Overview
Santa Cruz County's IHSS program is administered by the Human Services Department, with the Santa Cruz County IHSS Public Authority serving as Employer of Record for over 2,500 providers across Watsonville, Santa Cruz, and surrounding communities.
Santa Cruz County providers ratified a major SEIU Local 2015 contract that brought wages to $20/hr after years of organizing around the county's high cost of living relative to IHSS pay.
Provider Wage & Public Authority
Santa Cruz County IHSS Contacts
- Current hourly wage
- $20.00/hr
- Public Authority
- Santa Cruz County IHSS Public Authority (SEIU Local 2015)
- Office Address
- 18 W. Beach St.
Watsonville, CA 95076
- Mailing Address
- P.O. Box 1300
Santa Cruz, CA 95061
Wages reflect a 2024-25 contract with scheduled increases. Confirm your current rate directly with the Santa Cruz County Public Authority before relying on this figure.
Local Notes & Quirks
- Hard-won recent wage gains: Santa Cruz providers organized visibly — including public rallies at Board of Supervisors meetings — to win a contract that raised wages from $18.75 to $20/hr, after years of having some of the lowest IHSS pay relative to cost of living in the state.
- High cost-of-living county: Even at $20/hr, Santa Cruz's wage sits well below the region's estimated living wage, a gap providers and SEIU 2015 continue to advocate on.
- Employer of record, not a traditional employer: As in most counties, the Public Authority is the employer of record for collective bargaining purposes only — the IHSS recipient remains responsible for hiring, supervising, and if necessary firing their own provider.
Appealing a Notice of Action in Santa Cruz County
If Santa Cruz County reduces, denies, or terminates your IHSS hours, the appeal process is governed by state regulation — the same 90-day deadline applies regardless of county:
- You have 90 days from the date on your Notice of Action to request a State Hearing
- Call the State Hearings Division at 1-800-952-5253 to request a hearing
- Or mail a written request to: California Department of Social Services, State Hearings Division, P.O. Box 944243, Sacramento, CA 94244
- Requesting your hearing before the Notice of Action's effective date preserves Aid Paid Pending — meaning you keep your current hours while the appeal is decided
For free legal help with a Santa Cruz County IHSS appeal, Disability Rights California can be reached at 1-800-776-5746.
Heading into your Santa Cruz County assessment?
The Clarity Report gives you a personalized estimate of the hours you may qualify for, built on California's official Hourly Task Guidelines — before you sit down with your county social worker.