Homelessness in Neighboring Counties: Calaveras, Amador, and Mariposa

We have been hearing a lot about homelessness and unhoused people over the past decade. The Union Democrat reporting has been focused on Tuolumne County issues and solutions. To find out what is happening in neighboring counties, we turn to the Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency (ATCAA) which serves these two counties along with Calaveras and Mariposa (1), Central Sierra Continuum of Care which coordinates services for homeless people in these four foothill counties (2), and Sierra Hope which serves Calaveras, Amador, and Tuolumne counties (3).

Rural counties face growing numbers of unhoused people due to limited housing availability and their remote nature. The geography, with much of the population spread across unincorporated areas and in difficult-to-access locations, presents challenges in reaching those experiencing homelessness. Many live outdoors, while others rely on “couch surfing” or living in their car or other vehicle.

Point in Time (PIT) counts in all foothill counties show the number of unhoused people is increasing (4).  Though these counts are notoriously flawed, they remain the official total. (Read Cynthia Griffith’s article, “The Pit Count’s Pitfalls: Rethinking Homelessness Data,” Invisible People (5).)

ATCAA has a Housing Assistance Program that can provide funds for security deposits and rent, a food bank, and programs to help with home energy, utility bills, and finding rental properties. If funding allows, the program offers Emergency Homeless Rapid Rehousing Assistance. It operates three shelters, one in Sonora and two in Jackson, and a newly renovated twelve-unit apartment building in Jackson with permanent supportive housing for homeless veterans and their families.

Sierra Hope, located in Calaveras County and also serving residents of Amador and Tuolumne counties, runs a Transitional Family Shelter, a food pantry, and a rapid rehousing program. For people with AIDS, the agency offers the Housing Opportunities program, help with obtaining medications, and transport to medical appointments.

In Mariposa County, the smallest of the four counties with just 17,000 residents, the 40-bed Connections Emergency Shelter has a 60-day maximum, is low-barrier (meaning sobriety is not required), and helps with finding stable housing (6). Mariposa Heritage House, another program for unhoused people, offers access to basic needs such as food, laundry, showers, internet, and socialization. It also provides peer counseling, recovery coaching, and relapse prevention groups (7).

All four counties provide services to the unhoused through their health and human services departments. However, need continues to outstrip resources. In the face of inadequate funding for emergency shelter and housing, staff work very hard to ensure that limited funds are put to the best use.

NOTES

1. See Amador-Tuolumne Community Action Agency for a listing of all programs.
2. Central Sierra Continuum of Care.
3. Sierra Hope.
4. State of California Accountability (look up by county).
5. Cynthia Griffith, “The Pit Count’s Pitfalls: Rethinking Homelessness Data,” Invisible People, January 13, 2025.
6. Connections Emergency Shelter.
7. Mariposa Heritage House.