DignityMoves and the County of Santa Barbara have partnered to bring a new, first of its kind, interim supportive housing community to downtown Santa Barbara. The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic increased the urgency of building non-congregate housing for those experiencing unsheltered homelessness- the City of Santa Barbara could not wait for permanent housing to be built with these accommodations while their residents languished on the streets.The success of our downtown Santa Barbara community has inspired the County Board of Supervisors to partner with DignityMoves on several future projects across the county. Together with the County and other partners, DignityMoves is now embarking on the ambitious endeavor of building enough interim supportive housing to close the County’s shelter gap!
Nestled in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, the site provides 34 private, dignified rooms for individuals experiencing homelessness. Each room has a bed, a desk and chair, heating and air conditioning, a window, and most importantly a door that locks. The site has been thoughtfully designed by Gensler to create a welcoming community, foster a sense of belonging and to fit with the local aesthetic of Santa Barbara, even down to the shape of the archway at the entrance and terra cotta-colored roofs. The community also includes case manager offices, extensive dining and community spaces, a computer lab, pet area, community gardens, and ample storage for residents’ belongings.
With over 27 years of experience, our supportive services partner, Good Samaritan, has an exceptional reputation for providing trauma-informed care and tailored services to help address the root causes of homelessness through their experience and partnerships with other organizations. Their robust services for the residents include meals, case management, and health support. As of May 2023, of the 34 people who moved into DignityMoves Santa Barbara in Q3 2022, 8 people have gotten jobs, 12 people have transitioned to stable housing, 29 people connected to health care, 28 connected to mental health services, and 85% are document ready for the next step in their lives.
The property, located next door to Morgan Stanley, is owned by the county and a low-incoming housing development is planned there in a few years. With such a central and visible location we decided on a new critical innovation to our model; the people living and sleeping in the immediate area were prioritized for housing, resulting in a dramatic positive improvement on the streets in the surrounding neighborhood. Locals are astonished by the dramatic decrease in homelessness in the neighborhood they noticed almost immediately. For many years there have always been about a dozen people sleeping on the steps outside of the nearby Santa Barbara Museum of Art—yet no one is there today.
If you or someone you know is currently experiencing homelessness in Santa Barbara and would like to be put on the waitlist for housing at our downtown community, please contact the Good Samaritan Outreach Team at (805) 518-2714. DignityMoves does not manage referrals for the this community.