Last fall, after the City of Santa Cruz finished clearing the Benchlands homeless encampment, many people began relocating to the Highway 9-adjacent city park known as Pogonip. Next week, the city will begin evicting people from Pogonip.
homelessness
Posted inLatest News
A victim of unprovoked street violence or a vigilante who ‘terrorized’ homeless San Franciscans?
Video shows ex-San Francisco Fire Commissioner Don Carmignani being struck in the head with a metal pipe. Defense attorneys for the suspect say it was an act of self-defense that followed a series of bear-spray attacks on homeless people.
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Events
Weekender: Exploring home and homelessness through art, Gaither’s latest and limber up for Dance Week
Hi friends, I think we’ve finally turned a corner with the wild and exasperating 2023 weather. I’d be wary of tempting the gods with such talk, but I’ve learned the hard way the gods aren’t listening to anything I have to say. Now, on with the show. This Just In! It seems like a long […]
Posted inLatest News
Santa Cruz officials lay out vision for Coral Street homeless services hub
Community centers, open gardens, pallet homes and possible parking options are all being explored as part of the City of Santa Cruz’s current draft of a report on its long-term vision to transform the Coral Street neighborhood into a center for housing and support services for the unhoused. Several business owners and representatives from the Coral Street area raised concerns about the vision during a planning commission meeting Thursday night.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
In the Public Interest: A new law-and-order approach to homelessness in Santa Cruz?
In this installment of In the Public Interest, Lookout politics and policy correspondent Christopher Neely examines what changes might be ahead in how the City of Santa Cruz handles Food Not Bombs’ gatherings and the long-debated issue of oversized vehicles parking on city streets.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California homelessness: Where are the state’s billions going? Here’s the new, best answer
For the first time, a new state report offers a bird-eye view of how much the state has spent to halt homelessness — nearly $10 billion over three years. Of the half-million Californians who made use of those services, more than 40% ended up housed. Which also means the majority did not, or the state lost track of their whereabouts.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Eight things you know about homelessness that are wrong
Housing advocate Don Lane has worked on issues of homelessness for three decades. Here, he addresses the eight misconceptions “we need to overcome to advance our community thinking about homelessness.” A former Santa Cruz mayor, Lane addresses the mental health argument, our community counting skills, the “send them back” stance and more.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘They need to know they matter’: Why a humanistic approach is core to this new homelessness group’s work
Evan Morrison’s four-month-old Santa Cruz Free Guide, which has been running the Safe RV Parking program at the Armory, has caught the attention of others who keep a close eye on homelessness response efforts. It’s why the City of Santa Cruz called on the Free Guide to pop up an emergency shelter downtown during the worst nights of winter storms. Morrison believes successful homelessness response begins with a specific mindset, grounded in empathy.
Posted inLatest News
Pandemic eviction protections, direct payments kept homelessness in check, study shows
Eviction moratoriums and relief checks helped thousands of people avoid homelessness during the pandemic, a study finds. Its authors say the same measures should be used in the event of a recession.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
More street medicine teams tackle the homeless health care crisis
Homeless people often have sporadic or no access to health care, resulting in costly, chronic conditions. A new statewide effort encourages Medi-Cal insurers to partner with street teams to improve care.
