About Us
We help families regain housing stability.
For over 30 years, Families In Transition has supported families with children in Santa Cruz County who are experiencing homelessness or at risk of losing their housing. Through temporary rental assistance and individualized case management, we help families move from crisis toward stability.
On average, FIT serves approximately 150 households each year through housing services that include Rapid Rehousing, Homelessness Prevention, and Transitional Housing. Our case managers work alongside parents and caregivers to identify barriers, navigate housing challenges, and develop personalized plans that strengthen long-term stability.
We believe housing is the foundation that allows families to build everything else.
Stable routines for children. Steady employment for parents. Improved physical and mental health. When families are securely housed, the benefits extend far beyond one household. Strengthening classrooms, workplaces, and neighborhoods across Santa Cruz County. Housing stability supports not just individual families, but the well-being of our entire community.
Affiliates
FIT Founding Fathers & Mothers:
Bill Watts, Desiree Sanchez,
Jim Narragon, & Irma Perez
Melisa Vierra
Executive Director
Melisa Vierra was born and raised in Santa Cruz County and is a 9th generation Santa Cruzan, with deep family roots in the area, going back to the Spanish land grants.
After graduating from UCSC with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Sociology, she started a family. As a single mom, she found a way to support her family and give back to the community by working at Families In Transition. She started as a Program Coordinator in 1999 and is now the Executive Director. Her favorite pastimes are spending time with family, gardening, and exploring ways to join her passion for the environment with equitable housing options, such as small dwellings and alternative communities.
Mission Statement
To join with other service providers in a community-wide effort to end and prevent homelessness in Santa Cruz County. Toward this end, Families In Transition works in partnership with families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless with housing opportunities and by providing participants with referrals to employment, training and educational resources to assist them in becoming both self-reliant and interdependent members of the community.
