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Santa Cruz County Homelessness Digest



6 Myths About Homelessness in California

07/07/2024

There’s a lot of misinformation floating around out there about homelessness in California. We use data to dispel several common myths.

City of Santa Cruz in Wake of SCOTUS Homeless Ruling

07/04/2024

Mayor Fred Keeley says City of Santa Cruz will stay the course of the current strategy, for now.

City of Santa Cruz Considers Options Following SCOTUS Homeless Ruling

06/28/2024

Santa Cruz officials are reviewing homelessness policies in the wake of the US Supreme Court ruling in the Grants Pass v Johnson case.

Supreme Court Gives Cities in California and Beyond More Power to Crack Down on Homeless Camps

06/28/2024

The ruling by the conservative court majority means cities no longer are prohibited from punishing homeless people for camping if they have nowhere else to go.

SCOTUS Rules Cities Can Ban Homeless Camps

06/28/2024

The Supreme Court 6-3 ruling in the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson case found that the fining and arresting of homeless people does not violate Eighth Amendment rights.

How Best to Reduce California Homelessness?

06/06/2024

A panel at the CalMatters Ideas Festival debates how to reduce homelessness without punishing poverty. There’s worry about a potential $1 billion cut in state funding.

California Homelessness Funding Is on the Chopping Block. Will It Make the Final Budget?

06/04/2024

It’s the billion-dollar question. That’s how much cities and other local governments have been receiving from the state each year to deal with California's ever-increasing population of homeless people.

Democrats Kill California Homeless Camp Ban, Again

05/29/2024

A bill to ban homeless encampments statewide near parks, schools and transit hubs failed to get out of the same legislative committee as last year.

Santa Cruz County Project Roomkey Study Released

05/16/2024

A case study of the impact of the California Housing and Community Development's pandemic Project Roomkey program in Santa Cruz County was released.

Oversize Vehicle Ordinance Extension Granted

05/09/2024

The California Coastal Commission granted a two-year extension to the controversial City of Santa Cruz ban on overnight RV street parking.

Coastal Commission to Consider RV Parking Ban Appeal

05/07/2024

The California Coastal Commission is set to consider an appeal of the City of Santa Cruz ban on overnight parking mandated by the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance.

Harvey West Park Homeless Encampment Cleared

05/02/2024

The City of Santa Cruz cleared an encampment used by 30-40 people from the Harvey West Friendship Park on May 1.

Tiny House Village Construction Set for Summer

04/24/2024

A 34-unit tiny home village for people displaced when Pajaro was flooded will begin construction in Watsonville on a church-owned parcel in Watsonville.

Watsonville Proceeding With Homeless Camp Removal

04/10/2024

In its April 9 meeting, the Watsonville City Council voted to seek contractor bids to clear out a homeless camp from the nearly 2-acre lot on Airport Boulevard.

California Fails to Track Its Homelessness Spending or Results, a New Audit Says

04/09/2024

There’s so little data available, it’s impossible to even tell if several of California’s largest homelessness programs are working, according to a statewide audit released Tuesday.

Opinion: I've Covered California's Homeless Since Before the Word Was Used. This Is What I Learned

04/06/2024

I thought my journalism and others’ could change policy, perhaps even inspire a New Deal-style response equal to the challenge. Such was my naiveté.

Santa Cruz Parking Ban Renewal Challenged

04/03/2024

Local homeless and housing rights activist Reggie Meisler filed a challenge to the renewal of the City of Santa Cruz large-vehicle parking ban.

Proposition 1 Passed. Now What?

04/02/2024

The passage of California Proposition 1 is leaving local mental health and homeless service providers with questions as to the impact in the count.

California Senate Bill 1395 " Interim Housing Act " Advances

03/21/2024

Legislation would fast-track approval for temporary or relocatable housing on vacant land when local shelter emergencies arise.

Groups Oppose Santa Cruz Oversized Vehicle Parking Ban

03/08/2024

Santa Cruz Cares and American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California are among those seeking to overturn Santa Cruz Planning Commission approval in February of the Oversized Vehicle Ordinance.

Border Patrol Is Dropping Off Hundreds of Migrants at San Diego Trolley Station

02/27/2024

“Street releases” have resumed after the nonprofit that operated a migrant welcome center announced its “finite resources have been stretched to the limit.”

Guide to the California Senate Candidates' Views of Housing and Homelessness

02/26/2024

No issue matters more to Californians than housing and homelessness. Catch up on where the major Senate candidates stand on the subject.

Latest Project Homekey Award to Back Santa Cruz County Interim Youth Housing

02/14/2024

A former children's residential treatment program outside Watsonville is set to be converted into 21 new housing beds for youth by early next year, with the backing of a nearly $3.6 million state grant.

Feds Leave California on the Hook for $300 million in COVID Homeless Spending

02/08/2024

When Gov. Gavin Newsom launched his landmark effort to shelter homeless residents in hotels during COVID, the state and local governments were relying on FEMA to foot much of the bill.

Feds Reserve $6M for Santa Cruz County Homeless Response

02/07/2024

The latest round of federal homelessness response grant funds—at more than $6 million—is set to be distributed across Santa Cruz County to a handful of service providers this year.

An Initiative Promised 20,000 Homes for Mentally Ill Californians. It Delivered Far Less

02/06/2024

California voters this spring are considering a $6.4 billion bond to house people with serious mental health conditions. A similar 2018 ballot measure offers lessons about the obstacles that stand in the way of construction.

Santa Cruz Sobering Center Reopens After Hiatus

02/04/2024

After halting services for about four years, a sobering center that county leaders say is a critical boon to the community, local health care providers and law enforcement is back online in Santa Cruz.

Planners Extend Santa Cruz RV Overnight Parking Ban

02/03/2024

The Santa Cruz Planning Commission voted unanimously to renew a controversial RV overnight street-parking ban for at least the coming five years, several months ahead of its expiration.

Santa Cruz County’s Point-in-Time Count Remains an Imperfect Measure of Homelessness

01/26/2024

The annual point-in-time count took place with about 130 volunteers, local officials and homelessness service workers hitting the streets before sunrise to try for the most accurate picture of homelessness in Santa Cruz County possible.

How Has Santa Cruz’s Oversized Vehicle Ordinance Gone So Far?

01/24/2024

Santa Cruz has handed out more than 200 citations as part of its overnight parking ban, which took effect Dec. 4. City staff say everyone seeking overnight safe parking has been able to access the program, but some remained concerned about the law’s wider implications.

Homelessness Is on the California Ballot This March. Will Conditions Change?

01/17/2024

Prop. 1 would funnel more money into housing and treatment for homeless Californians struggling with mental illness and addiction. But it’s far from a one-stop solution.

Program to Clear Encampments Shows Signs of Success, But Housing Remains Elusive

01/16/2024

A multi-year, $750 million California program aimed at doing away with homeless encampments has had mixed results. Local leaders say ongoing funding is needed.

Featured

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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.
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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.