More disabled and elderly Santa Cruz County residents are experiencing homelessness this year than in 2023, according to the county Human Services Department. 

The county’s 2024 point-in-time count released earlier this month revealed that there was a 19% increase in homelessness for disabled residents and a 7% increase in homelessness among residents 55 and older compared to last year. By contrast, overall homelessness in the county increased only slightly from last year: a 2.6% increase. 

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Riley is an intern at Bay City News through the Dow Jones News Fund. She is a rising senior at the UC Berkeley, where she studies political science and journalism. Previously, she was the university news editor at her student newspaper The Daily Californian, overseeing coverage of student government elections, a new chancellor and the Gaza solidarity encampment. She enjoys reporting on politics, housing and homelessness — and using as many em dashes as her editors will allow.