Stacey Falls, who teaches chemistry and environmental science at Santa Cruz High School, takes issue with a recent Lookout op-ed on the dangers of the San Lorenzo River levee. Yes, there are unhoused people and it is “certainly unpleasant and even disgusting” at times, she writes. But the problem is the “unjust systems that have created rampant homelessness in one of the most affluent counties on the planet.” The city cleans up beaches and downtown regularly – why not the levee, she wonders.
homelessness
Posted inLatest News
What happens to homeless people after encampment sweeps? That’s on cities, Gavin Newsom says
California cities and counties are to blame for failing to get people off the street, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday — despite all the money he’s given them to do so.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
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.”
Posted inLatest News
As homeless population shifts from Santa Cruz to Watsonville, officials aim to invest in South County services
Santa Cruz County officials on Tuesday pointed to a shift in the population of people experiencing homelessness from Santa Cruz to Watsonville and said that a new shelter and other services were needed in the southern part of the county before homeless encampments could be targeted as encouraged by an executive order by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz backs ban on other communities bringing homeless to city
In a unanimous vote Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council threw initial support behind a new law that would ban agents of other governments from dropping homeless people off within the city of Santa Cruz boundaries. The city council will vote in two weeks on final approval.
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz wants to ban other communities from sending homeless people to the city
The Santa Cruz City Council will consider a new ordinance next week that would ban other communities from dropping people off in Santa Cruz who are experiencing homelessness. The move comes after police officers from Hanford, a town outside Bakersfield, drove three hours to drop a homeless woman off at a Santa Cruz shelter in June.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz city leaders need to be honest about encampment sweeps
Santa Cruz city leaders claim to oppose criminalization of homelessness, but recent actions tell a different story, writes Santa Cruz homelessness activist Marsa Greenspan. Police-led encampment sweeps on Coral Street are, she believes, inhumane and ineffective. Research-based best practices for addressing encampments exist, yet are ignored by the city, she writes. She challenges city officials and the community to do better.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Santa Cruz remains committed to compassionate homeless solutions, despite Supreme Court decision
The City of Santa Cruz is not changing its homeless policies in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Grants Pass decision and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order to clear homeless encampments. Rather, it is moving forward with programs that increase affordable housing, offer shelter and provide outreach, writes City Manager Matt Huffaker. Here, Huffaker outlines the city’s programs, efforts and grants, which he says have led to a 36% decrease in homelessness in Santa Cruz over the past year.
Posted inLatest News
Homeless Garden Project gets $150,000 grant for retail products
The Homeless Garden Project in Santa Cruz has been selected to participate in the California Regional Initiative for Social Enterprise and will receive a $150,000 grant funded by the state through the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. It’s one of 61 grants awarded to organizations across the state.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘We gotta be somewhere’: Homeless Californians react to Newsom’s crackdown
Homeless Californians and activists say authorities are cracking down harder on encampments, after getting the green light from the Supreme Court and Gov. Gavin Newsom.