Transition House
Our Mission
Transition House is dedicated to the solution of family homelessness in the Santa Barbara community. Capable and motivated families with children are offered respectful, non-sectarian residential services and the life skills needed to alleviate their poverty, and to restore self-sufficiency and dignity.
Our Philosophy
In 1984, Transition House was created by volunteers from the Santa Barbara area who stepped forward to give food and shelter to their homeless neighbors. Transition House’s program is based on the understanding that the root cause of family homelessness is poverty. There may be other and varied contributing factors to homelessness, but underlying it is always poverty.
Understanding the crippling downward spiral that poverty creates, Transition House has designed a comprehensive three stage housing program to solve homelessness for capable and motivated families, to end their reliance on public assistance, and to prevent family homelessness before it occurs by helping those on the brink of losing their existing housing.
To solve family homelessness and welfare dependence, Transition House helps families develop life skills and sound decision making practices aimed at alleviating their poverty. Staff works with each family to facilitate realistic avenues to meet the following goals:
- Safe and affordable housing.
- Access to high quality childcare.
- Viable employment with growth potential.
- Economic responsibility and self-sufficiency.
While working toward these goals, Transition House provides strong, family-centered support services and rigorous case management for each family.
As a result, the Transition House’s program has had remarkable results: on average, 60% of clients return to permanent housing with the economic means to sustain it. Since its beginnings, over 10,000 parents and their children have been directly helped by Transition House.
The success of Transition House is also achieved because of two groups—the residents of our community who provide over 70% of our annual operating expenses, and volunteers who provide in-kind services valued at over $350,000 each year. Collectively, 1,200 community members support the work of staff at Transition House.
Contact
Administration Building