Two years after opening its doors in downtown Santa Barbara, the FARO Center has become a key part of the community’s response to homelessness, providing support, services, and pathways forward for some 1,700 individuals and helping more than 200 people secure housing.
To mark its second anniversary, the FARO Center invites the community to a celebration, 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 25 at the center, 621 Chapala St., Santa Barbara.
In honor of the event, supporter contributions made through June 30 will be matched dollar-for-dollar through a $20,000 Matching Gift Challenge, doubling the impact of every donation.
To donate, visit SB ACT’s website specifically on this link, or checks can be mailed to Advancing Collective Transformation, PO Box 217 Santa Barbara, CA 93102
The FARO Center takes its name from the Spanish word faro, meaning lighthouse — a symbol of hope, guidance, and safe harbor.
Operated by Advancing Collective Transformation (SB ACT) in partnership with the city of Santa Barbara and a network of community providers, the center was created to make it easier for people experiencing homelessness to access the services they need to move toward stability.
“Two years ago, FARO was built around a simple idea: people experiencing homelessness deserve a place where they can be treated with dignity, welcomed without judgment, and connected to the resources they need to move forward,” said Rich Sander, executive director of SB ACT.
“Since then, more than 1,700 people have walked through our doors and more than 200 have moved into housing,” Sander said. “Those numbers matter, but what matters even more are the lives behind them the people who found hope, support, community, and a path toward something better.
“We are deeply grateful to our partners, supporters, staff, and community members who have helped make that possible.”
The FARO Center brings together housing navigation, benefits enrollment, healthcare access, workforce development, documentation assistance, and coordinated referrals in a single location.
“By reducing barriers and creating a centralized point of access, the center helps individuals connect more quickly to the services and support they need,” FARO officials said.
The model grew out of SB ACT’s Neighborhood Navigation Centers, which delivered coordinated services at multiple locations in the community. The FARO Center said it expanded on that by creating a permanent location where people could access support five days a week in a consistent, welcoming environment.
Since opening, the center has maintained an average of about 30 participant visits each day, making it one of the most actively utilized access points for homelessness services in south Santa Barbara County.
Today, the center serves as a collaboration hub for service providers, healthcare organizations, housing partners, and community agencies working together to address homelessness in Santa Barbara.
Among FARO’s most distinctive programs is its Lived Experience Ambassador Program, which provides paid employment opportunities for individuals who have personally experienced homelessness.
Ambassadors help welcome participants, connect people to services, support daily operations, and serve as guides for individuals beginning their own journey toward stability, officials said.
“The program creates meaningful employment opportunities while ensuring that people with lived experience remain at the center of the work,” they said. “By investing in those who have walked the path themselves, the program strengthens both the center and the broader community.”
While the FARO Center celebrates two years of impact, the need for coordinated homelessness services remains significant.
“We know homelessness is complex, and no one organization solves it alone,” said Sander. “What we’ve learned over the past two years is that when providers work together, when people are treated with dignity, and when communities stay committed to practical solutions, lives can change.
“FARO exists to help make those connections happen every day.”