our impact

Housing Matters serves over 2,800 people each year.

The most recent homeless census counted over 2,299 people who were homeless on a single given night in February 2022. Newer data from the 2023 Point-in-Time Count will be available later this year. Our services and programs touch the majority of people experiencing homelessness in Santa Cruz County in one way or another.

Need services? Visit our Get Help section for more information.

In 2022, 317 people found permanent housing with the support of a Housing Matters program. These are children, women, and men who may otherwise still be living without a home.

Learn more about the work we do on our Programs and Services page.

Do you want to have an impact on your community? Visit our Get Involved page to learn simple ways to take action today >


by the numbers (2022)

 

45,615 bednights provided

A bednight is one person in one bed for one night. Just how many nights is that? It’s the equivalent of the average Santa Cruz family of three spending 42 years in their cozy beds.

 

99,160 meals served each year

We serve two meals a day to most of our shelter residents. It would take the average Santa Cruz family 30 years of three meals per day to consume that many meals.

 

7,199 showers and 28,089 restroom visits provided

Between our day services and shelter services, a lot of people have access to showers and restrooms who may not otherwise. An average Santa Cruz family would be taking regular showers for nearly seven years before they hit this number.

 

Our programs and services are wide and varied, and can feel pretty complex. We get funding from federal, state, and local governments, plus grants and individual contributions. With 65+ employees and an annual budget of about $11.7 million, we are the largest local non-profit working exclusively on homelessness.

 

Learn the basics about each of our program areas on our Programs and Services page >

programs and services

Our programs and services are wide and varied, and can feel pretty complex.

What’s not complex is our ultimate goal: to get people back into housing. Permanent, adequate, stable housing. Every single thing we do is focused on housing. Housing is the foundation from which to tackle all of life’s challenges. With housing, people can heal, stabilize, pursue their dreams, and better contribute to their community.

We get funding from federal, state, and local governments, plus grants and individual contributions. With 65+ employees and an annual budget of about $11.7 million, we are the largest local non-profit working exclusively on homelessness.

Learn the basics about each of our program areas on our Programs and Services page >

The future

We are always looking to expand resources and better serve each and every person experiencing homelessness in our community. Through systems change and best practices, we work hard toward the vision that homelessness in Santa Cruz County should be rare, brief, and non-recurring. Indeed, we are resolving homelessness together.

Take Action: Join us in moving forward toward a healthier, more stable community for all residents, by getting involved today >

Annual Reports

See Annual Reports from the last few years, which include impact data, financial overviews, and more.

FY2019-20 Annual Report >

FY2018-19 Annual Report >

FY2017-18 Annual Report >