Thanks to a great group of “early risers”, Santa Barbara County has a better idea of the number of people experiencing homelessness. Close to 400 volunteers throughout Santa Barbara County gathered before the sun rose on January 24, 2024, for the Point in Time Count. Approximately 40 of those volunteers met at Goleta City Hall. They were given instructions, then divided into count teams and assigned their own routes to document who is experiencing homelessness.  Each homeless person was offered packs of tissues, socks, snacks, and other essentials. The count is scheduled to take place early in the morning because people are more stationary and less likely to be counted twice.

The PIT Count is an annual count required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of sheltered (emergency shelter, transitional housing, or Safe Havens) and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January.  The data gathered shows so much more than how many people are homeless in Santa Barbara County – we also learn more about who is homeless and why. Information from the PIT Count is used to plan local homeless assistance systems, justify funding, raise public awareness, and track trends that can help the County determine how to best serve the homeless population.

Thank you to the dedicated individuals that volunteered to help complete the PIT Count for 2024!

Volunteers gathered at Goleta City Hall

Pictured top right: Landon Ranck, Operations Manager of SB ACT, City of Goleta Homelessness Services Coordinator Chuck Flacks, Katherine Soto-Vasquez from the County of Santa Barbara and City of Goleta Neighborhood Services Director Jaime Valdez