2014 Homeless Death Stats Released

Thirty-four homeless people died in 2014 ​— ​the last year for which statistics are available in Santa Barbara County. Of those, 75 percent were Caucasian, 16 percent were veterans, and 81 percent were male. More than half died from “natural causes,” 9 percent from suicide, and 38 percent from accidents. Forty-four percent died outdoors, and 44 percent had been seen by county mental-health case workers. More died in the fall than any other season. In the past four years, the number of homeless deaths was 163. The numbers spiked in 2009, with 55 deaths, and have been trending down since.