Along the Pajaro River levee, where chickens roost in makeshift homes and cats roam freely, outreach workers are rushing to help residents and their pets find somewhere to go ahead of flood control repairs set to begin next week.
homelessness
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County plan to demolish abandoned, oversized vehicles stalls amid homeless concerns
Santa Cruz County’s effort to clear abandoned cars and RVs stalled Tuesday after backlash to a proposal letting tow companies immediately dismantle vehicles, raising concerns about displacing homeless residents relying on them.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
First they came for the homeless …
Keith McHenry, co-founder of Food Not Bombs, takes issue with a previous Lookout op-ed on homelessness, saying it misunderstands many facets of the issue and was dehumanizing toward unhoused members of the Santa Cruz County community.
Posted inLatest News
Imminent Pajaro River encampment sweeps will displace dozens of levee residents before ‘tiny village’ opening
The Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency announced Wednesday it will move forward with scheduling its encampment sweep along the Pajaro River for the end of August, which will displace dozens of levee residents before temporary housing is available for them.
Posted inLatest News
Beyond ‘dog catcher’: Santa Cruz County’s animal control officers have become lifelines for pets and people alike
Animal control officers in Santa Cruz County have evolved beyond their traditional “dog catcher” stereotype to provide a range of services, including welfare checks, dangerous dog situations and bridging the gap between law enforcement and vulnerable populations.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Santa Cruz County homeless count shows uneven progress as budget cuts loom
Santa Cruz County’s annual homeless count hit record lows this year, but the numbers mask a troubling rise in older adults and people with disabilities living on the streets, along with increases in Santa Cruz and Capitola as federal aid dwindles.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
Let’s stick to facts when we talk about our unhoused problem
Don Lane, former Santa Cruz mayor and a longtime community housing advocate, takes issue with a recent Lookout op-ed on the unhoused. Lane acknowledges some points but pushes back on many of the underlying assumptions, particularly that the city is a “magnet” for people from other places seeking housing.
Posted inLatest News
$250,000 grant awarded to the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County
Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County received a one-time grant of $250,000 from Dignity Health to help strengthen short-term housing services.
Posted inOpinion from Community Voices
How Santa Cruz’s homeless efforts are making things worse for the city … and for the homeless
Santa Cruz’s well-meaning homeless policies are backfiring, drawing more unhoused than the city can support, writes Craig James, who grew up here and returned as a retiree. He calls for a coordinated state and national strategy, warning of disproportionate consequences without shared responsibility.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
A promise of shelter, but not soon enough: Pajaro River levee residents face uncertain future even as ‘tiny village’ breaks ground
As construction finally begins this week on the 34-unit “tiny village” shelter intended to house people living along the Pajaro River levee, time is running out for residents to figure out their next move as an encampment cleanup could happen sooner than the anticipated opening of the shelter.
