Ahead of El Niño, county officials consider increased operation of winter shelters. Will there be funding to keep them running?

The Veterans Memorial Building in Santa Cruz is the site of one of the county’s two extreme weather shelters that open during cold snaps or flooding. County leaders hope to fund more shelter days ahead of anticipated rains from El Niño. (Amaya Edwards — Santa Cruz Local/CatchLight Local file) Santa Cruz County emergency resources Find a list of shelter sites on the county’s website. City resources for unhoused residents. Read the city’s Point in Time Counts for unhoused population. Story at a glance Increased rain as a result of El Niño is expected to impact the county’s unhoused residents. Officials are preparing for the storms but warn that current funding may not be enough for expected operations. Experts highlight that the cities homelessness problem continues independent of weather patterns. SANTA CRUZ From the foot bridge that connects San Lorenzo Park to River Street, Christopher Mullis stood watching the water below. In rays of the early fall sun, its current looked stea