Skip to Main Content

Hunger or Homelessness: Home

This guide provides recommended resources for research and services related to students experiencing hunger or homelessness.

Research Help

Live Chat (available during Luria Library open hours):

Phone: 805-730-4444

Email: library@sbcc.edu

Zoom: make an appointment

In Person: stop by the Library on the West Campus during open hours

More Research & Writing Help

If you need more help with your research, contact a librarian by chat, phone, email, or in person, or explore the library's online tutorials.

For writing help, contact the Writing Center in the Cartwright Learning Resources Center (CLRC). The Writing Center offers one-on-one tutoring and a variety of helpful support materials.

About this Guide

This guide provides information for and about students experiencing hunger or homelessness, as well as links to related support, financial resources, legal resources, and frequently asked questions (FAQ). Use the tabs above to navigate through the pages of this guide.

Click the image below to go to the 2022 Santa Barbara County point in time report on local homelessness.

S A N T A BARBARA COU N T Y 2022 HOMELESS POIN T-IN TIME COUNT & SURVEY Every two years, during the last ten days of January, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities across the country conduct comprehensive counts of the local population experiencing homelessness. These Point-in-Time Counts measure the prevalence of homelessness in each community and collect information on individuals and families residing in emergency shelters and transitional housing, as well as on people sleeping on the streets, in cars, abandoned properties, or other places not meant for human habitation. Due to a surge in local Coronavirus cases, the Santa Maria/Santa Barbara County Continuum of Care was granted an extension from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct the count on February 23rd, 2022. Thanks to the flexibility of logistics center hosts, providers, and hundreds of volunteers the CoC was able to successfully complete the count on the new date.
Bar graph: 
TOTAL COUNT OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY -
UNSHELTERED 70%, SHELTERED 30%
TOTA L1,962
Bar graph: 
RACE -
WHITE 83% 
BLACK AMERICAN 8%
MULTIPLE RACES 4%
INDIAN/ALASKA NATIVE 3%
ASIAN 1%
NATIVE HAWAIIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER 1%
Bar graph: 
AGE - 
UNDER 18 7%
18-24 W/O CHILDREN 4%
OVER 24 89%
Map and bar graph:
Breakdown by city - Almost half (42%) of homeless individuals enumerated lived in the city of Santa Barbara, while
23% lived in Santa Maria. Fourteen percent (14%) lived in Lompoc, and five percent (5%) lived
in Goleta. Six percent (6%) of homeless individuals lived in Isla Vista, while one percent
(1%) lived in Carpinteria or Summerland. Less than one percent (<1%) lived in
Montecito, Guadalupe, Orcutt, and the Santa Ynez Valley.
Gender symbols:
GENDER BREAKDOWN-
FEMALE 36%
MALE 63%
TRANSGENDER/NON-CONFORMING 1%
SUBPOPUL ATION DATA:
VETERANS 6%
CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS 29%
UNACCOMPANIED 4% YOUTH