Written by Matt Huffaker, City Manager, City of Santa Cruz

August 28, 2023

According to the 2023 point-in-time (PIT) count, homelessness in the City of Santa Cruz has decreased by 29% over the last year.  

"As we hit the halfway point at the 1.5-year mark of our three-year plan, this pattern stands as evidence of the effectiveness of our strategic Homelessness Response Action Plan.

Launched in spring 2022, the three-year plan has brought the City and County of Santa Cruz and local service providers to offer solutions for the unhoused. 

Since the summer of 2022, the City of Santa Cruz’s programs addressing homelessness have made remarkable strides:

• We’ve served 578 individuals through shelter and safe parking programs.

• 74 individuals have transitioned into more stable housing.

• 77 people reconnected with family and friends in their hometowns.

• We've established two safe sleeping programs, providing tent based shelter for up to 185 people every night. These shelters offer access to vital services, from food and health care to the space to focus on job searches and permanent housing solutions.

• We’ve provided 725 emergency shelter beds over the course of 19 nights during severe weather events, with support from the county.

• Safe parking was provided for 59 people.

• We’ve cleaned up 724 tons of refuse and 22,000 needles from our public spaces.

• Our efforts have spurred the development of 870 affordable housing units.

• We’ve invested in new facilities, completed hygiene bay upgrades and started renovations on the Paul Lee Loft Shelter at Housing Matters.

• And we purchased 125 Coral St. and developed a vision for a future permanent navigation center.

The city’s commitment to the cause of addressing homelessness cannot be underestimated. The lives transformed by these numbers are a testament to our program’s success. For those individuals who’ve found housing, this has been life-altering. The dedication of our outreach teams and the collaborative spirit behind these achievements have proven effective, though not without significant investment of time and resources.

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