Pajaro families soon to pack their bags after Monterey County relocates them to Marina

MARINA, Calif. (KION-TV): Monterey County announced today they will be ending their Non-Congregate Shelter program that sheltered a lot of families from Pajaro who were forced out of their homes when the Pajaro River levee breached earlier this year.

“It just makes me scared and worried, trying to get my life together is hard enough right now, and then with this news it made me more stressed, more anxious,” said Georgina Garcia, Pajaro evacuee.

Garcia has four kids, and she has been staying at a Roadway Inn in Watsonville with her family since March. She said this week she received an unexpected call.

"Saying we, I, got transferred to Marina because of the county being, Monterey County is the one that helps us," said Garcia.“So, because this is considered Santa Cruz County, now the county wants us to move back to Monterey County."

Monterey County vehicles were parked at the Roadway Inn parking lot in Watsonville on Wednesday afternoon. We reached out to Monterey County to ask about the hotel relocation and they said:

"The county continues to provide sheltering support to those in need, but in order to continue to connect those who have been unable to identify housing, the county is moving the program closer to our homeless services providers.” Some of those organizations are Catholic Charities, Community Bridges, and others.

Garcia told me she was helped by Casa De La Cultura after we spoke to her Wednesday. She said she would be staying at Roadway IInn for two more weeks, but after that, it's up in the air where she and her family will stay.

"I have a 3-month-old baby, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression, and driving, mentally, I wouldn't be able to do it,” said Garcia.

Ruben Sanchez is blind and has kidney problems, he will be forced to relocate by the end of the week.

"I have dialysis here in Watsonville," said Sanchez. "Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and my wife takes the bus to work, it's very difficult for us to move to Marina."

With the help of Monterey County, some Pajaro families tell KION they will be relocating to the Country Inn in Marina. It’s about 17 miles away from the motel in Watsonville.

Monterey County said 202 individuals have safely returned to their homes or are transitioning to new residences out of the 264 people supported by the Non-Congregate Shelter program.