Stephen Baxter discussing a graph showing homeless spending.
Santa Cruz Local's Deep Dive on Homelessness Spending

A local newsroom follows the local, state and federal money spent on homelessness in Santa Cruz County and examines how effectively it was spent.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Homeless data system to reboot in Santa Cruz County

Upgrades aim to improve coordination, add funding.

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Coastal Commission approves Santa Cruz overnight RV parking ban

Parking alternatives offered, 72 hour tow notice required.

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Coral Street homeless services plans advance in Santa Cruz

Pogonip camp cleanup expected to cost $250,000.

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Is homeless services spending effective in Santa Cruz County?

Part 3 of 3: Residents and leaders describe a need for housing.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Money sources, constraints and problems with homeless services spending in Santa Cruz County

Part 2 of 3: How homeless services money was spent from 2019 to 2021.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
How homeless services money has been spent in Santa Cruz County

From shelters to rent help, 14 categories traced from 2019 to 2021.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
Homeless population assists flood recovery in Watsonville, Pajaro

WATSONVILLE—As the waters recede from the recent floods that ravaged South Santa Cruz and North Monterey counties, residents have been returning to their homes and starting to clear the debris that overtook their dwellings. In Watsonville, homeowners are getting help …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Coral Street homeless service ideas head to Santa Cruz City Council

Potential expansion could include more homes for people with disabilities.

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Strides and stalls in Santa Cruz County homeless plan

Rental assistance vouchers gain traction with landlords.

Featured

The California mental health crisis is tied to both homelessness and rising crime.
UPDATE: California’s Mental Health Crisis: How We Got Here
The making of Gov. Newsom's plan to help get mentally ill Californians into treatment.
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
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
Santa Cruz is lucky to have local groups that look beneath the surface of homeless encampments and find ways to help.
Doing the Work
These nonprofit and community organizations do a lot of heavy lifting.
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.
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.
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
California’s first food bank has helped residents of Santa Cruz County for more than 50 years.
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