Santa Cruz leaders search for answers to homeless problem

Homelessness is a problem that shows no sign of going away in Santa Cruz. City leaders said they’re trying to tackle the ongoing issue. Walking along the streets of Santa Cruz, it’s hard to miss all the homeless people. Some people said it’s fitting that so many hang out near city hall.

“People need to see the truth and the truth is we have a lot of un-housed individuals in Santa Cruz and we need to find a solution,” said Analicia Cube of Take Back Santa Cruz.

There’s almost 2,000 homeless people in Santa Cruz County. City leaders said the high cost of living is a contributing factor. Some homeless people have even staked out beach front views.

“There’s a tremendous amount of impact on the entire community because there’s homeless encampments that cause environmental damage,” said Mayor Don Lane.

Thursday Mayor Don Lane met with United Way’s Emerging Leaders Circle to hear about their year long research on decreasing the homeless population.

“Improving the foster care system. Improving systems with the criminal justice system with incarceration so improving opportunities for employment when people leave jail things like that,” said Robyn McKeen with Smart Solutions to Homelessness.

Mayor Lane said the meeting was more of a preliminary discussion, but folks in the county said they want more than just talk.

“It’s sad that our community and Santa Cruz County can’t get their act together, we have some of the greatest social services mind in the entire country yet other counties and cities across the country have found solutions and we’re just still talking about them,” said Cube.

With homeless people walking the streets barefoot and sleeping in public parks, Santa Cruz residents complain it’s becoming harder to enjoy the beauty of their city.