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SANTA CRUZ COUNTY: LOCAL AGENDA 21 HOMELESSNESS |
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I. Current State It is estimated that some 3,000 - 5,000 homeless live in the Santa Cruz County (SCC) with 1,000 teenagers for whom there is no current shelter. The homeless population is diverse, made up of unemployed who cannot afford rent, the mentally ill, substance abusers, Vietnam vets-many suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome, and homeless by choice-the drop-outs of the 1960's. Currently Santa Cruz City has an ordinance banning sleeping in vehicles or public places. A safe haven campground is the goal of the radical fringe of the homeless who, so far, have failed to convince the authorities. Moreover, no suitable space has been found for such a project. A group of homeless activists are working to end the camping ban through confrontational means; they have also reached out to the community for support through Community TV. The homeless issue is far more critical in the City of Santa Cruz than Watsonville with its culture of extended families. Panhandling in the Santa Cruz downtown has resulted in the Council passing the toughest panhandling laws in California. There are many more homeless than shelters. In 1985, the emerging phenomenon of homelessness in the City of Santa Cruz prompted Paul Lee and Page Smith, Co-Directors of the Wm. James Association, to open the first public shelter, mostly for single white males, the major segment of the homeless population at the time, and for whom there were few services. Eventually, Citizens Committee for the Homeless was formed as an independent non-profit shelter and service provider. In the last ten years, approximately a dozen agencies have developed homeless services including short-term emergency shelter, longer-term transitional housing, a day resource center in Santa Cruz, and a variety of specialized support services for homeless individuals and families (e.g. comprehensive case management, health and mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, educational assistance for homeless children and youth, and others). Homeless service providers, together with representatives of county and city governments, meet regularly as the Continuum of Care Coordinating Group to coordinate services and develop collaborative funding applications to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. II. Desired State: A Home for Everyone Our ultimate vision is for an end to poverty and for everyone to have a home and a safe place to sleep. Each person is treated with compassion and respect, and assistance is offered, as well as rehabilitation when needed, to enable self-sufficiency. III. Goals by Year 2000: Focus on Solutions A. Expand existing community care programs and develop new ones to reach a level of adequate coverage of need. B. Involve all of the high functioning homeless in our community with volunteer work (for services) or paid positions. IV. What Has Been Done: Coordinated Community Effort & Continuum of Care In response to the crisis of homelessness, a Continuum of Care system has been under development in SCC for nearly a decade. Since 1987, local governments, private philanthropies, non-profit organizations, businesses and individuals have undertaken several long-term collaborative efforts to evaluate needs and to create housing and services for homeless persons in the community. In 1991, the County Board of Supervisors and the four local City Councils (Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Capitola and Scotts Valley) carried out a joint effort, together with community-based agencies, to assess homelessness and homeless services, to identify gaps in the continuum of services, and to take appropriate policy actions to address these gaps. As a result, the five jurisdictions adopted a joint 'Resolution Regarding a Coordinated Community Effort to Assist the Homeless: and have assisted in the creation and expansion of several homeless programs and services in the ensuing five years. Although the local Continuum of Care system is not yet complete, SCC has made a greater commitment to addressing homelessness than most communities our size. A recent survey of public and private service providers, conducted by the City of Santa Cruz, revealed that more than $9.8 million are spent annually on housing, direct services, food stamps, and other benefits for homeless persons in SCC, including approximately $8.1 million in cash expenditures and $1.7 million in donated facilities, labor, food, materials and supplies. This does not include additional millions of dollars in ancillary services and resources that are accessed by homeless persons but are not routinely tracked according to the clients' housing status. As a result of this investment, our small county has already made significant progress in the development of a high-quality comprehensive Continuum of Care system for home- less residents. Some service providers include: A. Above the Line reaches out to homeless teens with free temporary room and board including counseling; it is funded by private and government grants, and is scheduled to open a shelter and comprehensive center for homeless youth in 1997. B. Community House, a transitional resident shelter for 40 with a broad array of services, will open in 1997 in the City of Santa Cruz. It will be operated by the Citizen's Committee for the Homeless. C. Community Services a component of the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center, operates transitional housing and permanent housing facilities for mentally ill adults, and provides specialized services for adults with dual diagnosis (mental illness & substance abuse), in conjunction with the County Health Services Agency. D. Families in Transition of Santa Cruz County provides specialized services for homeless families with children in north and mid-SCC, including transitional housing, comprehensive case management, and assistance in accessing supportive services to assist families in reaching self-sufficiency. E. Homeless Educational Outreach Program_ provides specialized educational services to children and youth who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, including tutoring, counseling, school supplies, and assistance with food, clothing, and transportation. The Bridge school is a component of the Homeless Educational Outreach Program; both are funded by the County Office of Education. F. The Homeless Garden Project offers employment and training for 20 homeless gardeners who grow organic produce for distribution at the Farmer's Markets and to 100 shareholders in a Community Supported Agriculture Program. Shareholders receive a box of organic produce every week in season. Homeless women have a floral arrangement shop and a flower raising plot. The Project provides a therapeutic context that promotes homeless people's restoration of self-esteem and economic self-sufficiency and integration into society through meaningful labor. G. Homeless Persons Health Project is a program of the County Health Services Agency, which provides specialized coordination of health care services to homeless people throughout the county. Staffed by a bilingual team of public health nurses, community health workers, substance abuse outreach counselors, and a social worker. H. Homeless Resource Center: was developed to refer homeless to the array of services provided by the City and County of Santa Cruz, which includes lockers, shower, job counseling, VoiceMail, and free hot meals daily. In '97 the Downtown Merchants Assoc. donated $40,000 to the Center. I. Homeless Task Force has been established to research positive solutions in the City of Santa Cruz. J. The Interfaith Satellite Shelter Program provides emergency shelter during the fall and winter months at 40 churches and 2 National Guard armories throughout the county, accommodating 160 people per night; during the spring and summer months, provides a smaller, 42-bed shelter program. K. Loma Prieta Transitional Housing Program operated by the Salvation Army, provides transitional housing and supportive services to homeless families with children in the City of Watsonville. L. Pajaro Rescue Mission operates a 40-bed shelter for adult males in Pajaro, just south of the Monterey County line. Many of the shelter's clients are from the Watsonville area. M. Pajaro Valley Shelter Services provides emergency shelter, transitional housing, and child care for homeless families with children in the City of Watsonville. N. River Street Shelter operated by the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center, provides 32 beds of emergency shelter for homeless adults in the City of Santa Cruz, including 19 beds reserved for persons with mental illness. V. Suggested Actions For Further Progress A. Support existing programs for the homeless and expand programs that encourage self-sufficiency, including: job counseling, child care, mental health, drug & alcohol programs. Community programs could offer rewards and economic incentives for participation. B. Encourage businesses to sponsor day care programs, with student participation, offering mentoring and job training. C. Provide special support for homeless minors, including counseling about their rights and opportunities. D. Encourage public support of the Plant-A-Row program as a way of sharing their harvest and supporting the hungry. VI. Useful Resources & References
Documentation Sources 1 Continuum of Care Narrative, County of Santa Cruz Application for Continuum of Care Homeless Assistance; Continuum of Care Coordinating Group, June, 1996. 2 "The Quality of Mercy," by Paul Lee. 3 "Growing Hope," A Homeless Garden Project video. 4 San Jose Mercury, April 1994; Santa Cruz Sentinel, April, 1994. |
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