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About Us

Smart Solutions to Homelessness is led by a Steering Committee of individuals with extensive
experience working with programs that address the needs of persons experiencing homelessness.
MariaElena De La Garza, Community Action Board
Scott Galloway, Calvary Espiscopal Church
Phil Kramer, Homeless Services Center
Don Lane, Smart Solutions Steering Committee Chair
Linda Lemaster, Housing Now
Rayne Marr, County of Santa Cruz Homeless Services Coordinator
Rick Martinez, Santa Cruz Police Department
Adam Spickler, County Human Services Department; Cabrillo College Board of Trustees
Ingrid Trejo,  formerly with Veterans Resource Center
Melisa Viera, Families in Transition 
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Our History

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In 2011, a small group of individuals who work with several different programs and projects related to homelessness started having lunch together every month to discuss their work. Members of the group were concerned that, while good work was being done, some important things needed to change in order to make real headway in reducing homelessness in our county.
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The group first decided that lot more people needed to be involved in the issue. They also concluded that it was necessary to change the community’s system of addressing homelessness. The group raised a modest amount of money from a generous donor and hired a talented individual to coordinate the effort part-time. Initially, the group worked within the existing government framework of homelessness policymaking in the county. Unfortunately, that approach was moving quite slowly. The group shifted gears and decided to create a new organization to engage more of the community and to advocate for change. The small group expanded and diversified. Then the expanded team decided that a big, open gathering would be the best way to enlarge community involvement and publicly launch our new effort. Committees were formed and extensive plans were developed.

In December, 2012, the Smart Solutions to Homelessness Summit was held at Cabrillo College. More than 250 county residents participated. Building on the excitement the Summit generated, the Smart Solutions to Homelessness Leadership Council was formed and leads our work today.

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In 2014 and 2015, Smart Solutions partnered with the County of Santa Cruz and the United Way to develop our county’s All In Strategic Plan to address homelessness. After dozens of community meetings and the participation of hundreds of local residents, the Plan was completed and unanimously adopted by the County Board of Supervisors and the City Councils of all four cities in the county.  Much of our work today centers around the implementation of the All In plan.

In 2016, Smart Solutions initiated a Community Recognition event to lift up and honor some of the best work being done locally to reduce and end homelessness. Smart Solutions continues this event on an annual basis to support our colleagues in this work and to inform the broader community about the smartest and most impactful work being done locally. Many of the awardees are respected members of the community working to end homelessness in Santa Cruz County. In the past years, the following organizations have been awarded:


2018 AWARDEES
Lifetime Achievement Award:
    Christine Sippl

Ingrid Trejo, Veterans Resource Center and the 
   Veterans Action Committee

Association of Faith Communities
Kaiser Permanente
Kris Younggren, Street Outreach Worker
Captain Harold Laubach of the Salvation Army
Tamara Vides, City of Watsonville 
Susie O’Hara, City of Santa Cruz
Youth Advisory Board of the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project 
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Kelly Bermudez-Deutsch, Wings Dispatcher
Michele Pomroy, Wings Dispatcher
Cassie Strusis-Timmer, Wings Dispatcher
Sean Sullivan, Manager Redwood Commons
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2017 Awardees
Santa Cruz Public Libraries 
The 180/2020 Initiative 
Families In Transition 
City of Santa Cruz Homelessness Coordinating Committee  
Brent Adams 
Mental Health Client Action Network 
Downtown Association 
Central Coast Alliance for Health 
Brian Lands 
Mary Lou Goeke 
South County Homeless Steering Committee 
Lifetime Achievement Award:
​    Linda Ellen Lemaster ​​
2016 Awardees: 
All In Landlord  Partnership 
Homeless Persons Health Project
Lived Experience Group of Smart Solutions
John Deitz

Bob Montague
Association of Faith Communities
Wings
Pat and Rowland Rebele
Appleton Foundation
Dignity Health Dominican Hospital
Homeless Garden Project/Paul Lee
Pajaro Valley Shelter
Lifetime Achievement Award:
     Julie Conway    Paul Brindel

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