County allocates funding for homeless outreach in unincorporated areas

The Monterey County Board of Supervisors has allocated about a quarter of a million to expand homeless outreach services in unincorporated communities that often fall outside city-based programs.

While the county currently has a small team that does outreach, the funding will support their services and response in areas including Carmel Valley, Pajaro and Castroville, according to Homeless Services Director Roxanne Wilson.

Wilson said existing outreach teams are often stretched across the county, making it difficult to provide consistent services in rural and unincorporated communities.

"Services are so consolidated within cities, and that's where the vast majority of people experiencing homelessness are," Wilson said. "But unfortunately there are people who are being left out, so we are trying to bridge that gap."

Wilson said she hopes to increase the number of workers, who provide transportation to shelters, medical appointments and social service providers while working directly with people experiencing homelessness in the areas where they live.

The director added that outreach requires more than a single contact and often depends on building trust and maintaining consistent engagement over time.

"We want to meet people where they are," Wilson said. "Sometimes people have trust issues, so it requires relationship building, consistent engagement and problem solving with individuals who are often in complex and unsafe conditions.”

The county plans to identify priority locations through community reports submitted through the Monterey County UConnect system, as well as information collected during the biennial point-in-time homeless count.

Residents can report encampments through the UConnect app, which alerts the county's homeless services office.

The county currently deploys one outreach team, but Wilson said travel demands can delay responses in some areas.

"If they are in King City two days in a row, getting to Pajaro can take some time," she said.

Services provided by outreach teams can range from distributing water and arranging transportation to helping people reconnect with family members or access medical care.

"Sometimes people are stuck here and want to go back home," Wilson said. "Sometimes we come across people who are sick and outreach teams call 911 and get them medical service."

Wilson said the county is recently met with a service provider and is working on contract details, in addition to communicating what their needs are and what services are expected.

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This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 3:12 PM.