County organizations land $4 million to fight homelessness

The Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $4 million Tuesday to county organizations to keep people off the streets and in stable housing.

[mateo]

And what percentage of the 1% of SC want to be homed (non- homeless)? Some seem to prefer not having a home.

[What a waste of money]

Could be used for many better uses.

[re mateo]

This money is to be used largely to help PREVENT homelessness - people who are in housing that may lose it due to income loss. These people aren't part of the 1% who are counted as homeless.
Obviously you can't use money to house people who wish to remain homeless - that is a different issue than helping people get back on their feet who have suffered a set back.

[themountainboy]

helloooooo huddled masses.

[Sanctuary Santa Cruz Fund]

More Community Action Board crony slush funding for illegals paid for by US courtesy of Slush Fund Sammy Farr, to go along w/ that Tannery "Incubator" black hole into which the green disappears for Sammy's PC north county cronies and chosen ones...looks like $8.7 million since yesterday? That's why we LOVE the guy...and that's why we will go down.
Economic development or recovery in Santa Cruz means a grant or other gov't or other similar/equal handout or inside deal to one chosen "nonprofit" on the PC short list or another.
Keep Sanctuary Santa Cruz....this people's jobs depend on it!

[SC local]

Why can't we help the poor working familes too?

[Teach a Man to Fish]

Not a word about getting these folks work. Hmmm.

[Housed Downtowner]

SC local wrote:

Why can't we help the poor working familes too?

The article specifically states the money will be used, in part, for "rental assistance to people at risk of becoming homeless." Sure sounds to me like that will help poor working families.

I'm all for getting the bums out of Downtown, and out of town altogether. They don't contribute to our community at all.

However part of being a community is helping your productive members, so if some Santa Cruz residents are being squeezed by this economy and getting a bit behind in the rent, I'd like to help them *before* they become homeless and thus no longer able to contribute.

[Accountability]

"Basically we'll be able to provide more assistance to the homeless population,"
This statement does not thrill me as SC generally enables the homeless population TOO MUCH already.

However, I was encouraged that they are attempting some amount of screening and trying to determine which candidates the money would be best spent on by looking at their money management, etc. HOPEFULLY this will help the percentage of homeless or near-homeless that will use the money as a stepping stone and a boost to get them out of the mess they're in - not a crutch to perpetuate it.

Personally, I believe folks should work hard, save some and be responsible for themselves. In this case since the money's already spent, I'm pleased that at least there appears to be some attempt at distributing it in a responsible manner rather than just a free-for-all. I hope.

I do believe, though, that if I were in a position to know everything that would go on leading up to these short term grants it would probably make my stomach turn. As it is, every time I look at my paycheck stub and see all the taxes that I earned completely evaporated I have to shake my head.

[Mary]

Are they going to help them get jobs too?
Then, they can take all the remaining jobs and work away from other people and those people will lose their house - then they will be homeless and can move in the free house and the other can get into the one the other lost...
maybe even more homeless will come so they can just replace everyone here, then social services will really need to expand which will create construction jobs and everyone will want to buy digital graphics and watch plays. Santa Cruz didnt squander the stimulus money after all.

[Becky Johnson]

FROM THE ARTICLE: "About 2,260 people in Santa Cruz County, or about 1 percent of the county's population, are homeless, according to the 2009 Santa Cruz County Homeless Census and Survey."

BECKY: Let me point out that I've always said homelessness in Santa Cruz is between 1% and 3% of the total population. I have been rudely treated for saying this, told I can't do math, and generally abused. Here, the SENTINEL documents that in 2009, homelessness is 1% of the County's population. More than our share? Not!!

[disabuser]

Santa Cruz County has about 2/3 of 1% of the states population yet is receiving almost 10% of the total statewide funding.

[Ricardo]

Does anyone see the end game from all these bailouts? People are becoming more dependent on government everyday, which eventually leads to the government taking over. People who live in Santa Cruz and don't make much money need to wake up and move to the Central Valley where their income is more in line with their expenses. Its time to stop spending so much money and time retaining the homeless, meth-heads, artists and the irresponsible and time to start investing money in attracting businesses that will provide a living wage for responsible adults.

[The Scream]

Housed Downtowner wrote:

<quoted text>
The article specifically states the money will be used, in part, for "rental assistance to people at risk of becoming homeless." Sure sounds to me like that will help poor working families.
I'm all for getting the bums out of Downtown, and out of town altogether. They don't contribute to our community at all.
However part of being a community is helping your productive members, so if some Santa Cruz residents are being squeezed by this economy and getting a bit behind in the rent, I'd like to help them *before* they become homeless and thus no longer able to contribute.

I'm glad someone on this board has GOOD READING COMPREHENSION. The rest of you guys muttering about BUMS can't be bothered to ACTUALLY READ THE ARTICLE. You're probably halfway to becoming BUMS yourself.

[Mary]

SC local wrote:

Why can't we help the poor working familes too?

I completely agree. The families have it hard here, working parents that are not wealthy but do not qualify for all the handouts.
Then our elected officials make decisions to enable more and make more dependent than truly growing the economy for those in the lower income who work hard, who usually end up leaving because its so difficult here.
Its the wealthy or "free", nothing for middle class.
Its really pathetic and its wrong.
Take note of the names and vote them out.

[Done and Done]

Becky Johnson wrote:

FROM THE ARTICLE: "About 2,260 people in Santa Cruz County, or about 1 percent of the county's population, are homeless, according to the 2009 Santa Cruz County Homeless Census and Survey."
BECKY: Let me point out that I've always said homelessness in Santa Cruz is between 1% and 3% of the total population. I have been rudely treated for saying this, told I can't do math, and generally abused. Here, the SENTINEL documents that in 2009, homelessness is 1% of the County's population. More than our share? Not!!

You've been treated poorly because your numbers don't match up, or come remotely close to these. You've inflated the total population of SC County getting higher numbers out of the 1-3% that you're using.

You've also been told you cannot do math with your claim that teachers are compensated $800 per day because you have yet to show any documentation or math to show how your second hand source arrived at that figure.

[quiet local]

mandatory health care ? working class people cannot afford $ 250-500 a month whether they want to or not. I hope some of that money is going to food stamps and rental assistance because Obama is going to impoverish millions with this stupid idea. yeah let's just rip off people every month because they can't afford the health care ! this is going to cause more homelessness, substance abuse, and murder suicides when people find out that the govt will take hundreds of dollars out of your paycheck for the rest of your life so the middle class can have affordable health care !

[Done and Done]

The challenge facing SC County and the homeless population will not be solved by throwing around any amount of money. Other counties simply provide their homeless populations with one-way bus tickets to Santa Cruz. SC has become the cast off for other counties problems.

[to done and done]

If other areas were sending all their homeless to Santa Cruz wouldn't Santa Cruz have a higher percentage of homeless persons ?
Since Santa Cruz actually tends to have a lower than average percentage your theory obviously doesn't make any sense.

[Accountability]

Becky Johnson wrote:

BECKY:...But if you begrudge giving a crust of bread to a starving homeless person, well, I feel sorry for YOU.

I don't feel sorry for myself - you shouldn't feel sorry for me either. You're sorry enough for both of us.

Furthermore, I don't begrudge giving anyone a crust of bread - enabling them to continue to leech off the system is what I'm opposed to.

Work, earn, be responsible.