Santa Cruz homeless begin setting up tents at old Ross Camp site
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) Santa Cruz homeless are once again setting up tents near the former Ross homeless encampment that the city shut down earlier this year in May.
Homeless advocates told KION it's all because of a lack of winter shelters in the city, and they're calling it a "survival camp."
The California Homeless Union Santa Cruz chapter President Alicia Kuhl spoke to KION on Monday at the camp site; she is also the former liaison of the Ross Camp.
"We have established a homeless union-sanctioned survival camp due to the lack of winter shelter and lack of shelter in general in the City and County of Santa Cruz," said Kuhl on Monday at the camp site.
She said this time around they're asking people who stay there to follow a set of basic rules in an effort to keep the camp open. This includes no violence, no theft, and no use of drugs or alcohol in and around the camp.
She said people must also help keep the camp tidy.
"The general idea is to keep people alive this winter. We have a severe lack of shelter since the city has decided not to open the VFW winter shelter this year," Kuhl said.
Santa Cruz Police Sgt. John Bush tells us they've gotten a few calls today from the public with concerns about people re-occupying that space.
Kuhl said some police officers also came to the camp Sunday and Monday.
Nearby businesses are already on edge with the formation of that new camp. Having dealt with the first Ross Camp earlier this year, many are weary of a new battle and concerned about the safety and well-being of their customers and employees.
"They would be coming in and out of the store and it was a very unsafe environment for lack of a better phrase," said Isaac Arballo, the manager of the nearby Mattress Firm. "If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't. I'm not happy about it, but we can all just wait and see."
The homeless argue it is not illegal to camp at the land behind Ross, and they are hoping by designating this a "survival camp," there can be more legal protections.
"There would be less challenges if the city had actually cooperated and let us do this versus having us have to do it on our own," said Kuhl.
KION reached out to the Santa Cruz police chief for comment, but he did not return our calls.
