Homeless Count: 2,299, Up 6%, By Jondi Gumz

COMMUNITY NEWS

Homeless Count: 2,299, Up 6%

By Jondi Gumz

Since 2019, Santa Cruz County made progress in finding homes for unsheltered families and young people age 18-24, but the number of homeless veterans and chronically homeless people with mental illness or drug addiction more than doubled, resulting in an 6% increase overall, from 2,167 to 2,299, according to the 2022 Point-In-Time Count.

Data: • 128% increase in chronically homeless people with mental illness or drug addiction, from 403 to 921 • 120% increase in homeless veterans, from 151 to 332 • 59% decrease in homeless families – only five unsheltered • 61% decrease in homeless young people age 18-24 • 1,073 people report substance use • 818 people report serious mental illness

Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors got a summary of the findings Tuesday from Robert Ratner, director of the County of Santa Cruz Housing for Health Division, and Randy Morris, director of the county Human Services Department.

Applied Survey Research of Watsonville, which carried out the homeless count, will have a complete report in a couple months.

Morris said 322 people were served with 145 moving into permanent homes. Another 441 households have rental vouchers from the housing authority, with 167 finding a place and the rest still looking.

“The biggest challenge is available rental units in a tight market,” Morris said. “We’re looking at options outside Santa Cruz County.”

A man without a home finds a spot to rest by the Post Office in Santa Cruz.

Photo Credit: Jondi Gumz

He cited a recent report that found a wage of $60.35 an hour — up from $58.10 in 2021 — is needed to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

“You need four full-time jobs, two people working two full-time jobs,” Morris said. “A lot of our staff can’t afford to live here.”

Asked why more veterans were homeless, Ratner was not sure.

“We need to do a little more research,” he said, noting 40 to 50 have rental vouchers but haven’t found a local landlord willing to accept that payment.

One factor may be the loss of 900 homes in San Lorenzo Valley and Bonny Doon during the 2020 CZU fire.

Federal disability payments, currently $841 per month, do not cover rental costs.

Despite the need, little affordable housing is being built, with 153 of 734 building permits targeting very-lowincome housing — 21%.

Health issues are another factor.

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