Santa Cruz County sees 21% drop in people experiencing homelessness

Santa Cruz County completed its homeless Census Point-in-time results show there's a drop in people experiencing homelessness by just over 21%.

Santa Cruz County housing leaders said last year's point-in-time results showed 2,300 people were experiencing homelessness. This year it dropped to 1,800.

The fight to combat homelessness continues in Santa Cruz County. Santa Cruz County housing leaders say this drop was for numerous reasons.

"We had an unprecedented amount of additional federal and state resources that came to us to a local level during the pandemic,” said Robert Ratner, Director of Santa Cruz County Housing Health Division. “A couple of some housing vouchers, and a partnership with our housing authority, that were able to pull together to help hundreds of people from being without a home and to housing.”

The 2023 pit results show in February of this year 79% of people experiencing homelessness were unsheltered at the time.

Housing Matters in Santa Cruz says it's very encouraging to see a drop in homelessness, but says the work continues.

"We are still seeing people coming and looking for services and it shows also that the majority of them, 79% are unsheltered,” said Tom Stagg, Chief Initiative Officer, of Housing Matters. "So, it's who we see in the neighborhood and on our streets.”

Housing matters leaders also said, although they still have seen people seeking their services. There have been more people this year transitioning to permanent housing.

Santa Cruz County housing leaders said right now they're working to try to support people who are still experiencing homelessness, partially through the Housing for Help program.

"A new process called coordinated entry, we updated that process, and we are starting to train people to be what we call “housing for help connectors” that help people experiencing homelessness," said Ratner.

“Get connected to resources, and I think as we expand that network and train and support that work, we will have a better connection with folks.

The 2023 pit results also show local homelessness impacts people of color—with 44% of those surveyed identifying as Hispanic or Latino.

Santa Cruz County leaders said they will do another pit count next year to see if the number of people experiencing homelessness has been reduced from this year.