In 2019, California had the fourth highest rate of homelessness per 10,000 residents in the United States. Within California, Santa Cruz County has one of the highest rates of homelessness, at 79.3 per 10,000 residents.
Every day, thousands of people in Santa Cruz County live without stable shelter and a home. The most recent annual Homeless Point-in-Time Count, conducted in January 2019, found 2,167 people experiencing homelessness on a single night, representing 1,440 distinct households experiencing homelessness. Nearly three-fourths of those households experiencing homelessness were housed within the County prior to experiencing homelessness.
Across the country and in Santa Cruz County, homelessness disproportionately impacts particular groups of individuals including specific racial and ethnic groups, youth exiting foster care, seniors and people with disabilities, individuals with behavioral health conditions, single parent households, veterans, people with criminal backgrounds, and individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S). High rates of homelessness among subgroups of extremely low-income households reflect broad historical and present day social, economic, political, and cultural forces that contribute to these disparities. Approaches to addressing homelessness must understand and address some of the forces contributing to these disparate impacts.
The County and its partners have created the Housing for a Healthy Santa Cruz County Strategic Framework through a collaborative process that used the experience, knowledge and input of a broad set of community stakeholders including cities, non-profit organizations, other County Departments, and people with lived experiences of homelessness. Work on the Framework began in March 2019, starting with a review of current local efforts and data on homelessness, along with an evaluation and discussion of experiences in other communities.
The Framework outlines steps community partners can take to reduce unsheltered and overall homelessness countywide by January 2024. The County Human Services Department’s new Housing for Health (H4H)
Division will provide leadership and the backbone administrative support for implementation of this Framework.
The Framework sets goals to reduce the number of households experiencing homelessness at a point-in-time by just over 25% between January 2019 and January 2024. It also calls for a 50% reduction in the number of households living in places not meant for housing such as the streets, cars, and unsafe structures.
Click here to learn more about Santa Cruz County’s three year Strategic Framework to reduce homelessness.
The larger the gap between incomes and housing costs in a region the greater the risk of homelessness and housing instability in a community. This is a major factor contributing to homelessness across the United States. The California Housing Partnership estimates over 10,000 renter households in Santa Cruz County do not have access to an affordable home. Among these households living with the lowest incomes, three out of four (75%) pay more than 50% of their income toward housing. This group is the most likely to experience housing instability, overcrowded or unsafe living conditions, and homelessness. Within this group are people living on fixed incomes such as seniors and people with disabilities, as well as unemployed, underemployed, and employed individuals that cannot afford local housing costs.
The 2019 Santa Cruz County Point-In-Time Count of persons experiencing homelessness found 31% reported being employed at the time of the survey. Employment itself cannot prevent homelessness when wages are not high enough to cover housing costs.
Some health conditions impact a person’s ability to manage daily living tasks essential to keeping a home. For example, a person with dementia may struggle to remember to pay their rent. Health care systems, services, and associated policies influence levels of housing instability, institutionalization, and homelessness in a given community.
The Framework calls for implementing a range of policy and program changes to address the health care needs of people at-risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. This includes connecting people to holistic services, supports, and treatment that address both their health and daily living needs.
The absence or loss of supportive relationships can contribute to housing instability and loss, particularly in areas with large housing affordability gaps. Histories of traumatic events and relationships, in both childhood and adulthood, are prevalent at far higher rates among people experiencing homelessness compared to the general population. The 2019 Santa Cruz County Point-In-Time count of homeless persons, found:
The Strategic Framework calls for implementing a range of strategies that help grow long-term and broadly supportive relationships for those experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness.
A loss of hope and sense of purpose, at the community and individual level, can contribute to events that compromise a stable living situation and lead to prolonged episodes of homelessness. Living without a home can be a profoundly stigmatizing and isolating event. The Framework calls for implementing a range of strategies that enhance feelings of hope and meaning among community members, people experiencing homelessness, and those working to make a difference in their lives.
Core Goal #1
Improve the effectiveness of all programs in helping people secure housing.
The new Housing for Health (H4H) Division and its partners will oversee a robust effort to improve the effectiveness of all programs and interventions for people experiencing homelessness. This includes shortening the time people remain unhoused or in programs prior to securing housing, increasing the rate at which people find housing, and decreasing the number of people that become homeless. Interim benchmarks for these focus areas have been established for each year and progress will be regularly assessed. Adjustments will be made as needed to maximize results. By the end of 2023, the following system performance measurement improvements will be achieved:
*Rapid Rehousing: Providing services and time-limited rental support to assist a homeless individual or family to move as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in housing.
**Permanent Supportive Housing: Combines permanent affordable housing with ongoing integrated health and human services for people with disabilities, including people with long histories of homelessness.
Core Goal #2
Expand capacity within the homelessness response system.
Improvements in performance alone will not result in significant reductions in homelessness. During the three-year period of the Framework, community leadership, funders, and key stakeholders will work collaboratively to implement targeted expansions in resources and permanent housing pathways.
The Framework promotes aligned and coordinated efforts among housing crisis response system stakeholders. Individual programs or initiatives may yield results with a specific subpopulation or group but making progress on the overall size of the homeless population requires a systematic approach.
Housing for a Healthy Santa Cruz County sets out four high-level strategic areas and numerous specific objectives to transform current efforts to address homelessness. The objectives span over multiple six-month action plan cycles.