Welcome to the Human Services Department’s COVID-19 informational page for homeless services providers, persons experiencing homelessness or seeking assistance with meeting basic needs, and other interested persons. We will be updating this page frequently with current resource links and information on the Coronavirus developments and the impacts on our community.
NEW Shelter Referral Process
There is a new Shelter Referral Process to fill both isolation/quarantine shelter and the congregate shelters opening countywide.
Please review the following for more information on the process and the actual referral form:
Please contact the following persons to complete a Shelter Referral:
Shelter-In-Place Resources
Motel/Hotel Assistance for Families Experiencing Homelessness
The Federal government has declared a disaster situation in California due to COVID-19. As a result of this declaration, CalWORKs recipients experiencing homelessness may be eligible for additional motel/hotel assistance regardless of whether they have received motel/hotel assistance through CalWORKs during the last 12 months:
Eligibility:
To qualify for the assistance families must:
- Be eligible or apparently eligible for CalWORKs
- Be experiencing homelessness
- Have less than $100 in resources
Available assistance:
16 nights of motel/hotel assistance at the following rates:
- $85 per night for a family of 4 and an additional $15 for every family member beyond a family of four; For example, a family of 5 would receive a nightly amount of $100, and a family of 6 would receive a nightly amount of $115
- The total nightly amount a family can receive cannot exceed $145
If eligible, funds will be placed on families’ EBT cards the same day that the application is completed
To receive assistance:
Contact the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department’s Benefits offices. Please note: The County is trying to limit all unnecessary face-to-face contact and is asking customers to contact the benefits offices by phone or electronically:
New CalWORKs Applications can be filed:
Electronically:
By Phone:
Homeless Assistance Applications for CalWORKs Recipients:
By Phone:
To speed up the application process, please have the Homeless Assistance application (Form CW 42) completed prior to contacting the County
Health Care Resources
If you don’t have a health care provider, please call before going in:
- Homeless Persons Health Project (Hours: M-Th 8am-5pm; Friday 8am-3pm); Location: 115-A Coral Street, Santa Cruz; Call: 831-454-2080 or After hours: 831-454-5146; Email: HPHPreferral@santacruzcounty.us
- Emeline Health Center (Hours: M-F 8am-5pm); Location: 1080 Emeline Ave; Call: 831-454-4100
- Watsonville Health Center (Hours: M-Th 7:30am-6:30pm; F 7:30-5:00); Location: 1430 Freedom Blvd, Suite C; Call: 831-763-8400
- County Clinic After Hours (Hours: after clinic normal business hours); Call: 831-763-8227
For Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) call:
- Homeless Persons Health Project (HPHP): 831-454-2080
- Watsonville Health Center (WHC): 831-763-8400
- Santa Cruz Heath Center (Emeline): 831-454-4100
Employment Resources
Eviction and Rent Non-Payment Ordinances
Local ordinances to prevent residential or commercial evictions for non-payment of rent:
Tax Information and Assistance
*To help millions of people, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service launched a new web tool allowing quick registration for Economic Impact Payments for those who don’t normally file a tax return. See the fliers below:
Resources for Homeless Services Providers
Online Resources for Recovery Groups/Support
CDC Signage