City of Santa Cruz to update public on homeless response

As it warns other California communities not to drop off people needing services in Santa Cruz, the city will provide a general update to the public on Tuesday on its response to homelessness.

Tuesday’s update, which will be presented online at 6 p.m., is a semiannual report on the city’s “homelessness response programs, outreach efforts and outcomes.”

It comes on the heels of a Santa Cruz City Council vote unanimously endorsing a new local ordinance that would make it a crime for the agents of other local governments to drop off people experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz without first coordinating with the city. City councilmembers also endorsed a formal policy of prioritizing people who have been residing in Santa Cruz already over homeless arriving from outside the city.

According to a release from the city, topics during Tuesday’s update will include the city’s Homelessness Response Strategic Plan, this year’s point-in-time homelessness count, federal and state news on homelessness and future plans. Subjects covered in the city’s three-year strategic plan on homelessness, which was finalized this year, include “building partnerships and capacity; permanent affordable and supportive housing; care, shelter and support; environmental stewardship; and community safety.

The update also comes amid a statewide debate over a U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing communities to further criminalize homelessness, and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order urging state government agencies and local communities to destroy homeless encampments.

In a recent piece for Lookout’s Community Voices opinion section, Santa Cruz City Manager Matt Huffaker wrote that “our dedication to treating people with dignity and respect and compassionately addressing homelessness is unwavering” even though those moves “alter the practical and legal landscape.”

“History has shown that ticketing and arresting people for camping on the street doesn’t solve the problem. It is an endless drain on resources and only makes it more difficult for unhoused people to move forward and find jobs or stable housing,” Huffaker wrote. “While enforcement of certain regulations is necessary for public health and safety, it is not a standalone solution.”

Meanwhile, members of the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors said last week that no action would be taken against homelessness encampments until they could assure that services were available to help the people who would be affected. This came after hearing a six-month update on countywide homelessness response in which a shift of homeless population from Santa Cruz to Watsonville was noted, along with the need for more shelter beds and other services in the southern part of the county.

A question-and-answer period will follow the city’s presentation on Tuesday. Registration is required, and can be made here.