The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara will receive almost $19 million to acquire and rehabilitate the 60-unit Super 8 Motel in Old Town Goleta into permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, chronic homelessness and homeless youth or youth at risk of homelessness. The project located at 6021 Hollister Avenue will provide on-site wrap-around supportive services and ample space for indoor and outdoor community services.
The funding, announced on April 13, 2022, by Governor Gavin Newsom, is a part of $70 million in State awards for six new Homekey projects throughout California. When fully operational, the projects will provide 232 housing units for people experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness.
City of Goleta Mayor Paula Perotte said, “We are thrilled and grateful to hear the great news! This is the culmination of what has been a massive effort on the part of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara to secure this much needed State funding with assistance from the County and the City of Goleta. We are pleased to serve as a financial contributor and supporter of this exemplary project. This proposed development will play a big part locally to help address the human and societal problem of people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.”
John Polanskey, the Director of Housing Development for the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara said, “The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara values its partnership with the City of Goleta and County of Santa Barbara in our joint efforts to increase the availability of permanent supportive housing for our most vulnerable residents. The proposed conversion of the Super 8 in Goleta to serve this purpose is our latest effort. The $18,958,701 from the State of California, in addition to the funding committed by the City of Goleta and County of Santa Barbara, will help make the Super 8 conversion a reality.”
The Super 8 housing development project is proposed to include 59 permanent supportive housing units for people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness. One unit will house an onsite property manager, plus five existing units will be converted to community space in which a robust offering of services will be provided.
This state funding includes rental subsidy and operating costs. Generous additional funding has been reserved for this development by the County of Santa Barbara and City of Goleta. Under recent State law (AB 140 and AB 2162), supportive housing projects funded through the Homekey program are automatically deemed consistent and in conformity with local General Plan and zoning requirements and allowed by right as a permitted use.