The DignityMoves community in downtown Santa Barbara was so well-received that the County Board of Supervisors voted to partner with DignityMoves to build an additional 300 rooms—enough interim supportive housing to help close the “shelter gap” in the county. The County has identified several county-owned parcels based on the regional distribution of unsheltered homelessness. Hope Village is one of the new communities, located at 511 Lakeside Parkway in Santa Maria, across the street from the Betteravia government complex. This community, which opened its doors to residents in March 2024, serves only north county individuals experiencing homelessness. It features 94 rooms, including 10 designated for transitional age youth (“TAY”) and operated by Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley. Additionally, 30 of the rooms in this Village are reserved for people experiencing homelessness who require recuperative care after being discharged from area hospitals and medical providers, and 10 of the rooms are reserved for veterans. The opening of Hope Village marks a significant milestone in the region’s effort to provide effective, compassionate care and support to its most vulnerable residents.
Hope Village is now an established interim supportive housing community serving individuals experiencing homelessness in the Santa Maria Valley. This successful public-private collaboration involves Good Samaritan Shelters, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, Dignity Health’s Marian Regional Medical Center, DignityMoves, and the County of Santa Barbara. Although more permanent housing remains the ultimate long-term goal, Hope Village has become an essential transitional step, offering a safe environment where residents can access the critical support services necessary to rebuild their lives.
At Hope Village, residents enjoy the safety and dignity of a private space they can call home, where they receive intensive supportive services and work towards a more permanent exit from homelessness. This community provides residents with the opportunity to move off the streets and focus on personal development, such as securing employment, advancing their recovery and sobriety, and accessing medical and mental healthcare—without the stress of wondering where they will spend the night or find their next meal.
Hope Village offers a secure environment where residents receive comprehensive services, including housing navigation, substance abuse disorder treatment, counseling, mental health treatment, educational opportunities, job placement support, and critical medical respite or recuperative care. Modeled after the successful project in the City of Santa Barbara, Hope Village features 24/7 staffing and security services, ensuring a safe and supportive community for all residents.
Hope Village 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. This site now hosts 94 dignified rooms designed to accommodate adult individuals and couples, as well as youth experiencing homelessness. Of these, ten rooms are dedicated to young adults experiencing homelessness, and 30 rooms are designed to provide recuperative/respite care services. These services allow individuals experiencing homelessness to have a safe place to rest and recover after being discharged from the hospital. The balance of the rooms are for those experiencing chronic homelessness, mostly coming directly out of encampments nearby.
Each room in Hope Village is furnished with a bed, a desk and chair, and features heating and air conditioning, a window, and, most importantly, a door that locks, ensuring privacy and security for all residents.
The community was designed by the world-renowned architectural design firm Gensler, which employs a trauma-informed approach to ensure that the DignityMoves villages are not only aesthetically pleasing but also foster a true sense of community.
The state-of-the-art modular units used in Hope Village are both durable and attractive. Constructed with 2” thick walls, they offer excellent insulation and energy efficiency. The materials used for the walls include 30% recycled plastics, and the frames are made of durable steel. The entrance of the facility was designed with input from a local architect to beautifully reflect the unique look and feel of the Santa Maria community.
Initially planned to stay for approximately five years, the project will then be relocated to another site elsewhere in Santa Barbara County to continue serving the housing needs of the community.
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. As of 2024, clients typically stay 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 receives an individualized service and stabilization plan to aid their transition 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.
Volunteers Needed!!!
Adopt-A-Room: in preparation for the residents at Hope Village, we have 94 rooms that need to be decorated
If you or someone you know is currently experiencing homelessness in Santa Maria and would like to be put on the waitlist for housing at Hope Village, please contact the referral service line above. DignityMoves does not manage referrals for this community.