Help is On the Way

More affordable housing is en route to Santa Barbara, as the Housing Authority City of Santa Barbara broke ground on Vera Cruz Village at 116 East Cota Street with a ceremony on December 15 attended by multiple city council members and Congressman Salud Carbajal.

The new project aims to aid in Santa Barbara’s fight against homelessness, with the latest point-in-time count from January 2020 indicating that there were 1,897 homeless residents countywide, with 914 living in the city of Santa Barbara. The chronically homeless in the county rose by 45% (423 to 614) in that same count.

Vera Cruz Village is nearly 11,000 square feet and is located across from the Cota Street commuter parking lot.

The project will provide 28 studio units for very low and low-income renters, a one-bedroom manager unit, and common area and office space to accommodate the provision of services and activities on-site. According to a press release, construction is anticipated to start in December 2021 and be completed within 18 months.

On the Way Out

In a surprising turn of events, Barrett Reed, most recently a candidate for Santa Barbara City Council’s District 4 seat, will no longer serve on the city’s planning commission, receiving no nomination to continue in that capacity.

Reed is a longtime local, having attended Santa Barbara Junior High, Santa Barbara High and SBCC, and is a well-known developer in town.