‘Why has our society allowed this?’

“It’s irritating when persons are mendacity on the bottom within the rain. They’re in wheelchairs within the rain. Why has our society allowed this?” Londos stated of the flooding that drenched folks’s tents and belongings. “There’s no inexpensive housing, it’s so restricted.”

Santa Cruz usually lands on lists of most costly locations to reside in america, and in keeping with Zillow, the typical dwelling worth is $1.3 million. 

The Benchlands encampment was sanctioned by a federal injunction in early 2021 and has continued to supply a spot for folks to camp as Santa Cruz works on creating different non permanent sheltering operations, the town stated. 

The town stated in a press release that it despatched workers from a number of departments to the Benchlands encampment and a web site on the close by cemetery on Friday and Sunday to alert campers in regards to the storm and “strongly encourage them to hunt larger floor … out of hurt’s method.”

The message to go away the world could not have gotten to everybody. On his Monday go to to the encampment, Londos captured Fb reside footage and interviewed a person residing in a tent who stated he wasn’t warned. 

After receiving information of the shifting climate and flood forecast on Monday, the town stated it despatched an advert hoc emergency response staff to the location that helped help and evacuate folks. Londos stated he noticed a number of the employees helping on Monday. 

The town’s Public Works Division opened a brief shelter on Monday in a parking storage for impacted people till the storm subsides. Santa Cruz County equipped 100 sleeping luggage and pads, circumstances of water and 500 ready-to-eat meals.

“The sheltering operation on the River Avenue storage will proceed till the storm subsides,” the town stated. “If wanted, a brief, alternate location to the Benchlands will likely be utilized till the Benchlands is dry sufficient for the campers to return.”

Like many locations in California, Santa Cruz is dwelling to a inhabitants of individuals with out housing. A census taken in 2019 by the nonprofit Housing Issues discovered 2,167 homeless folks residing in Santa Cruz County. The depend was carried out on a single day and sure did not seize the whole inhabitants. Shelter house to accommodate everybody with out housing is missing, and countywide, there are 617 beds accessible by shelters, transitional housing in addition to COVID Mission Roomkey inns supported by funding from the Federal Emergency Administration Company. Of these beds, 375 are within the metropolis of Santa Cruz.

“The town is standing up some non permanent transitional camps to attempt to meet the necessity, provided that there are way more unhoused people than shelter beds accessible,” the town stated in a press release. “The town at present has one of many highest per capita charges of homelessness within the state.”

Phil Kramer, CEO of Housing Issues, which helps folks discover everlasting housing in Santa Cruz County, stated the area has made strides and his group housed 300 folks final 12 months — but it surely’s not sufficient.

“We’re not maintaining with the necessity,” Kramer stated. “Extra persons are changing into unhoused than we’re in a position to home in any given time. It’s dismaying for the group. It doesn’t really feel like we’re housing extra folks to the group … if you’re visiting the Benchlands the place persons are tenting and tragically flooded out of their sleeping state of affairs.”

Londos has lived in Santa Cruz for 32 years and stated he has seen the unhoused inhabitants develop. To assist people in want of shelter, he began constructing “micro tiny houses.” 

“I’ve seen the state of affairs worsen over time and I see why,” he stated. “It’s an enormous drawback. I feel it has to do with the divide between the wealthy and the poor, trickle-down economics don’t work. There are drug habit issues. We don’t have sufficient psychological well being companies.”