Billionaires Urged to Fund Homeless Housing in Santa Barbara

Community leaders call for $750 million philanthropic campaign to address rising homeless deaths in one of America's wealthiest enclaves.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:28pm

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An extremely blurred, atmospheric photograph of shadowy figures huddled under a dimly lit bridge, conveying a sense of isolation and desperation in the face of homelessness.The growing crisis of homelessness and preventable deaths on the streets of one of America's wealthiest enclaves exposes a moral emergency demanding urgent philanthropic action.Santa Barbara Today

In one of the wealthiest communities in the U.S., at least 69 homeless people died in Santa Barbara County in 2025, with the average age of death for a homeless person being just 54 years old. Community leaders are now calling on local billionaires and philanthropists to fund a $750 million campaign to build permanent supportive housing and provide mental health and addiction treatment services to address this crisis.

Why it matters

Santa Barbara County has seen a sharp rise in homeless deaths in recent years, with the number of unhoused residents who died nearly doubling from 2017-2018 to 2019-2020. Homeless individuals in the county are dying at more than five times the rate of housed residents, exposing a moral emergency in one of the wealthiest areas of the country. Advocates say housing is the essential foundation to stabilize lives and prevent further preventable deaths.

The details

According to a report presented to the Board of Supervisors, 143 homeless people died in Santa Barbara County during 2019-2020, nearly double the 85 who died in 2017-2018. The average age of death for a homeless person is 54, compared to 76 for housed residents. Building permanent supportive housing for the county's roughly 3,000 unhoused residents would cost an estimated $500 million to $750 million. However, the county is home to at least 10 billionaires with a combined wealth exceeding $160 billion, as well as over 12,000 millionaires, who advocates say could easily fund this effort as a 'rounding error' on their balance sheets.

  • In December 2025, about 75 people gathered to call out the names of 69 homeless neighbors who had died that year.
  • In June 2023, a report presented to the Board of Supervisors found 143 homeless people died in the county during 2019-2020.

The players

Laura Capps

A county supervisor who said the homeless crisis is "literally a matter of life and death."

Wayne Martin Mellinger

A scholar, substance abuse counselor, and longtime homeless advocate who serves on the county Behavioral Wellness Commission and Continuum of Care, conducts weekly street outreach, and organizes the annual Longest Night Homeless Memorial Vigil.

Sara Miller McCune

A community leader who said during a previous fundraising campaign for The Granada Theatre that "They don't know Santa Barbara," suggesting the community's generosity is underestimated.

Timothy John Largent

A 31-year-old man from Bakersfield who died of a fentanyl overdose at the bottom of Mission Creek while homeless in Santa Barbara County.

Larry Ellison

The co-founder of Oracle whose fortune is now more than $175 billion, making him one of the wealthiest individuals in the Santa Barbara-Montecito area.

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What they’re saying

“It is literally a matter of life and death.”

— Laura Capps, County Supervisor

“They don't know Santa Barbara.”

— Sara Miller McCune

What’s next

Community leaders are exploring bold solutions to expand housing and reduce homelessness in Santa Barbara County. Interested parties can contact the Santa Barbara Foundation to learn more, support the effort, or participate in future discussions.

The takeaway

This crisis highlights the stark contrast between the extreme wealth concentrated in Santa Barbara and the preventable deaths of homeless individuals on the community's streets. Advocates say local philanthropists have the resources to fund a $750 million campaign to provide housing, mental health care, and addiction treatment to address this moral emergency.