No matter where you live in the United States, there are almost always some homeless individuals in the community. What is amazing about Santa Barbara is that there are many different resources and programs available to help this underserved population. This community issue is very important to me and I also play my part in helping them out.
One of the most striking issues facing Santa Barbara County is the large homeless population. Just last year, a study showed that there were over 1400 homeless individuals and this is a large number considering Santa Barbara itself is a fairly small community with about 90,000 people. Many of them live near rivers, under freeway overpasses, or in their cars or boats. Many can be seen sleeping near storefronts in downtown Santa Barbara at night or begging for money outside of grocery stores or at street corners.
There are many reasons that a person may be homeless. The same study mentioned above showed that 1/3 of the population in Santa Barbara are faced with a mental illness and need extra help maintaining a job and finding housing. Others simply had a string of bad luck that led to their situation and have had a hard time getting back on their feet.
