The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors received an update on homelessness trends in the county. According to the report, the number of people experiencing homelessness has decreased by 6% between 2023 and 2025.
Homelessness Trends
The report notes that the prevalence of people experiencing homelessness over the last two years has remained at a level improved from the last three to five years. In 2024, Governor Newsom ordered encampments to be cleaned out statewide, which may have contributed to the decrease.
However, the report also highlights some negative trends, including an increase in the number of days people remain unhoused after enrolling in services. The average number of days has increased to 190, up from 134 in 2023.
The county’s Homelessness Alliance is working to improve the response system and address the root causes of homelessness. Future efforts include developing a centralized data hub to better coordinate services and strategies to leverage time available during each workday.
The issue of vehicular homelessness was also discussed at the meeting, with many individuals choosing to live in their cars due to unaffordable housing.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
