The Homeless Action Partnership (HAP) is the name of the collaboration in Santa Cruz County that acts as the HUD mandated Continuum of Care. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires communities that seek funding under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to come together as a community and develop a strategy to prevent and end homelessness in their area.

The HAP is a collaboration of the five jurisdictions in Santa Cruz County (the County and the Cities of Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Capitola and Scotts Valley) along with homeless housing and services providers. The HAP brings in about $1.7 Million each year as housing subsidy and supportive services. (See list of funded programs below).

County jurisdictions, through the HAP fund activities that further the goal of addressing homelessness in the community, including funding winter shelter programs in both north and south Santa Cruz County and conducting a biennial homeless census and survey.