Winter Shelter To Reopen At National Guard Armory In Santa Cruz

SANTA CRUZ, CA — The California National Guard Armory will reopen next week to about 80 people as a winter shelter, after closing in 2016 due to community concerns, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported. A shuttle service will take people to and from the site at 301 Armory Rd through mid-March.

The announcement came as Gov. Gavin Newsom declared in an executive order that state agencies must determine which properties could be available for emergency use. The agencies have until the end of the month, according to a press release from the governor's office.

The order also makes available 100 camp trailers for use as temporary housing, plus mobile health and social service clinics to serve communities in need.

“The State of California is treating homelessness as a real emergency – because it is one," the governor said in a press release. "Californians are demanding that all levels of government – federal, state and local – do more to get people off the streets and into services – whether that’s housing, mental health services, substance abuse treatment or all of the above."

Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.