results of a census taken of the homeless population in santa cruz shows that the number of homeless people has risen 22 percent within 2 years. according to a count conducted by the united way of santa cruz, about 27-hundred people are without homes in santa cruz county. researchers attribute the high homeless numbers to the poor job market and expensive rents. the city of santa cruz had the most homeless, with 1,070, and scotts valley rose from zero homeless to 13.
the united way of santa cruz takes a census of the homeless population every 2 years to better adjust services that are offered.
