Central Coast gets last round of state homelessness money before cuts, new lawsuits over 2023 Pajaro flood

KAZU | By Elena Neale-Sacks

Published March 5, 2026 at 2:00 AM PST

Rows of pallet shelters — 64-square-foot portable structures with lockable doors, outlets for chargers, heating, windows, and beds — at the Housing Matters campus on Coral Street in Santa Cruz. — Rows of pallet shelters—64-square-foot portable structures with lockable doors, outlets for chargers, heating, windows, and beds—at the Housing Matters campus on Coral Street in Santa Cruz.

In today's newscast, Monterey Bay area counties get millions from the state’s homelessness prevention program, but future funds are in jeopardy. And, dozens of Pajaro Valley residents are suing the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency over the 2023 flood.

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Elena Neale-Sacks

Elena is an Emmy award-winning researcher, reporter, and producer. At KAZU, they cover agriculture, housing and homelessness, and the aftermath of the January 2025 lithium battery fire in Moss Landing. Their reporting and research has been featured on NPR, KQED, Netflix, Reveal, CalMatters, and more. Elena is an alum of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and UC Santa Cruz. You can reach them at elena@kazu.org.

See stories by Elena Neale-Sacks