Eradicating homelessness in Santa Cruz County
Grand Jury findings confirm what many people in Santa Cruz already know — homelessness is a big problem. The report found there was a 56% increase in the homeless population from 2009-2013.
Laurie Soderman is slowly getting back on her feet. She’s been homeless for over a year and had a recent run-in with the law. The so-called “Bubbly Bandit” is burying her past with the help of the Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz.
“I’m accepted here,” Soderman said. “I’m not judged.”
“People come out here,” Chris, a staff member said, “Working side by side, its really hard to tell who’s who. Who is in the program, who is on staff, who is a volunteer and who is an intern.”
The program is two pronged. Some of the food here goes to program that serve homeless and needy populations. For Soderman, it’s giving her skills she needs to build a future.
“It teaches us to be on time,” Soderman said. “It teaches us to take direction. All the things that’s needed in a workplace.”
But she still doesn’t have a home of her own. She has a Section 8 voucher but can’t find a landlord who will rent to her. Over the last year, she’s lived in her car or nearby parks
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The Grand Jury, which looked at emergency shelters and funding found existing emergency shelters can only house 13% of the county’s 3,500 homeless. According to the findings, local jurisdictions have not increased the number of emergency shelter beds and services.
“I want to thank the Grand Jury,” said Julie Conway with Santa Cruz County. “They did such a thorough job looking into this issue which is complex.”
Conway manages the county’s affordable housing program. She agrees with the report, saying there needs to be funding for case management services to give homeless people the support they need. Many times, it’s just finding a place.
“We know that the answer to homelessness is housing,” Conway said. “We need more affordable housing, and we just need more housing in our community.”
The county also has it’s “All In” program, which tries to streamline services for homeless people that come in. The program was introduced back in April.
Other recommendations by the Grand Jury include providing more emergency shelters and hire more grant writers to find more sources of money. At this point, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors and the Santa Cruz, Capitola and Scotts Valley City Councils have until September 15 to respond.
