The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) has honored City Net as its 2021 Outstanding Community Partner of the Year. HACSB created its annual partner award as a way of recognizing and thanking organizations and businesses that help change lives for the better.

The supportive services provided to clients through a collaboration with City Net are a key part of the Housing Authority’s holistic service delivery approach.

Founded in 2005 in Long Beach, California, City Net’s mission is based on a commitment to break the cycle of homelessness in the communities it serves by connecting neighbors experiencing homelessness to transformative care and innovative housing solutions. 

HACSB partners with City Net through the SB Connect Home project, which was established in April 2019. The program was made possible by a $2 million grant from the California Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP), which remained in effect until June 30, 2021.

In addition to HACSB, City Net brought together other essential partners to the Connect Home program including Cottage Health, Santa Barbara Restorative Police, and People Assisting the Homeless (PATH).

City Net’s presence in Santa Barbara has streamlined homelessness services provided by an alliance of city government and nonprofit organizations. Their work has resulted in ending street-level homelessness through the provision of street-outreach, case management, housing navigation, bridge-housing, shelter operation, reunifications, and census coordination.

City Net also works to mobilize community resources, including meals, volunteers, donations and advocacy, to coordinate care in emergency shelters, parks, and other public areas where homeless neighbors live.

These efforts seek to reduce wasteful duplication and fill missing gaps in the continuum of care, with the long-term goal of ending homelessness by providing homeless neighbors a stable context in which their emergency needs are met, so they can work on long-term housing plans.

City Net accomplishments in collaboration with HACSB include:

Executed memorandums of understanding to set aside HACSB Tenant Based Rental Assistance Vouchers and shelter beds for the SB Connect Home program.
98 permanently housed individuals
265 active clients 
4168 Service Transaction
148 Street Exits to Shelter 
19 of the top 50 highest utilizers of emergency services housed

The 2021 award was presented by Rob Fredericks, HACSB executive director/CEO, to Brad Fieldhouse, City Net executive director, on Feb. 11, 2022 at HACSB headquarters, 706 Laguna St.

“The City Net team are an amazing, caring group of people who are mission driven to help the most vulnerable homeless in our community obtain and retain their homes,” said Fredericks.

“They have done tireless work in partnership with us over the last year with positive results in getting people housed and providing necessary services,” he said.

“On behalf of our dedicated staff, board members, volunteers and our clients, I am proud to accept this accolade which acknowledges the commitment we share with HACSB and all the agencies involved in the SB Connect Home project,” Fieldhouse said.

“Creating an efficient process for providing effective, long-lasting support for transitioning people from the streets to stable long-lasting housing is at the heart of what we do at City Net. We are thankful for the role our partners play in our success and our clients’ future,” he said.

For more about HACSB, visit hacsb.org. Learn more about City Net at citynet.org.