SANTA CRUZ — The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to use a state grant totaling nearly $9.7 million to fund homeless services countywide over the next two years.
The grant came from the statewide Homeless Emergency Assistance Program, also known as HEAP, which was created by California lawmakers as part of the 2018-19 Budget Act. The fund was created to address urgent homeless issues that are plaguing cities across the state.
In a separate action, the supervisors also unanimously approved a plan to close the unsanctioned homeless encampment located at River Street and Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, and establish alternative shelter sites.
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Grant allocation
County officials have already allocated just over $1 million of the HEAP funds to cover urgent winter needs through June 30. This includes a $600,000 allocation to expand emergency shelters through June 30, $300,000 for public health and safety infrastructure and $100,000 for “public engagement” on homelessness issues.
The money will also fund a full-time position to implement the HEAP funds.
It could also pay for a round-the-clock shelter and navigation center for homeless people, but neither a location nor a provider have been found. County officials hope for a July opening date.
The rest of the money will be disbursed through a request for proposals process.
“This is a huge problem, especially in our county,” Supervisor Greg Caput said. “It’s exciting to see us going in there and actually finding solutions.”
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Unsanctioned River Street camp to close
Unofficially called the Gateway Camp, the homeless enclave at 470 River St. on the San Lorenzo River levee began in late October after one run by the City of Santa Cruz closed. It now houses an estimated 200 people who live largely in makeshift tents and lean-tos.
The city provides port-a-potties and hand-washing stations at the unsanctioned camp, but residents and county officials have long expressed concern about the unsanitary conditions, and about the safety issues that have arisen.
Yasmina Porter, who serves on the leadership council at the nearby Tannery Arts Complex, said residents have reported a 30 percent increase in reported crime incidents.
Children who live at the complex, she said, feel unsafe walking to school by the camp, and residents often find used syringes and piles of human feces on the ground.
Porter also said that port-a-potties have been seen leaking into the nearby San Lorenzo River. She asked the supervisors to move the camp further back from the river, add fencing along the public path and pay for security patrols at the Tannery.
Residents now have until March 15 to leave. The Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday night was expected to approve re-opening the former city-sanctioned camp on River Street.
Under the new plan, the existing Salvation Army shelter on Seventh Avenue in Santa Cruz will be re-designated for men.
In addition, the county will add a 40-bed shelter at the Salvation Army Laurel Street location for families with children, single women and “mobility impaired” people.
Supervisor Bruce McPherson praised the work by city and county officials to address the county’s homelessness problems.
“We have a moral obligation to better the homeless people and their living conditions but we also need to recognize the public health and safety risks that are posed by that community,” he said.
