Santa Barbara County Shifts Focus From Counting to Deep Research for homelessness in the county

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - For several years, Santa Barbara County has conducted both sheltered and unsheltered Point-in-Time homeless counts annually. This year, however, the county is scaling back and counting only people staying in shelters.

County officials say the decision comes after years of data collection and a need to redirect limited resources.

Since 2019, News Channel has followed volunteers and county workers as they fanned out before dawn to count people living unsheltered across the county. But after years of conducting the count, officials say they now have a strong data foundation and are shifting their focus.

“One of the issues with the Point-in-Time count is it’s an unfunded mandate,” said Jett Black-Maertz, Santa Barbara County’s Homelessness Assistance Program Manager. “So it costs us about $100,000 a year. This year, we’re doing a deep study into vehicular homelessness, and we’re hoping to move forward with studies into homelessness prevention as well.”

While Santa Barbara County has conducted the unsheltered count annually, the federal government only requires it every other year. Officials say that flexibility allows them to focus on emerging trends. Particularly the rise in people living in vehicles.

County leaders say better understanding vehicular homelessness could lead to more effective prevention strategies.

“We know that homelessness is a really traumatic event,” Black-Maertz said. “And if we can shorten the amount of time that people are experiencing homelessness, we can help them reenter society and be more successful in the future.”

Instead of an unsheltered count this year, the county will release a homelessness report based on data from the Homeless Management Information System, which is collected continuously throughout the year.

Black-Maertz says the broader question goes beyond counting people.

“While we’re still seeing people living on the street, are we really living up to our societal requirements?” she said. “Are we actually taking care of our citizens if people cannot access housing?”

The sheltered homeless count is still scheduled to take place next Tuesday and will continue on an annual basis.

The next unsheltered Point-in-Time count in Santa Barbara County is scheduled for 2027.