Thirty-four units of transitional housing are expected to be built on a lot next to Westview Presbyterian Church at 118 First St. in Watsonville. (Tyler Maldonado — Santa Cruz Local)
Last updated: May 2025
Project name: Recurso de Fuerza
Location: 118 First St., Watsonville.
The project will be behind Westview Presbyterian Church on 118 First St., Watsonville.
Status
Construction is expected to begin in May 2025 after the building permit is finalized, said Homeless Prevention and Intervention Services Director Mike Kittredge of Community Action Board. “The facility will open in late October/early November,” he wrote in an email.
Project description
A low-barrier navigation center is planned with 34 temporary homes and staff to help unhoused people transition into permanent housing outside the project. Residents are allowed on site 24 hours with 24-hour staff.
It’s not a drop-in center or a shelter. Residents will be screened before they are offered spaces.
- Total units: 34 individual tiny homes. The units will be private with lockable doors.
- Amenities: The project will have 24-hour security, showers and laundry. Two meals will be provided daily. A kennel for pets and space for chicken coops will be provided.
- Construction and design: Units will be modular and designed by Boss Tiny House.
- Community engagement: A “Good Neighbor Protocol” includes yearly meetings with surrounding community and perimeter walls for privacy and security.
It is one of three navigation centers being developed in Santa Cruz County. The other two are planned at 115 Coral St. in Santa Cruz and 2202 Soquel Ave. in Santa Cruz.
Services
The Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County will operate the shelter and provide services to clients such as case management, medical care, and housing and employment assistance.
“Our department has extensive case management experience. We will be collaborating with other county resources for health care, including behavioral health services,” Kittredge wrote in an email. Community Action Board has not provided behavioral health services previously.
The project has a goal of bringing 85% of the unsheltered residents at the Pajaro River levee into the program and finding permanent housing for 60% of those residents within six months.
Approval process
An application was submitted to the city in October 2023. The Watsonville Zoning Administrator approved the project in September 2024. The decision was appealed to the Watsonville Planning Commission in December 2024, which approved it. A neighborhood group appealed to the Watsonville City Council, and the council denied the appeal on March 11, 2025 on a 5-2 vote. City staff said the council had limited authority based on state law.
Developer
The project is being developed as a partnership between the Counties of Monterey and Santa Cruz, the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, Westview Presbyterian Church and the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County.
Funding
An $8 million state Encampment Resolution Grant was approved in 2023 to serve about 100 people living along the Pajaro River levee in advance of planned levee improvements. It includes funding for operational costs until July 2026 when the property will be transferred to Santa Cruz County.
After that, Santa Cruz County will find additional funding for the interim housing “so that it can be a continuing resource for unsheltered people throughout southern Santa Cruz County,” according to the grant.
A map shows the housing site in relation to the Pajaro River levee. (County of Monterey)
Westview Presbyterian Church is at 118 First St., Watsonville. (Tyler Maldonado — Santa Cruz Local)
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