Santa Maria - Hope Village

The proposed site is located on County owned property directly across from the County Government Center in the City of Santa Maria, at the intersection of Centerpoint Parkway, Lakeside Parkway, and Southside Parkway. 94 dignified rooms for adult individuals and couples and youth experiencing homelessness are currently proposed. Ten rooms will be dedicated to young adults experiencing homelessness and 30 rooms will provide recuperative/respite care services which allows individuals experiencing homelessness to have a safe place to rest and recover after hospital discharge. The balance of the rooms will be for those experiencing chronic homelessness, mostly coming directly out of encampments nearby. Each room will have a bed, a desk and chair, heating and air conditioning, a window, and most importantly a door that locks.

The world-renowned architectural design firm Gensler is designing the community. Gensler uses a trauma-informed approach to designing DignityMoves villages in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and creates a true sense of community.

The state-of-the-art modular units are extremely durable, as well as attractive. They are made with 2” thick walls and provide excellent insulation and energy efficiency. The wall materials are 30% recycled plastics, and the frames are durable steel. The entry of the facility will be designed with input from a local architect to beautifully reflect the look and special feel of the Santa Maria community. The project will stay for approximately five years, and then be relocated to a subsequent site elsewhere in Santa Barbara County to continue serving housing needs.

Good Samaritan
With over 30 years of experience, Good Samaritan has an
exceptional reputation for providing care and tailored services to North County to help address the root causes of homelessness. Good Samaritan connects clients to mental health care, addiction services, social security income (SSI) and other benefits along with providing job placement resources, even transportation to off-site appointments. Above all, Good Samaritan works tirelessly to help clients find their way back to stable housing. Clients are anticipated to stay approximately 90-180 days while they get stabilized and find sustainable housing. Hope Village is not a drop-in service location. Individuals will be referred and placed based on needs identified through a coordinated placement system. Each client at the location will have an individualized service and stabilization plan to transition them into future housing opportunities. Good Samaritan staff is on site 24/7 and security is also provided.

Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley
Serving the Santa Maria Valley, the agency’s Youth and Young Adult Homeless Services (YHS) program helps individuals 16-24 years of age that are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. YHS is composed of three components: Street Outreach, Rapid Re-housing, and Permanent Supportive Housing. Participants provided case management services are assisted applying for social services (CalFresh, Medi-Cal, CalWORKS) along with low-income housing/Section 8 vouchers. Referrals include but are not limited to employment, mental health services, substance use services, childcare services and services to obtain residency/citizenship. Staff also assists clients in scheduling medical/dental services and provides transportation to and from appointments. Additional transportation is provided to job interviews, court appearances or to help clients move into secured housing. Staff also assists clients in identifying educational goals and supports clients in navigating through the enrollment process, such as completing admission applications to Allan Hancock College, FAFSA application, connecting clients to appropriate student services or enrolling in GED programs.

Dignity Health’s Marian Regional Medical Center
Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC) was founded by the Sisters of St. Francis in 1940. Between 1940 and present day, MRMC has transformed into a state-of-the-art, 191-bed facility that is well-positioned to serve a continuously growing patient population. MRMC is designated a STEMI Receiving Center in Santa Barbara County and a Level III Trauma Center by Santa Barbara County’s Emergency Medical Services Agency. Recently, MRMC opened a new Pediatric Emergency Department to enhance care for youth in the community. The hospital license also includes a 95 bed skilled nursing facility, home care, hospice and home infusion programs, along with outpatient labs and radiology centers throughout the community. Marian has been recognized for quality and patient safety and named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades. Thirty of the 90 beds within Hope Village are sponsored by MRMC to address the recuperative care needs of homeless individuals following discharge from the hospital system.

The Action Plan to Address Homelessness in Santa Barbara
Providing dignified rooms together with critical supportive services, this project will serve as a model for future projects countywide as permanent housing alternatives are developed. The Action Plan to Address Homelessness in Santa Barbara County was adopted by the Board of Supervisors as well as the City of Santa Maria. Phase I of that Plan identified a need for 563 additional shelter or interim housing beds. Twenty months later the County issued a Progress Report indicating that 140 beds had been built, but 423 were still needed to close the shelter gap across the County. The County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors are taking this goal seriously and have approved several sites across the County to build these additional beds quickly, so that anyone in the County in need of an interim place to go and get off of the streets into safe housing will have the ability to do so. This project is the next community in a series of communities planned in order to meet that goal of 423 additional beds.