Our mission is to end homelessness for individuals, families, and communities. PATH envisions a world where every person has a home. Our values include creative collaborations, strategic leadership, empowerment for all, and passionate commitment.

PATH Story

It all started with a letter written by Claire and Rev. Charles Orr, calling for the community to address the ever-increasing issue of homelessness. In response, on the night of December 8, 1983, 60 people gathered together to figure out how to help people who were experiencing homelessness in their neighborhoods. On that night, PATH was born.

The group started by distributing food and clothing to people living on the streets. As homelessness continued to grow nationwide, research revealed that Housing First—a best practice model that first connects people to permanent housing and then focuses on stabilization through voluntary supportive services, proved more effective. Now, over thirty years later, we  provide services in more than 150 cities in five regions, and have more than 3,300 units of permanent supportive housing completed or in the pipeline.

Across the state, we help people find permanent housing and provide case management, medical and mental healthcare, benefits advocacy, employment training, and other services to help them maintain their homes stably. Last year alone we connected more than 26,000 people to a wide range of homeless services including street outreach, interim housing, housing navigation and placement, and more. Working across five regions that include Santa Clara, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, we moved more than 4,000 people into a permanent home.