Fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine. These synthetic painkillers, known as opioids, gained notoriety as extremely potent and highly addictive prescription drugs. Now, illicit

There’s no question that more affordable housing is needed to resolve homelessness in Santa Cruz County. But a greater supply of emergency shelter — safe places where people experiencing homelessness can stay temporarily — is also needed.

To live unhoused for any period of time can be harsh and disorienting. But to live without a home, for years on end, is a trauma that is difficult to overcome.

While an executive summary provided a preview of the data last August, the full report — which includes voluntary survey data compiled as part of the federally-mandated census — paints a more complete picture of the people experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County. 

At least 1,150 people housed through historic housing program since launch in 2012.

By-Name List of veterans reveals just 52 unhoused vets in 2022 compared to 332 in the latest PIT count.

A future in which doctors prescribe housing as a treatment for chronic homelessness may be difficult for some to imagine. But as more communities — and healthcare providers — embrace a multifaceted approach to addressing homelessness, that scenario may not seem so far-fetched.

Dignity Health and Housing Matters recently announced that Dignity Health is awarding a $1M Homeless Health Initiative grant to Housing Matters to build Harvey West Studios, 120 units of affordable housing for those with a history of chronic homelessness.

We did it! Thanks to our donors’ generous support, we raised $9.3 Million through our Building with Purpose campaign to build permanent supportive housing right

Jennifer came to the Rebele Family Shelter (RFS) after many years of experiencing homelessness. As a mother of three, Jennifer was seeking stability for both herself and her children and RFS became just that.

Introducing the Pathways Home Toolkit—a free resource anyone can use to help someone experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County and beyond.

Housing Matters is hiring a specialized team of case managers to house 90 people experiencing homelessness over the next 15 months.

Housing Matters has announced the Building with Purpose capital campaign and their plan to build 120 units of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing chronic homelessness in Santa Cruz County.

After many, many months of intensive, deliberate thought and planning, in March 2021 we finalized our newest three-year Strategic Plan.

SANTA CRUZ, CA (Nov. 20, 2020) — Santa Cruz city planning commissioners on Thursday night approved a 120-apartment, five-story complex on the Housing Matters campus.

Housing Matters, the largest nonprofit in Santa Cruz County working on solutions to homelessness, today announced that it has been selected to receive a $2.5 million grant.

Housing Matters is the largest nonprofit in Santa Cruz County working exclusively on the issue of homelessness. We connect unhoused community members with housing.