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    latest news

    Housing as healthcare: A prescription for change

    A future in which doctors prescribe housing as a treatment for chronic homelessness may be difficult for some to imagine. But as more communities —
    Dignity Health Awards $1M to Housing Matters to Build Permanent Supportive Housing

    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.
    Cecilia, Board President
    Leading with heart

    Housing Matters Board President Cecilia Espinola shares her perspective on the past fiscal year in our 2021 Annual Report.
    Thanks to you, we raised $9.3M to build Harvey West Studios

    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’s story of resilience and hope

    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
    Introducing the Pathways Home Toolkit – A free community resource

    Introducing the Pathways Home Toolkit—a free resource anyone can use to help someone experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County and beyond
    Announcing Our Newest Program: Housing Now

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

    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
    Housing Matters’ 2021–2023 Strategic Plan

    After many, many months of intensive, deliberate thought and planning, in March 2021 we finalized our newest three-year Strategic Plan. This Strategic Plan is a living…
    NEWS: Permanent Supportive Housing Project Approved!

    SANTA CRUZ, CA (Nov. 20, 2020) — Santa Cruz city planning commissioners on Thursday night approved a 120-apartment, five-story complex that will house and treat…
    $2.5 Million Awarded to Housing Matters

    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…
    Well, this is awkward… about those encampments

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

    home at last: success stories

    Our clients are some of the most inspiring people we know. Learn about their journeys as they found their pathways to stable housing.

    Nina

    Nina

    When Nina first came to Housing Matters, she thought she had no hope at all. Nina and her 17-year-old daughter were in a difficult situation, living with a boyfriend of Nina who was abusive, to avoid sleeping in their car or on the street with no protection.

    Sherry

    Sherry

    When I first became homeless, I was married to my husband, Darel. He and I did everything together. He had my back when I first lost my housing in the late ’90s and really looked out for me while we were together. We supported each other in every way we could. He struggled with seizures and other health complications, which is hard to handle alone, so I was there for him throughout…

    Mario

    Mario

    Mario’s hope is to find a way to help the agencies that saved his life expand, so more people can access their services. That, and get back to fishing. A third-generation Santa Cruzian, Mario says his favorite things about his hometown are the ocean and the mountains, but mostly the good people…

    More Success Stories

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    Housing Matters
    1 day ago
    Housing Matters

    With just one wrong word in the lengthy and convoluted eviction paperwork, folks can find themselves homeless. Factoring in the lack of access to legal aid for low-income individuals, and you'll find tenants often choose to vacate their homes rather than stand trial in court to protect their credit.

    Over the past two years, dozens of housing advocates and attorneys in Los Angeles have volunteered their time to create a "Tenant Power Toolkit" for low-income families and individuals facing eviction.

    While the creators emphasize that the Tenant Power Toolkit is no substitution for a lawyer, the bilingual website, which resembles a tax-return-filing software, produces a legal document tenants can present in court. It asks questions specific to eviction type and location, aiming to invoke defenses tenants may not have even been aware of.

    The prototype was put together on a "shoestring" budget, and the group hopes to attract more robust funding in the future. In the meantime, advocates will continue to push for tenants to be granted a legal right to representation in court.

    Click the link below to access the toolkit yourself.

    abolition-tools.debtcollective.org/run/eviction/#/1     ... See MoreSee Less

    With just one wrong word in the lengthy and convoluted eviction paperwork, folks can find themselves homeless. Factoring in the lack of access to legal aid for low-income individuals, and youll find tenants often choose to vacate their homes rather than stand trial in court to protect their credit. Over the past two years, dozens of housing advocates and attorneys in Los Angeles have volunteered their time to create a Tenant Power Toolkit for low-income families and individuals facing eviction. While the creators emphasize that the Tenant Power Toolkit is no substitution for a lawyer, the bilingual website, which resembles a tax-return-filing software, produces a legal document tenants can present in court. It asks questions specific to eviction type and location, aiming to invoke defenses tenants may not have even been aware of. The prototype was put together on a shoestring budget, and the group hopes to attract more robust funding in the future. In the meantime, advocates will continue to push for tenants to be granted a legal right to representation in court. Click the link below to access the toolkit yourself. https://abolition-tools.debtcollective.org/run/eviction/#/1
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    Housing Matters
    2 days ago
    Housing Matters

    As you may have heard, the executive team at Housing Matters had the honor of attending the 2022 National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in Washington DC.

    The team met inspiring leaders from across the nation, learned best practices from communities who have ended chronic homelessness, and heard about ways to urge Congress to support those made most vulnerable by homelessness.

    We'll share videos from our executive team in the upcoming week about their key takeaways from the conference. Stay tuned!     ... See MoreSee Less

    As you may have heard, the executive team at Housing Matters had the honor of attending the 2022 National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in Washington DC. The team met inspiring leaders from across the nation, learned best practices from communities who have ended chronic homelessness, and heard about ways to urge Congress to support those made most vulnerable by homelessness. Well share videos from our executive team in the upcoming week about their key takeaways from the conference. Stay tuned!Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment
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    Some more meetings and money waisted as usual and no progress

    Housing Matters
    3 days ago
    Housing Matters

    Don't forget to sign up for our next community tour this Thursday, August 11th from 10-11am. Register now to learn how Housing Matters supports people experiencing homelessness on and off our campus. Link in bio! ... See MoreSee Less

    Dont forget to sign up for our next community tour this Thursday, August 11th from 10-11am. Register now to learn how Housing Matters supports people experiencing homelessness on and off our campus. Link in bio!
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