Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation makes progress housing the unhoused
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT) is helping the homeless in Santa Barbara in new ways.
The nonprofit organization takes a collaborative approach to address homelessness by coordinating services from local agencies at Neighborhood Navigation Centers.
These sites provide convenient access to food, healthcare, mental health support, hygiene facilities, and pet care, ensuring diverse needs are met.
The Neighborhood Navigation Centers are “pop-up sites” located at Carrillo Castillo Commuter Lot, Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, and Alameda Park, ensuring accessibility for homeless individuals.
Service providers participating in the centers include organizations offering clothing, mental health support, pet care, case management, healthcare, documentation services, and more.
In a 2021 pilot project, 120 people without homes moved into housing during the first year of the program, receiving ongoing support to remain housed.
In 2022, the Women's Fund of Santa Barbara stepped in to provide a $100,000 grant to assist many more individuals in transitioning from street-level homelessness to permanent supportive housing.
The City of Santa Barbara matched the Women's Fund grant with a $100,000 grant, also supporting the second year of the pilot program.
CEO Rich Sander at SB ACT said the organization plans to soon move into a building to house services under one roof, thus expanding its approach aimed at addressing the complex challenges faced by homeless individuals.
The Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation aims to equip the community to lovingly engage the marginalized while actively working for the betterment of their physical, spiritual, emotional, and mental needs.
Neighborhood Navigations Centers are located at:
Carrillo Castillo Commuter Lot – Tuesdays, 10 am-1 pm
Santa Barbara Rescue Mission – Wednesdays, 8 am – 10 am
Alameda Park – Thursdays, 4 pm – 7 pm
