Homelessness Response Action Plan

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When the three-year Homelessness Response Action Plan was written in 2022, the City focused on the values of collaboration, health, safety, economic vitality, practicality, resource stewardship, and transparency.

The Plan provides “a roadmap for working to proactively address individual needs and community impacts related to homelessness in our City," says City Manager Matt Huffaker.

Key action areas within the plan include:

Building partnerships and capacity
Permanent affordable and supportive housing
Basic support services
Care and stewardship
Community safety

While the Action Plan will not end homelessness in Santa Cruz, nor fully end the occurrence of unsanctioned encampments, the plan provides a clear trajectory for actions that fall within the City’s responsibilities. The Plan also includes advocacy to initiate collaboration, achieve reform, and garner support at the county, state, and federal levels.

For the Action Plan to be successful, it will also require the support of the community, including the establishment of shelter sites, expansion of affordable housing opportunities, and the dedication of additional resources to sustain the new programs set forth in the Action Plan.

Download the City of Santa Cruz Homelessness Response Action Plan

Building Capacity & Partnerships

Effective homelessness response requires a holistic approach. These activities focus on an organizational response to homelessness and housing instability, including greater internal coordination and alignment of services and expanding our and our partners’ overall capacity and effectiveness.

Program Administration

Create and launch three-year action plan, including how to use $14 million in state aid
Increase response capacity through integrating citywide services and adding a full-time, dedicated team
With the County, develop a roles and responsibilities matrix
Partner with community-based organizations to expand regional capacity to address homelessness
Collect and share critical data, systems and metrics with the County and community-based organizations

Legislative Action

Develop annual targeted state and federal legislative asks for policy reform and funding related to substance use disorder, mental health, and homelessness response
Lead effort to build a statewide coalition of municipalities for legislative changes and funding

Financial Responsibility

Identify and cultivate additional revenue streams.
Create a standardized process requiring detailed financial impacts for any new homelessness response services, ordinances, and policies
Develop estimating tools to help generate cost calculations for homelessness support services
Re-engineer for integrated, citywide services and deliver a transparent and sustainable homelessness response budget by June 2023

Community Engagement

Build a task force of community and business partners to work collectively on homelessness response solutions for the City
Share important updates and information through City communications channels.
Deliver quarterly updates at Council meetings
Provide opportunities for community input and engagement on specific projects.

Recent Accomplishments

The City and County regularly coordinate to provide a wide range of services to the unhoused population. Examples include:

Embedding two mental health liaisons from the County Behavioral Health Services team into the field with City police officers at the City’s expense
City contributions to the County’s HOPES program, the Downtown Outreach Worker program, and County sheltering programs
A partnership to offer mobile shower services in the City

The City also funds a variety of nonprofits providing services for people experiencing homelessness, including Downtown Streets, Housing Matters, Encompass Community Services, and the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, among others.

Permanent Affordable & Supportive Housing

Santa Cruz is a leader in proactive and innovative approaches to expanding permanent affordable and supportive housing. Affordability and availability are two of the most significant contributors to our region’s homelessness crisis. These actions will advance the City’s longstanding commitment to expand housing opportunities in our community.

Meet or exceed regional housing needs requirements of low- and very low-income categories over the next three years by issuing the target number of housing permits
Champion federal, state, and local policy updates to facilitate more housing opportunities in Santa Cruz
Work with partner agencies to deliver a plan for Coral Street campus and navigation center and acquire needed properties
Collaborate with the County on housing readiness support to aid those transitioning into permanent supportive and permanent housing
Develop recommendations for ongoing tenant counseling, landlord support, and rental assistance

Basic Support Services

The provision of effective care and support services, including basic hygiene, shelter and storage facilities, will play an integral role in breaking the cycle of homelessness and connecting unhoused residents to the support to work toward permanent housing.

Collaborate with the County and other local cities to identify 20 new locations for sheltering within the County of Santa Cruz
Develop a phased plan to address all levels of sheltering: emergency, transitional, and permanent
Eliminate unsanctioned camps within the City
Establish safe parking programs, including at least one location with direct services aimed at connection to permanent housing
Create a proper waste disposal program for recreational vehicle owners
Produce or partner to provide storage for unhoused persons, focusing on easy access, co-located in same space as sheltering
Develop standardized hygiene service models and plan for expansion

Care & Stewardship

Establishing effective care and support services for our community’s homeless residents will be essential to support their efforts in securing permanent housing. In addition, managing local habitat restoration will play a vital role in protecting the environment.

Providing Care

Develop recommendations and work with the County to optimize Cityfunded mental health and substance use disorder response resources
Expand City’s outreach and shelter team to connect unhoused individuals to County’s continuum of care and permanent supportive housing
Collaborate with County to develop an easy-to-understand, consolidated guide individuals can use to connect to services
With the County partners, explore authorizing Laura’s Law to bring courtordered community treatment for individuals with a history of violence or repeated hospitalizations to the County
Partner with community-based organizations to create more transitional employment programs, including expansion of Downtown Streets Team

Organizational Stewardship

Identify and scope top priorities for citywide contracts to support safe and clean community areas and natural resource restoration
Adjust City job descriptions to include homelessness response duties, including the creation of a dedicated resource and land management team
Develop near-term organizational models for homelessness response by July 2022 and adapt as needed for successful long-term operations. Environmental Stewardship
Close San Lorenzo Park Benchlands to camping and restore impacted area
Partner with community groups for restoration of affected habitats throughout the City
Enforce existing environmental protection regulations and address emergent issues through pursuing new regulations

Community Safety

Through key partnerships with the County and local agencies and the creation of new response models, we will work to keep Santa Cruz a safe environment for all.

Equitably enforce criminal behavior by coordinating with County judiciary and other local agencies
Communicate requirements and operational plans for Oversized Vehicle and Camping Services and Standards Ordinances
Update deployment model for Santa Cruz Police and County staff for homelessness engagement and outreach
Partner with downtown businesses to develop a community safety strategy, including expansion of community service officer program
Work with the County to assess, prioritize and develop collaborative court programs

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