Quick Take
Santa Cruz homelessness advocates, officials and residents gathered Friday to memorialize members of the unhoused community who died over the past year.
Deaths among Santa Cruz County’s homeless population fell nearly 39% in 2024 from last year’s record high, but that still means that at least 74 residents died on local streets this year through November 30, per a Homeless Persons’ Health Project release.
More than 200 people gathered at the Portuguese Hall of Santa Cruz near Harvey West Park on Friday morning to grieve the loss of life over the past year at the 26th annual homeless memorial. The event also honored another 45 people who were previously unhoused that died in 2024.
Attendees lined the walls, leaving space for 74 empty chairs to fill the center of the room. Along with an electric candle, a flower and a candy cane, each chair bore the name of a person who had died while homeless in 2024, most of whom were between 41 and 64 years old.
The memorial, organized by local homeless services providers such as Santa Cruz County Homeless Persons’ Health Project, Housing Matters, and Wings featured songs by Santa Cruz Threshold Choir sung as the crowd paid its respects.
“There are names in these seats that taught me how to survive,” Chris Brown told the crowd. Brown was previously unhoused and is now a substance use disorder peer specialist with Encompass Community Services. “Today, I’m in a position to help others keep their names off the back of these seats.”
Photographers Kevin Painchaud and Sheridan Smith captured the memorial.
Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.