Feds reserve $6M for homeless response

SANTA CRUZ >> The latest round of federal homelessness response grant funds — at more than $6 million — is set to be distributed across Santa Cruz County to a handful of service providers this year, according to congressional leaders.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, of San Mateo, and Rep. Jimmy Panetta, of Carmel, championed $13.3 million for nonprofits and local governments in San Benito, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help end homelessness.

The local funding, parceled out with the assistance of the local homeless continuum of care, known as the Housing for Health Partnership, and under the direction of Santa Cruz County leadership, is part of a nearly $3.2 billion national homeless assistance package sent to some 7,000 projects. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, this year's federal distribution is the largest such amount in history, “expanding housing and services projects for people experiencing homelessness, including survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking and sexual assault.”

In Santa Cruz County, homeless service beneficiary projects range from $1.4 million in Housing Authority subsidized rental vouchers and $546,000 for the Walnut Avenue Family & Women's Center Housing & Employment Program to $272,000 for Encompass Community Services' Thrive Hive drop-in center and $99,000 for the collaborative Youth Homeless Response Team serving unaccompanied youth from the ages of 15 to 24, among other renewed project efforts.

According to statistics gathered during a single-day count in February

2022, some 1,804 people were living homeless in Santa Cruz County. Results for a similar study conducted last month are not expected to be revealed until this summer, and may serve to rebut or bolster the nearly 22% homeless population drop reported between 2022 and 2023.

“Homelessness is a serious problem in our communities, and addressing it requires action from all levels of government,” Reps. Panetta and Lofgren were quoted in a joint release Wednesday. “That's why we're proud to announce this robust federal investment that will help boost local resources and improve access to housing for individuals and families in need.”