2024 point-in-time count: Seniors and behavioral health still big concerns amid improvements among families and vets

Homelessness rose marginally this year across Santa Cruz County, according to preliminary results of the annual point-in-time (PIT) count released Wednesday by the county, meaning that numbers stayed mostly the same when compared to 2023.

The PIT count is federally designated and is conducted in the early hours of the morning on one day in the winter. It aims to provide as full a picture of homelessness as possible in jurisdictions throughout the United States. Santa Cruz County’s PIT count took place on Jan. 25. The process is almost certainly an undercount every year, as it is only a one-day event, and does not include those in institutions and those staying with friends and family.

Still, the counts can provide jurisdictions with reasonable year-over-year comparisons. The 2024 preliminary data shows a 2.6% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness, to 1,850, up from 1,804 last year — which was the lowest count recorded in the county since 2011. According to the preliminary results, specific areas of improvement included homelessness among families, youth and veterans:

• The number of families experiencing homelessness dropped to 52 from 76. The count identified only four unsheltered families.
• People ages 18 to 24 and without children experiencing homelessness dropped to 199 from 334 — a 40% decline. 
• Homelessness among children under 18 dropped 5%.
• Veterans experiencing homelessness dropped to 72 from 159 — a 55% decrease.

That said, the early PIT count numbers come with negatives as well. Older adults are seeing higher levels of homelessness, and unhoused people are also reporting more behavioral health issues:

• Adults ages 55 and over experienced a 7% increase in homelessness.
• The number of unhoused people with disabilities increased 19% to 710, up from 573 last year.
• The number of unhoused people reporting serious mental illness increased by 5%, and those reporting long-term substance use disorders increased by 32%.

Although the count is not perfect, Housing for Health Director Robert Ratner sees this year’s early numbers as a good sign. He said he thinks the county’s effort to distribute more permanent housing vouchers and building more permanent supportive housing units made the biggest difference. He also said that better coordination with county partners like Abode Services, Housing Matters, Housing Authority of Santa Cruz County and more has helped get people in need of housing into the pipeline more efficiently.

“To me, it makes sense. I’ve been doing this for a while, and the biggest reason people are struggling here is because the rents are high and the incomes are low,” he said. “If you fill it in, and give people the right services, that makes a big difference.”

Ratner added that the county has temporary subsidy programs available that get people into housing, but the “temporary” part holds a lot of weight.

“When those run out, if people haven’t increased their income or found someone else to move in with, they’re just back in a situation where again, rents are too expensive,” he said. “So filling in that gap is the best thing we’ve done in the past few years.”

On the issue of rising levels of homelessness among older adults, Ratner attributes it to the cost of living going up while their incomes stay fixed. He added that with age comes health issues, further stressing their often-precarious financial situations.

“And then, certain things you need to be able to manage to keep your place, like paying bills on time, keeping your room clean and all of that functional stuff becomes more of an issue,” he said.

Ratner also said that some assisted living facilities struggle to stay afloat in communities like Santa Cruz, and the reason is more of the same – and that feeds a vicious cycle.

“They can’t find workers to continue to operate, so the prices are high to help people get into assisted living, and then there aren’t enough customers. Then, the folks who need that kind of level of care can’t find options,” he said.

While Ratner said services to get people housed have been successful, he thinks the county needs to improve its resources for those struggling with mental health and substance use disorders — and that needs to include a safe place for them to stay.

“It could be residential treatment, it could be somewhere to sleep where they’re safe; that kind of support is essential to recovery,” he said, adding that when people struggling with addiction are unhoused, using substances can be a mechanism to either cope with their situation or stay awake and alert out of fear. “I think there’s this belief that there’s some magic mental health treatment wand where a treatment provider can come in and help them in that situation, but it’s really hard to get people engaged in treatment.”

Ratner also has concerns that the county won’t be able to maintain its progress in the near future due to proposed state budget cuts. The 2018 Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention block grant program infused counties and cities with annual allotments of money to go toward expanding and developing local services. Now, that money could get cut completely, which means Santa Cruz County could be out $4 to $5 million annually.

Additionally, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposed cutting Home Safe — a program for those in adult protective services at risk of losing housing because of elder or financial abuse or neglect — and Bringing Families Home, a program designed to give housing support to families so that they can reunite. Ratner said state legislators are pushing back, so time will tell if these services will actually be lost.

But above all, Ratner thinks too many policy decisions are tied to PIT count results. Typically, he said, when homelessness levels drop in a jurisdiction’s PIT count, it gets less money for services. That could mean that any gains a county makes could crumble quickly.

“The PIT count gets a lot of attention, but it’s imperfect,” he said. “I think it’s not the best policy making to make funding decisions just based on the PIT count.”

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