Letter to the editor: The county must provide better mail options for unhoused residents

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At Tuesday’s meeting of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors, Randy Morris, the county’s Human Services Department (HSD) director, stated that HSD would offer mail services for recipients of CalFresh, Medi-Cal and cash aid at HSD locations in Santa Cruz and Watsonville. Supervisor Manu Koenig commented that he was glad they had a plan in place for the mail services.

This is not a plan. What this means is the homeless population will need to go to at least two different places to obtain their mail. For many who do not have a phone, how will they know they have any mail at an HSD office? Where will they go for the rest of their mail, from the Social Security Administration, the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Santa Cruz County court system, police departments, medical providers, friends, family, etc.?

They have had 2½ months and this is the best they can come up with? And to state it with such vigor that a supervisor seems to think the issue is resolved. 

It makes me ashamed to work in this local jurisdiction.

David Davis

Santa Cruz