WEBVTT CONVICTED. THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS DEATHS IN SANTA CRUZ COUNTY REACHED A NEW HIGH THIS YEAR. 55 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES WHILE LIVING ON THE STREETS. ACTION NEWS REPORTER PHIL GOMEZ IS LIVE IN SANTA CRUZ TONIGHT WITH MORE ON A MEMORIAL TODAY T HONOR THEM. PHIL: THIS IS THE 20TH YEAR THE SANTA CRUZ HOMELESS SERVICES HAS HELD A REMEMBRANCE FOR THE HOMELESS WHO HAVE PASSED IN THE LAST YEAR. ♪ >> HALLELUJAH ♪ HALLELUJAH ♪ >> BRI SIEVERT, 35 YEARS OLD. PHIL LOCAL POLITICIANS, FIRST RESPONDERS, HOMELESS ADVOCATES AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC LISTENED AS THE NAMES OF THE 5 PEOPLE WHO DIED HOMELESS THIS YEAR WERE READ ALOUD. AS A CARING AND COMPASSIONATE COMMUNITY, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER TO BETTER SERVE, TO BETTER SUPPORT, TO BETTER SHELTER AND HOUSE OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE HOMELESS PHIL: ACCORDING TO THE SANTA CRUISE COUNTY POINT IN TIME COUNT, THERE HAS BEEN A 14.5% INCREASE SINCE 2015 IN THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS. AND AN INCREASE IN THREE DEATHS OVER 201 A PUBLIC HEALTH NURSE, MATTHEW NATHANSON WORKS FOR THE HOMELESS PERSONS HEALTH PROJECT. HE’S BEEN PUTTING THIS TRIBUTE TO THE HOMELESS TOGETHER NOW FOR 20 YEARS. >> PROBABLY THE MAJOR CAUSES OF DEATH ARE ACUTE OVERDOSES WHETHER ALCOHOL OR OPIATES, METHAMPHETAMINE OR SOM COMBINATION, TRAUMA IS ANOTHER BIG CAUSE OF DEATH >> LOOKING AT THIS WALL, I FEEL LIKE MY NAME COULD BE ON THI WALL DURING MY HOMELESS LIFE I THE PAST. PHIL: THERE WAS A 50-YEAR AGE SPAN BETWEEN THE OLDEST PERSON WHO DIED, AGED 77, TO THE YOUNGEST WHO WAS JUST 27. IT’S NOT HARD SPEAKING. IT’S HARD NOT CRYING. BECAUSE TODAY I FOUND OUT THERE WERE A LOT MORE PEOPLE ON TH LIST THAT I KNEW. >> DAVID HALPIRN. 56 YEARS OLD. >> ♪ HALLELUJAH ♪ ♪ HALLELUJAH ♪ PHIL: LATER SOME PEOPLE WROTE THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO DIED ON SMALL STONES WHICH WILL BE PLACED AT EVERGREEN CEMETERY. THERE IS TALK THAT A PERMANE MEMORIAL FOR THOSE WHO DIED HOMELESS MAY BE CREATED AT THE HISTORIC CEMETARY. ERIN: THANK YOU. TODAY’S EVENT IS HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH HOMELESS PERSONS’ MEMORIAL DAY, AN ANNUAL NATIONWIDE EVENT MARKED IN MORE THAN 150 U.S. CITIES AT THE