Giving Tuesday is a global day of generosity, but here in Santa Barbara County, it’s a chance to make a personal, local difference. At Noozhawk, we believe in the power of community and the impact that even small acts of kindness can have when directed close to home.
Our Good for Santa Barbara County Nonprofit Section is designed to connect you with local organizations doing vital work. Whether it’s a donation, a few hours of your time, or simply helping spread the word, your contribution matters.
Explore our Giving Guide today and help brighten the season for those who need it most!
In this interview, Noozhawk spoke with Alma Harmsen, Executive Director at Partners in Housing Solutions, to learn more about the nonprofit’s vision of helping people who are un-housed.
Partners in Housing Solutions
Question: What is the name of your nonprofit, and what is its mission?
Answer: Partners in Housing Solutions helps people who are un-housed and those at risk to secure and retain permanent housing through a network of private rental property owners.
Q: How long has your organization been serving the community, and who founded it?
A: Partners in Housing Solutions (formerly the Landlord Liaison Partnership) has been serving the Santa Barbara County community since 2015. The organization was founded by a dedicated group of passionate and accomplished members of Social Venture Partners Santa Barbara (SVPSB).
They came together after hosting a homelessness conference at UCSB that drew nearly 700 community members and over 100 nonprofit professionals. Motivated by what they learned and inspired to take meaningful action, this group launched what would become Partners in Housing Solutions.
Q: What motivated the creation of your nonprofit?
A: The founding members of SVPSB were inspired to act after realizing that while awareness around homelessness was high, tangible solutions were limited. Determined to make a lasting impact, they researched successful models across the country and discovered the Landlord Liaison Project (LLP) in Seattle.
LLP’s innovative approach—bringing together landlords, service providers, and people experiencing homelessness—had successfully housed more than 7,000 individuals in just six years.
Seeing the potential to replicate that success locally, the founders adapted the model to Santa Barbara County and created Partners in Housing Solutions. Their motivation was simple but powerful: to build real partnerships that remove barriers to housing and change lives.
Since then, the organization has connected over 1,400 individuals to permanent homes and continues to expand its impact through collaboration and compassion.
Q: How is your nonprofit primarily funded, and what are its biggest needs right now?
A: Partners in Housing Solutions (PHS) is proud to be supported by generous foundations and government grants that help us connect people experiencing homelessness with permanent housing.
These resources allow us to provide housing navigation, case management, and strong, lasting relationships with rental property owners across Santa Barbara County.
But to keep making a difference, we need your help. Our biggest need right now is flexible funding—resources that allow us to respond quickly to the unique challenges our clients face, from emergency expenses to barriers that traditional housing programs can’t cover.
We also aim to diversify our funding, ensuring PHS can continue providing life-changing services for years to come.
Your support helps us not just house people, but give them a home and a fresh start.
Q: How do you allocate your funding to support your mission?
A: At Partners in Housing Solutions, every dollar is dedicated to helping people move from homelessness to a stable home. Most of our funding goes directly to client services like housing navigation, case management, and connecting individuals with rental property owners.
Some of our funds are also dedicated to direct relief, helping cover essential housing costs such as rental assistance and security deposits, so clients can secure and maintain their homes.
We leverage funding to maximize the benefits our clients receive while they stabilize and provide financial safety nets for the rental property owners who house them.
We also set aside flexible funds to respond to urgent needs that traditional programs can’t cover.
Your support helps us provide personalized, life-changing assistance and ensures that more people in our community can find a home and a fresh start.
Q: What types of events or programs do you run to engage your community and raise funds?
A: We engage the community by participating in local housing events and hosting informational sessions for rental property owners, helping educate the public about our services, reducing the stigma around homelessness, and foster collaboration.
By partnering with multiple agencies across Santa Barbara County, we ensure a wide-reaching network so that more people can access our services.
To support our work, we host fundraisers, run annual giving appeals, and seek support from foundations and other generous partners. These efforts allow us to sustain and expand our programs, ensuring more individuals and families can move from homelessness into permanent housing.
Q: How is your team structured? Have there been any major changes in your operations since you started?
A: In the early years, Partners in Housing Solutions (PHS) had a small team: one Case Manager/Housing Specialist focused on helping families with children, and one dedicated to assisting individuals, families, and veterans with housing services.
Today, our team has grown to nine staff members, enabling us not only to provide comprehensive housing services but also to offer direct financial assistance to clients—a resource we’ve developed over the years.
Our program for families with children has evolved into the Mariposa Family Housing Program, with multiple Housing Specialists providing holistic services to more families.
Across our programs, we now offer financial support to clients and rental property owners, including incentives and safety nets to mitigate risks and losses. These enhancements allow us to serve more people, strengthen partnerships with rental property owners, and make a sustainable, lasting impact in the community.
Q: How can people get involved with your nonprofit or volunteer?
A: There are many ways to get involved with Partners in Housing Solutions! We’re in an exciting stage of growth and welcome volunteers who are passionate about making a difference in their community and eager to lend their skills as we evolve.
Rental property owners can also join our network—even if they don’t have vacancies right now, they can still be part of the PHS community and help expand housing opportunities.
You can support our Mary’s Welcome Home Kits, launched last year in honor of one of our founding members, by donating essential supplies or funds that help newly housed families settle into their homes.
And of course, donations of any size make a lasting impact—funding our flex fund, direct services, and general operations that open the door to permanent housing. Every contribution moves someone closer to a safe, stable home.
Q: What sets your nonprofit apart from similar organizations?
A: What makes Partners in Housing Solutions (PHS) unique is our ability to bridge the gap between housing and support services. We work within a strong network of community partners and rental property owners to streamline resources and maximize benefits for the people we serve—ensuring they have the tools to succeed in housing.
We also provide free services to rental property owners who partner with us, including a 24-hour turnaround hotline, a Risk Reduction Fund to offset potential losses, and financial incentives for housing eligible households.
Our collaborative, relationship-based model connects the private and public sectors—making PHS a trusted, effective force in creating lasting housing solutions.
Q: Could you share a story or two about individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by your organization?
A: Every success story reminds us why we do this work. Ivy, a single mother experiencing homelessness was living in her vehicle with her pre-teen child despite working full-time. Past rental challenges and poor credit created significant barriers to stable housing.
Through PHS’s network of rental property owners, Ivy received short-term rental assistance and her rental property owner received incentives, enabling her to secure a safe home and achieve self-sufficiency.
Nelly, a devoted mother and community advocate, experienced homelessness with her young child for over six months, moving between friends’ homes. With PHS’s support, she found stable housing and renewed hope.
Today, she works with a community organization and serves as a volunteers in her local community, giving back to others on their own paths to stability.
These stories are powerful reminders that with compassion, collaboration, and community support, lives can truly change.
Click here to support Parters in Housing Soluiton’ mission to enhance the quality of life for adults living with dementia while providing much-needed respite for their families.
Check out Noozhawk’s Guide to Giving for a full list of nonprofits to donate to this giving season.
If you would like to include your nonprofit in our Good for Santa Barbara section and Giving Guide click HERE.