River Street Shelter
River Street Shelter is a 32-bed emergency shelter for homeless adult men and women. Shelter staff work with residents to achieve self-sufficiency goals and connect with community resources for obtaining benefits, physical health services, employment, and housing. Specialized counseling is available for those residents with mental illness to support them in maintaining psychiatric stability and achieving individualized recovery goals. On-site 12-step meetings for Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous also support the recovery process for those with substance abuse issues.
The shelter opens at 3:00 pm and closes at 8:00 am. About 60% of the beds are reserved for people referred by County Mental Health who will also be attending the Pioneer House program during the day. Those individuals are allowed to stay at the shelter for up to 90 days. Four beds are reserved as crisis beds for County Mental Health and Dominican Behavioral Health Unit; these beds are intended for a brief stay of 2-5 days. The remainder of the beds are distributed on a waiting list basis. People on the waiting list need to check in every two days to stay on the list; once accepted, they are allowed to stay up to 30 days.
The shelter strives to provide a home-like environment where people feel safe and valued, and can begin the process of rebuilding their lives. Breakfast and dinner are provided, along with telephone and laundry services. Residents get together on Friday and Saturday nights to watch movies in the shelter's cozy living room, and birthdays and holidays are celebrated. Residents pitch in to help in the running of the shelter, and many are able to contribute skills that have not been utilized in a long time, which helps them remember they are a valuable member of the community.
The River Street Shelter was created by the Citizen's Committe for the Homeless in 1987, and has been run by the Santa Cruz Community Counseling Center for since 1989. It is funded by the City and County of Santa Cruz, United Way, FEMA, and community contributions.
