While 1,400 Santa Barbara County residents transitioned out of homelessness in 2023, there’s an increase in individuals and families living in cars and in need of shelter and services.

Significant funding is going toward housing and services, but county staff shared that they still need more shelter beds and permanent housing units for the rising number of homeless individuals and families in the county. 

“The county has made considerable progress in housing the unhoused, but at the same time we are aware our work is not done,” Jesús Armas, Community Services director, told the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday.

The Community Services Department shared results from the 2024 point in time count of people experiencing homelessness, which found that despite recent housing projects, the number of unhoused people is continuing to increase.

The annual point in time count brought out 425 volunteers in January to track the number of people experiencing homelessness. 

This year, the county counted 2,119 people experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness, which is a 12% increase from 2023. Only 787 of those individuals are sheltered while 1,332 are unsheltered.

County staff reported that there is an increase in individuals living in their cars, families experiencing homelessness and new people falling into homelessness for the first time. 

Joe Dzvonik, deputy director of Housing & Community Development, said the 1,400 people transitioning out of homelessness is the highest number they’ve seen since tracking this information and that it’s a sign that the county’s efforts are working.

“It’s difficult to get people houses and remain housed unless they accept and use services, and accepting and using services requires building trust with an outreach worker and case manager,” Dzvonik said.

The number of individuals seeking housing services increased 30% during the past three years with 3,323 individuals seeking housing services in 2021 and 4,333 in 2023.

Dzvonik said that while efforts have been successful for those already experiencing homelessness, they can’t keep up with the influx of new cases. 

“The increase in the rate at which people are newly accessing services is greater than the rate at which we can help people exit homelessness,” Dzvonik said. 

The county receives funding from state, federal, local and private agencies to address homelessness. A total of $122 million is dispersed throughout the county for homeless services. 

This year, $31.5 million went to housing projects in development, and $26.5 million went to permanent housing already completed. 

Of the $112 million, $52.5 million comes directly from the county, and $11.8 million is going toward shelter and interim housing, according to Dzvonik. 

Two interim housing sites recently opened in Santa Barbara County. 

Hope Village opened in Santa Maria last month, providing 94 rooms for those transitioning out of homelessness. In Santa Barbara, residents soon will be moving into the 80-unit La Posada village for interim housing.

In total, the county has gained 330 new beds for interim housing and added 496 affordable permanent housing units, according to Kimberlee Albers, Homelessness Assistance Program manager.

Lucille Boss, part of the Homelessness Assistance team, shared progress being made on the county’s encampment resolution strategy, which originally had the goal to clear out 45 encampments. 

Boss said the county cleared out 700 active encampments from July 2021 through August 2023, including 226 on county-controlled properties, and 289 people from those encampments have moved to shelter or housing.

In the South County, 169 encampments on county-controlled properties were removed, including 31 on Montecito beaches, 123 in unincorporated area creeks and open spaces, and 25 in Isla Vista. 

Boss said 20 encampment sites were removed from the area near the Santa Ynez River near the city of Lompoc and 37 sites from the Santa Maria riverbed.

Boss said 70.76 tons of waste were removed from encampments as well as 4.75 pounds of needles, 145 pounds of biohazard waste and 73 propane tanks. 

Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson said the county is missing enforcement around encampments by not having a camping ordinance in place to prevent the encampments. 

“The way to prevent encampments is by never letting them start in the first place,” Nelson said. “We can clean up as much as we want, but if they’re just filling in right behind us, it’s a big waste of taxpayer resources.”

Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino said that as long as there are encampments at the Santa Maria riverbed, the public won’t see the efforts being made to reduce homelessness.

“We gotta do more,” Lavagnino said. “We can’t drive over that bridge and have that face our community every day and then tell them that Hope Village is doing a good job. It’s a total disconnect to them.” 

Nelson noted that the Santa Maria riverbed is in San Luis Obispo County, which has caused confusion for local agencies over jurisdiction. Nelson shared that even a San Luis Obispo County supervisor didn’t know it was in his county.

Lavagnino suggested that he and Nelson work with county staff and San Luis Obispo County to come up with strategies to clear out the encampments at the Santa Maria River. 

“When we do get that cleaned up, we will have everybody on board,” Lavagnino said. “I know there’s a lot being done out there, but we’ll work together to come up with some new strategies.”

Nelson said he hopes that with the recent opening of interim supportive housing communities such as Hope Village and La Posada that the county will see a decrease in the number of homeless individuals and families next year. 

“We really gotta make a concerted effort to show proof of concept here. We can talk a good game and we can spend some money, but until those numbers come down, that’s really the proof in the pudding,” Nelson said.