FARO Center Opens to Offer Comprehensive Support Services for Santa Barbara's Homeless
The City of Santa Barbara, in partnership with the Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT), is proud to announce the opening of the Fostering Access, Resilience, and Opportunity (FARO) Center. The FARO Center, aptly named "Faro," which means lighthouse in Spanish, will serve as a beacon of hope for individuals experiencing homelessness in our community.
Building on the success of the Neighborhood Navigation Centers (NNCs), which provide “one-stop-shop” services at multiple locations weekly, the FARO Center (“the Center”) eliminates the need for clients to navigate multiple service providers in various locations. The City has entered a three-year lease agreement for a multi-story office building on the 600 block of Chapala Street in Downtown Santa Barbara, designating it as a Daytime Navigation & Workforce Development Center. The Center will help reduce the impacts of homelessness by monitoring and addressing neighborhood impacts, providing ongoing outreach, and initiating clean-up efforts.
"The opening of the FARO Center is the culmination of years of hard work and collaboration among City staff, service provider partners, community members, and individuals affected by homelessness," said Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator. "This Center represents our collective commitment to providing comprehensive and accessible services to help individuals secure interim and permanent housing and improve their quality of life."
The Center brings together a network of service providers to offer comprehensive support services, including case management, documentation readiness (such as acquiring birth certificates, driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards), workforce development, life skills building, job search assistance, housing referrals, health care, and mental health support. By offering these essential services in a safe and welcoming environment with consistent service hours five days a week, the Center aims to help individuals take significant steps toward finding and maintaining stable housing, ensuring greater accessibility, and support for individuals in need.
According to the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, there are approximately 987 people experiencing homelessness in the City of Santa Barbara, marking an increase for the first time in three years. This growing demand underscores the critical need for day-to-day basic needs and supportive services for our unhoused population. The Center addresses this need by offering a daytime refuge where individuals can access essential services, thus aiding in their transition from street-level homelessness to stable living situations.
Homelessness impacts everyone. The Center will bring dignity to people experiencing homelessness and lessen the impacts on businesses and the neighborhood. We are all committed to a thriving Downtown Corridor as well as the safety and vibrancy of the City of Santa Barbara. The City’s strategies and investments to address homelessness are meant to be mutually supportive and beneficial. The Center exemplifies these efforts, showcasing our dedication to expanding successful initiatives to reach more people in need.
The FARO Center is open for walk-ins Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., with plans to extend these hours to 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Additional client meetings will be available by appointment until 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
For more information about the FARO Center, visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Faro-Center and sbact.org/farocenter.