We now have updated data on the number of people experiencing homelessness in our community. Preliminary results from the 2024 Point in Time (PIT) Count were released on April 18 and presented to the Board of Supervisors on April 23. Conducted on January 24, 2024, by the Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County Continuum of Care (CoC) with the assistance of the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SBACT), the count is mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and serves as a snapshot of homelessness in the county on a single night.

Countywide, 2,119 people experiencing homelessness were counted, which represents a 12% increase from the 2023 PIT count of 1,887 people experiencing homelessness. The number of people counted increased from 2023 to 2024 across all count sectors.

Point in Time Count by Sheltered and Unsheltered

Key Insights

• The number of people reporting that they were experiencing homelessness for the first time increased from 849 of those surveyed in 2023 to 1,114 of those surveyed in 2024.
• The number of people counted living in vehicles increased from 611 in 2023 to 710 in 2024.
• The number of families with minor children experiencing homelessness increased from 93 families (272 people) in 2023 to 125 families (364 people) in 2024.
• Contributing factors to the number of families, people living in vehicles, and people experiencing homelessness for the first time include the lack of affordable housing; stagnation of wages versus rent costs; and the end of COVID-inspired eviction moratoriums, emergency housing vouchers and rental assistance programs.

The County of Santa Barbara and SBACT recruited more than 450 volunteers to assist at 5:30 a.m. to canvas 89 census tracts across the county. The methodology used since 2019 has remained consistent and is in alignment with national best practices and relies on geographic coverage over a 4-hour period to reduce duplication. A mobile application provided real-time data to logistics centers from volunteers out canvasing and counting. Sheltered population data comes directly from the Homeless Management Information System and data submitted by shelter providers.

The County of Santa Barbara uses mapping software to assist outreach teams in identifying encampments throughout the region and we partnered with New Beginnings Safe Parking Program to ensure a thorough vehicle count. The robust nature of this method and data allowed teams to more accurately count and interview those living unsheltered in previously hard-to-reach locations and vehicles in 2024.

Point in Time Count Population by City/Area

*Lompoc numbers do not include the Bridge House shelter, located just outside the city limits. 2020-2024 numbers have been adjusted to capture Bridge House shelter counts in Unincorporated North.

The Point in Time Count and Housing Inventory Chart Report will be presented to the Continuum of Care on May 2, 2024. Results were submitted to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). PIT numbers are used by both the State of California and HUD for funding allocations.