California awards Monterey County $8 million to help people living in Pajaro Riverbed

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV)- California announced Wednesday it has awarded $ 199 million to move 7,300 people out of encampments and into housing.

The grants will go to 23 projects statewide with more than half of the projects to disband encampments along state rights-of-way.

$8 million of which will go to help 70 people living along an encampment along a river and creek. Monterey County said the money would "focus on homeless encampments in the Pajaro River."

According to Monterey County Board Supervisor Luis Alejo, "The idea is to provide housing, whether it's on the Monterey County side or in Watsonville, to provide housing for these residents, and then they will have the support services."

The funding will also go to the creation of a micro-village of 34 modular tiny homes and a navigation center in Watsonville to help transition people into permanent housing.

The project is expected to break ground in a few months and is a collaboration with the County of Santa Cruz Health and Human Services and the City of Watsonville.

In a statement talking about the partnership Santa Cruz County said in part:

"With this State funding, we will be able to move people out of harm’s way and provide the support needed to successfully transition them into housing.”

Monterey County hopes this will be the start of more homeless resources for North Monterey County.

“There is a definitely a need here," Alejo said. "There was very little services in North Monterey County. We're trying to address that need.”

Once relocation has finished, restoration of the riverbed channel will be done by the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency.

“We’re doubling down on our investment to ensure that thousands of individuals in communities up and down the state move out of encampments and into housing where they can get the services and help they need," said California Governor Gavin Newsom. "It’s not enough to simply clean up encampments, my Administration will continue to work with local leaders and community members as they serve their unhoused neighbors and remove dangerous and unsightly encampments throughout California.”

Funds from the grant will be available for two years and must be spent by June 2026.

For a full list of project funding, click here.