On March 11, the Watsonville City Council is scheduled to hear the second appeal against the “tiny village” project filed by resident Catalina Torres in December. The project will provide shelter for homeless individuals living along the Pajaro River levee. Torres and other residents argue the shelter’s location — on the Westview Presbyterian Church property — will lead to more “homeless-related crimes” in the neighborhood.
Watsonville tiny village
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
Watsonville resident files new appeal over ‘tiny village’ to city council
Watsonville resident Catalina Torres filed a new appeal asking the city council to rescind zoning approval of a 34-unit “tiny village” project that would provide shelter for the unhoused on land at Westview Presbyterian Church.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville Planning Commission denies appeal of ‘tiny village’ homeless housing project
The Watsonville Planning Commission on Tuesday denied an appeal filed by resident Catalina Torres asking the commission to rescind zoning approval of the 34-unit “tiny village” project intended to provide shelter for the unhoused on the Westview Presbyterian Church property.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville planning commission to hear appeal of ‘tiny village’ homeless shelter next month
At its Dec. 3 meeting, the Watsonville Planning Commission plans to hear an appeal filed by a resident asking the commission to rescind its zoning approval of the “tiny village” shelter for the homeless on the Westview Presbyterian Church property.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Neighbors fight ‘tiny village’ as Watsonville struggles to help homeless
Neighbors are fighting a 34-unit “tiny village” shelter for the homeless proposed for land at Westview Presbyterian Church in Watsonville, saying they already fear “homeless-related crime” in the area. The church’s pastor believes the shelter will keep people off the streets and eliminate some of the impacts from the homeless that residents are concerned about.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Watsonville turns to residents for ideas to address homelessness
The Watsonville City Council held the second in a series of community forums Saturday looking for solutions to a significant increase in homelessness. Earlier this year, an annual point-in-time count found more people experiencing homelessness in Watsonville than the city of Santa Cruz, which has significantly more shelter beds and services devoted to the issue.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Neighbor appeals approval of ‘tiny village’ housing for Watsonville homeless
A Watsonville neighbor’s appeal is asking the city to rescind approval of the zoning application for a “tiny village” project that would provide housing for the homeless on land at Westview Presbyterian Church. City officials approved the application by Santa Cruz and Monterey counties despite concerns by members of the city council, saying a state law promoting affordable housing growth supersedes local control over the project.
Posted inLatest News
Watsonville OKs ‘tiny village’ for homeless over objections
Monterey and Santa Cruz county officials can now apply for a building permit for a proposed tiny home village for the homeless on the Westview Presbyterian Church property in Watsonville. But some councilmembers said a project update at Tuesday’s city council meeting left them with more questions than answers.
Posted inLatest News
Dramatic shift in homeless from Santa Cruz to Watsonville has officials scrambling to provide services
A dramatic shift in Santa Cruz County’s homeless population, with more being counted in Watsonville this year than the city of Santa Cruz, has officials scrambling to provide more shelter beds and services in the southern part of the county. Watsonville will consider a tiny home village project at its city council meeting on Tuesday, and is convening a community meeting on the broader issue of action to confront homelessness on Oct. 5.
Posted inWatsonville / Pajaro
How Pastor Dan and Watsonville’s Westview Church became a center of homeless help
In the heart of Watsonville, a small church is playing an expanding role in the homeless crisis. What started as an effort to feed the unhoused population along the Pajaro River is expanding into a mini-village of 34 microhomes behind Westview Presbyterian Church that will also host social services. Construction is set to start next month with the goal of housing residents by December.