Statistics on Homelessness in Santa Cruz County

1. Every two years in January, communities across the country
conduct comprehensive counts of their homeless population to
gain a better understanding of the individuals who are currently
experiencing homelessness, and to apply for federal funding for
homeless programs.
The 2013 Santa Cruz County Point-in-Time Count was a
community-wide effort conducted on January 22th
, 2013. In the
weeks following the street count, a survey was administered to 369
unsheltered and sheltered homeless individuals, in order to profile
their experience and characteristics.
Sheltered Unsheltered
2005
2007
2009
2011
2013
SHELTERED INCLUDES:
UNSHELTERED INCLUDES:
OBSTACLES TO SECURING
PERMANENT HOUSING
Encampment
Areas
8%
Cars/
vans/RVs
28%
Abandoned
buildings
2%
On the
street
44%
Emergency
Shelter
11%
Transitional
Housing
7%
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
2013 Homeless
Census &
Survey
Executive Summary
HOMELESS CENSUS NINE-YEAR TREND
ETHNICITY (TOP 4 RESPONSES)GENDER
32%
66%
2% 5%
6%
35%
43%Men
Women
Transgender
1yearormore1-11months30 daysorless
White
Hispanic
Multi-ethnic
Black
38%ofthose
experiencing
homelessness
forthefirsttime
hadbeen
homelessfor
oneyearor
more
129
individuals
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
(currently
experiencing)
AGE
FOSTER CARE
(respondents that have
ever been in the system)
15%
63%25+
25%18-24
12%Under
18
Yes(44%)
No(56%)
2013
2011
FIRST TIME HOMELESSNESS
DURATION OF
HOMELESSNESS
JOBS
BadCredit|20%
Nomoneyformovingcosts|46%
Nojob/
income|65%
$ Couldn’taffordrent|59%
18% 82%
2,771
2,265
2,789
3,293 3,536
43%
6%
51%
11%
34%
54%
Santa Cruz County
72%
RESIDENCE AT TIME OF
HOMELESSNESS
Top 3 reasons others moved
to Santa Cruz County
Family/friendsare
here|5%
Passing
through|6%
JOBS Jobopportunities/
seekingwork|4%

2. SHELTERED UNSHELTERED
1.8 people out of
10 were sheltered
(n=641)
8.2 people out of 10
were unsheltered
(n=2,895)VS.
Pacific
Ocean
41 st
ave
hwy 1
1
CAPITOLA MALL
If all the 2,895
unsheltered
homeless persons
in Santa Cruz
County were
to line up for a
shelter bed, the
line would stretch
for one mile.
Capitola Rd.
Clares
St.
Portola
D
r.
SOCIAL MATH
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
UNSHELTERED HOMELESS CENSUS POPULATION
108 persons
North County: 101
South County: 7
Unsheltered Homeless Census
Population by Jurisdiction
TOTAL INCORPORATED: 1,415 PERSONS
TOTAL UNINCORPORATED: 1,372 PERSONS
City of Santa Cruz
892Persons|31%
City of Scotts Valley
25Persons|1%
City of Watsonville
497Persons|17%
City of Capitola
1Person|Lessthan1%
Aptos/Rio del Mar
218Persons|8%
San Lorenzo Valley
159Persons|6%
Soquel/Santa Cruz Mountains
159Persons|6%
South County
141Persons|5%
North Coast
30Persons|1%
Live Oak/Twin Lakes/Opal Cliffs
687Persons|24%

3. Adisablingcondition
isdefinedhereasa
physicaldisability,
mentalillness,chronic
depression,alcoholor
drugabuse,chronic
healthproblems,HIV/
AIDS,Post-traumatic
StressDisorder(PTSD),
oradevelopmental
disability.
What is a
disabling
condition?
WHAT MIGHT HAVE PREVENTED RESPONDENTS’
HOMELESSNESS (TOP 4 RESPONSES)
50%
36%
$
26%
Employment
Assistance
Rent/
Mortgage
Assistance
Alcohol/
Drug
Counseling
23%
Mental
Health
Services
68%ofsurvey
respondents
reporteda
disabling
condition.
DISABLING CONDITIONS
Mentalillness*
(55%)
Substance
abuse(26%)
Chronicphysical
illness(17%)
Physical
disability(20%)
Developmental
disability(3%)
* Mental illness includes PTSD, depression, and other mental illnesses including bipolar
and schizophrenia.
Note: Multiple response question, numbers will not total to 100%.
SERVICES & ASSISTANCE
EMERGENCY
ROOM USE
in the past
12 months
PANHANDLING
$
4.90perdayisthe
averageincome
forthosesurvey
respondents
whoreported
panhandling
INCARCERATION
spent atleast1ormore
nightsinjailorprisonin
thepast12months28% Never 1-3times 4+times
55%
34%
11%
Summary
These data provide a snapshot of those
experiencing homelessness in Santa
Cruz County on January 22nd
. It provides
a basic estimation of the number and
characteristics of those experiencing
homelessness on any given night in order
to inform future service planning and
provisioning efforts.
$
250or less
is the amount
that 57% of
respondents
reported as their
total monthly
income.
Income
Gap
Self-Sufficiency
Standard
Respondent’s
Income
$2,689/mo
$250/mo
69%
31%
ofrespondents
reportedreceiving
government
benefits
reportedwere
NOTreceiving
anygovernment
benefits
Governmentservices
received
(Top3Responses)
ReasonsforNOTreceiving
governmentservices
(Top3Responses)
Food
stamps
47%
General
Assistance
17%
Don’tneed
government
assistance
28%
Don’tthink
youare
eligible
24%
Nopermanent
address
Medi-cal/
Medicare
17%
25%
Source: Applied Survey Research. (2013). Santa Cruz County Homeless Census & Survey. Watsonville, CA.
For more detail or to view the comprehensive report, please visit www.appliedsurveyresearch.org.