Policy Proposal: A Public-Private Partnership for Unhoused Hygiene Services
1.0 Introduction: Addressing a Critical Service Gap in Our City
This proposal outlines a strategic public-private partnership to address the critical and growing lack of hygiene facilities for our city's unhoused population. Following the closure of the area's only known shower service, individuals experiencing homelessness have been left without access to this fundamental necessity. This is not a problem that exists apart from us; it is a reflection of our city's values and our collective responsibility to one another. We present a practical, compassionate, and fiscally responsible solution that leverages existing community assets to bridge this dangerous service gap.
The core of this proposal is the creation of a city-supported, centralized fund—the Community Hygiene Partnership Fund. This fund would empower local churches to safely and legally offer their existing, underutilized shower facilities to individuals in need by removing the prohibitive financial and legal barriers that currently prevent them from doing so. This initiative represents a direct response to an immediate public health crisis and offers a sustainable path forward.
2.0 The Problem: A Deficit in Public Health and Human Dignity
Access to basic hygiene is not a matter of convenience; it is a fundamental component of public health and human dignity. The inability to wash oneself exacerbates health problems, creates barriers to employment, and strips individuals of their sense of self-worth. Addressing this foundational need is a prerequisite for helping individuals stabilize their lives. Yet, our community is currently paralyzed, prevented from offering this basic decency by a legal climate that discourages altruism.
The current service gap in our city is absolute. The shutdown of shower services at "MHK" eliminated the only dedicated facility, leaving a complete absence of "extra facilities." The human cost is immediate and severe. A recent encounter with a man who had "blood on his face" and scabs underscores this reality; without a simple shower to clean his wounds, his condition was a preventable and urgent health risk. This is not an isolated incident. It is a daily crisis that is unacceptable in our city. This untenable situation demands that we innovate immediately.
3.0 An Untapped Community Asset: Church-Operated Facilities
A fiscally prudent and efficient strategy for addressing this service gap lies not in constructing new, costly infrastructure, but in activating the underutilized assets that already exist within our community. This approach fosters collaboration and ensures that public funds are used to empower community partners rather than build redundant facilities from the ground up.
Throughout our city, numerous churches possess existing shower facilities that currently sit unused. As one account confirms, there are "Churches here with showers, but they're not open for showers, though." These facilities represent a significant untapped resource that could be deployed quickly to meet the current need.
The primary obstacle preventing these faith-based organizations from opening their doors is not a lack of willingness, but the prohibitive cost of liability insurance. This financial barrier is compounded by a pervasive culture of litigation, a reality where, as the source bluntly puts it, "in California because it's su that you can't help anybody." This partnership does more than fund a service; it unleashes the compassion of our faith communities, which is currently shackled by a legal system that punishes altruism. This presents a clear opportunity for the city to intervene, remove the barrier, and forge a powerful public-private partnership.
4.0 Proposed Solution: The Community Hygiene Partnership Fund
The proposed solution is the establishment of the Community Hygiene Partnership Fund, a centralized, city-administered mechanism designed to remove the financial and legal barriers for participating faith-based organizations. This fund will provide the targeted support necessary to make this partnership feasible, secure, and sustainable.
The structure and purpose of the fund are designed to directly address the obstacles identified by community partners:
- Centralized Funding: The city would establish and manage a single account to streamline the allocation of financial support, ensuring transparency and efficiency, and "funnel money into a single account."
- Liability Insurance Coverage: The fund’s primary purpose is to cover increased insurance premiums, routing payments through each organization’s treasury to secure coverage for the specific purpose of "having homeless people taking showers on their property." This directly mitigates their principal risk.
- Professional Cleaning Services: To ensure facilities remain sanitary and to reduce the operational burden on volunteers, the fund will allocate resources to hire professional cleaning services. This "pays for people like a cleaning service to go sit there and clean up whatever needs to be done."
- Staffing Support: The fund will have the flexibility to distribute resources to any "workers that were involved," ensuring that sites can be staffed appropriately for safe and orderly operation.
By targeting financial support to these key operational areas, the Community Hygiene Partnership Fund effectively transforms a high-risk proposition into a manageable and mission-aligned activity for community organizations.
5.0 Mitigating Risk: A Framework for Legal Protection
The success of this partnership hinges on creating a robust legal framework that protects participating organizations from undue liability. The legal concerns held by potential community partners are valid, and addressing them proactively is essential for fostering the trust required for widespread participation. The core challenge stems from a societal reality where organizations fear "you can't help anybody" without exposing themselves to lawsuits.
This proposal advocates for a two-pronged approach to risk mitigation:
- Funded Insurance Mandate: The program will require all participating organizations to secure comprehensive liability insurance, with the full cost of the premium covered by the Community Hygiene Partnership Fund. This makes robust insurance coverage a non-negotiable, fully-funded, and central component of the program, removing the financial burden entirely.
- Exploration of Liability Waivers: We recommend that the City’s legal department investigate the "legal ramifications" of implementing a standardized liability waiver for all individuals using the facilities. Exploring their use as an additional layer of legal protection is a prudent step that could provide further reassurance to participating organizations.
This proactive approach to risk management is designed to transform the primary obstacle—fear of litigation—into a manageable operational detail, paving the way for the program's success and its community-wide benefits.
6.0 Anticipated Community-Wide Benefits
Providing a fundamental service like a shower creates positive ripple effects that extend far beyond the individual, benefiting the entire community. This proposal offers a holistic value proposition that improves public health, strengthens social cohesion, and provides a more humane and effective response to homelessness.
The benefits will be felt across key stakeholder groups:
- For the Unhoused Population: Access to showers directly improves physical health and restores a fundamental level of personal dignity. This is about more than just hygiene; it is about the profound human need "to clean," to feel healthy, and to regain a sense of normalcy that is crucial for re-engaging with services and pursuing opportunities.
- For Participating Churches: This program empowers faith communities to actively live out their mission to serve the vulnerable. It resolves the painful conflict where fear of litigation "goes against faith," removing the barriers that currently prevent them from their calling to "help someone" in a practical and impactful way.
- For the City and Its Residents: This partnership leads to tangible improvements in public health by reducing the spread of communicable diseases. It represents a cost-effective and compassionate model for addressing homelessness and strengthens the fabric of our community by fostering collaboration between the public sector and faith-based organizations.
7.0 Conclusion and Recommendation
Our city faces a critical public health and humanitarian gap in hygiene services for its unhoused residents. The proposed Community Hygiene Partnership Fund offers an innovative, fiscally responsible, and compassionate solution. By leveraging existing community infrastructure and directly addressing the liability concerns of potential partners, this model provides a clear and achievable path to restoring this essential service.
We urge the City Council and the Mayor's office to take immediate and decisive action. We formally request that you bypass exploratory committees and instead empower a dedicated task force with a 90-day mandate to deliver a concrete implementation plan for the Community Hygiene Partnership Fund.
This is our opportunity to lead with an innovative solution that is both pragmatic and principled. We have a chance to affirm the dignity of every resident, unleash the goodwill of our community partners, and collectively meet a pressing human need.
Here is the information on shower locations in Santa Cruz County.
Printable List of Shower Locations
You can take a screenshot of this list or print this page.
I. Free Hot Showers (Hygiene Services & Outreach) These locations are specifically designed for public or homeless access.
Housing Matters (The Homeless Services Center)
Location: 115 Coral Street, Santa Cruz
Hours: Daily, 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM
Notes: Dedicated hygiene center with showers and restrooms.
Shower the People (Mobile Shower Unit)
Note: Schedule is subject to change; check their website for the latest rotation.
Aptos: Resurrection Church (7600 Soquel Dr). Typically Tuesdays (afternoon/evening) and Saturdays (mid-day).
Santa Cruz: Trinity Presbyterian Church (420 Melrose Ave). Typically Wednesdays (afternoon/evening).
St. John’s Episcopal Church (Aptos)
Location: 125 Canterbury Dr, Aptos
Notes: Often partners with the Association of Faith Communities (AFC) for shelter and hygiene programs.
Salvation Army Santa Cruz Corps
Location: 721 Laurel St, Santa Cruz
Notes: Often provides hygiene services in conjunction with shelter programs; call ahead to confirm availability for non-residents.
II. Community Pools & Centers (Paid/Low Cost Hot Showers) These are public facilities where you can pay a day-use fee to use the pool and showers.
Simpkins Family Swim Center
Location: 979 17th Avenue, Santa Cruz (Live Oak)
Access: Open to the public. Requires a day-use entry fee.
Notes: Full locker rooms and hot showers.
UCSC East Field House Pool
Location: UC Santa Cruz Campus
Access: Community members can typically purchase a day pass (approx. $10).
Notes: Requires navigating campus; availability changes with academic calendar.
Harvey West Pool (Seasonal)
Location: 326 Evergreen St, Santa Cruz
Access: Open summer/warm months only. Requires entry fee.
III. Beach Showers (Free, Cold, Outdoor) These are "rinse-off" showers located outside restrooms. They are cold and public.
Santa Cruz Main Beach / Cowell’s Beach: Near the Wharf and Boardwalk.
Pleasure Point Park: East Cliff Drive (Outdoor shower post).
The Hook: 41st Avenue & East Cliff.
Seabright State Beach: Near the bathroom structure.
Manresa & Seacliff State Beaches: (May require parking fee to access vehicle areas).
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