City of Santa Barbara Publishes Updated Encampment Response Protocol and Transitions to Uniform 24-Hour Noticing
Protecting Our Community
The City of Santa Barbara is committed to ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of all its residents, including those who are unsheltered. As part of our ongoing efforts to manage encampments within the city, we would like to remind the community about our approach to encampment cleanup and highlight an update to our current noticing period.
Our Approach: Compassion, Voluntary Compliance, and Safety
We approach all interactions with the principles of compassionate policing, voluntary compliance, and the protection of our unhoused community members. Our goal is not only to clean up encampments but to connect individuals with the services and support they need to move toward more stable housing solutions.
The Sustainability & Resilience Department’s Clean Community Division manages the City’s centralized reporting system for unauthorized encampments. Our dedicated response team includes representatives from the Clean Community Division, the Community Engagement Division, the Creeks Division, the Parks and Recreation Department's Parks Division, the Public Works Department's Streets Division and Downtown Parking, and the Santa Barbara Police Department. Together, we work to offer services in partnership with nonprofit partner organizations, clean up encampments, and take enforcement action when necessary.
To learn more, please review the newly updated City of Santa Barbara Encampment Response Protocol (August 2024).
Transition to Uniform 24-hour Noticing
Previously, the City utilized a 72-hour noticing period for encampment cleanups, with a shorter 24-hour notice in place for encampment cleanups within creeks and waterways. In the interest of public safety and consistency in our communication to individuals experiencing homelessness, we are now moving to a uniform 24-hour noticing period for all encampments, except in cases of emergency or where immediate removal is required due to significant safety hazards.
This change is crucial for addressing highly impacted areas with reoccurring encampments, allowing our response teams to act swiftly while still offering outreach and support services to those in need.
How the Encampment Cleanup Process Works
Once an encampment is reported, our Code Enforcement staff assesses the site to determine its location (City, private, or other agency property), whether it is inhabited or abandoned, any safety concerns, and potential environmental impacts. Before any cleanup begins, we offer outreach and support services to those in the encampment, and we provide the required 24-hour notice.
Our approach prioritizes voluntary, non-punitive engagement, and we strive to balance the interests of all community members while mitigating any environmental or public health impacts caused by encampments.
Reporting Encampments and Other Issues
We encourage residents to report illegal dumping, litter, homeless encampments, unattended personal belongings, and abandoned shopping carts using the following methods:
- SBConnect App: Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store
- Clean SB Hotline: Call (805) 564-5558
- Email: CleanSB@SantaBarbaraCA.gov
For emergencies, please call 911. Encampments posing a fire or safety concern should be reported to the Santa Barbara Police Department's non-emergency line at (805) 882-8900.
By working together as a community, we can ensure that Santa Barbara remains a safe, clean, and welcoming place for all.
Resources