Business owners raise concerns as Santa Cruz homeless encampment grows
As the homeless encampment behind the Gateway Plaza shopping center grows, business owners in the area say its costing them.
The encampment is now home to dozens of tents near the River Street and Highway One intersection.
One nearby business owner saying this spot is threatening business, “being 5 feet from business and being in a major gateway to the city, which this is Gateway Plaza, it’s just not conducive,” Michael Spadafora.
Businesses and employees say it’s not only sad and unhealthy to see people living in these conditions but their businesses are suffering, “drug arrest, we’ve had cars broken into somebody tried to light the bathroom on fire at my store. Across-the-board we are down 10,15%. And when you say 10-15% that is the operating budget margin for most of our businesses here. A lot of us are small businesses and we can’t keep sustaining this,” says Spadafora.
Employee Marlo Rodas adds, “at my job I’ve noticed an increase of shoplifting. So that is an issue.”
They tell me their yearly spending on security is also taking a hit, usually they estimate spending $90,000 now say it’s gone up to $130,000.
The city has added porta potties, wash stations and trashcans that are cleaned out regularly, but also say they’re working tirelessly to find a permanent location, “the city and the county continue to work closely to look where to go next, as in literally where to go next. We are spending many many hours a day and a week, it’s our highest priority,” says Eileen Cross.
One of the people living at the encampment, Michael Sweatt, says he is thankful for what the city has done and hopes there is a long term solution. But says the main thing he wants to see change is how they are percieved, “there’s a lot of people that don’t care for people here because they associate us with things that happen amongst us, like overdoses so now this is a drug area. It’s a bunch of heroin addicts, there’s a few bad apples here and there, but you know you have to deal with that.”
