Santa Barbara Community Housing Corp. Unveils 10 New Apartments

Nonprofit group provides affordable housing throughout the South Coast

By William M. Macfadyen, Noozhawk Publisher | Published on 11.05.2009

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On a bright afternoon, a small group of people gathered at a freshly painted Upper State Street apartment complex to mark an important milestone for the Santa Barbara Community Housing Corp.

Founded in 1975, the nonprofit SBCHC provides safe and affordable housing, including special-needs units, to low- and very low-income individuals and families in Santa Barbara County. Currently, the organization has approximately 300 units, most of them tucked around Santa Barbara.

Its newest property, at 2843 State St., adds 10 more units to that collection and is the first major acquisition for the SBCHC since 1997.

“This is a great day for the Santa Barbara Community Housing Corp.,” said Emmet Hawkes, the executive director. “We’ve been serving this community for more than 30 years and we’re excited to have an opportunity to do even more.”

Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum wielded the scissors at the Santa Barbara Community Housing Corp. ribbon-cutting ceremony heralding its new apartment complex. SBCHC executive director Emmet Hawkes, left, and board president Dan Oriskovich flank her.
Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum wielded the scissors at the Santa Barbara Community Housing Corp. ribbon-cutting ceremony heralding its new apartment complex. SBCHC executive director Emmet Hawkes, left, and board president Dan Oriskovich flank her. (Emily Allen photo)

Hawkes said the two-story complex, a former motel, was purchased with the proceeds from the sale of two Goleta houses that were not a great configuration for the organization’s clients. The bulk of SBCHC housing stock is in more traditional apartment units, such as at the Castillo Homes complex in the 1000 block of Castillo Street and the Faulding Hotel, 15 E. Haley St.

SBCHC finances its projects through a variety of private/public partnerships and municipal, Santa Barbara County, state and federal loans and grants for project development, site acquisition, construction and permanent financing. Area banks are regular participants in projects, as are limited partnerships with corporate investors.

Mayor Marty Blum led a delegation of public officials at the ceremony and commended SBCHC for its work on behalf of those in need.

“You take on the truly difficult challenges and you do such a wonderful job,” Blum told the SBCHC board members in attendance. Clasping her hands to her heart, she added, “These units are just beautiful.”

Blum was joined at the ribbon-cutting ceremony by 2nd District Supervisor Janet Wolf, City Councilmen Dale Francisco and Grant House, and Rob Pearson, CEO of the Santa Barbara Housing Authority, a frequent collaborator with SBCHC.

Also on hand were SBCHC board president Dan Oriskovich, vice president of Montecito Bank & Trust, and seven board members: political consultant Emily Allen; Steve Golis, a principal at Radius Group Commercial Real Estate; Steve Jones, sales manager of Wilson Printing; Hazra Kamal, chief financial officer of the UCSB Alumni Association; attorney Anne Porter; Andy Roteman, a partner of Roteman, Eberhard & Associates architects; Tim Taylor, vice president of Prospect Mortgage Co.; and — full disclosure — Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen.

Click here for more information on the Santa Barbara Community Housing Corp.

— Noozhawk publisher Bill Macfadyen can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk.

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» Yeah!!! on 11.05.09 @ 08:59 PM

This is how affordable housing should be done. Transforming existing housing, not building new high-density units.

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» sbnative on 11.05.09 @ 10:15 PM

AGREE with Yeah!!!

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» Kathryn on 11.06.09 @ 11:01 AM

A full picture of the units would be nice to see!

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» frmlobbyist on 11.06.09 @ 03:00 PM

The State of CA, Board of Equalization (BOE) would have a difference of opinion on conversion of conventional to affordable. They need to read the latest ordinance (2007) that says you cannot convert conventional to affordable.  It has be built or at least rehabed with tax credits for it to qualify to be affordable housing.

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» sbnative on 11.07.09 @ 08:49 AM

To former lobbyist: What is your point? That we shouldn’t do the right thing unless we’ve somehow conformed to some bureacrat’s “rules.”

Leave. Go away. We are going to vote everyone of Big Gov’s henchmen OUT in 2010.

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» JAX on 11.16.09 @ 10:05 AM

Do you suppose this groups dependent renters were included in the recent article about the anniversary of their sister and collaborative group the Santa Barbara Housing Authority? That article said only 5% of the 3,200 renters in their program were on public assistance. (obviously neglecting or omitting the fact that all 3,200 of their renters WERE recieving public assistance by having subsidized housing)

I would like to see an unbiased study on how many people are housed in taxpayer subsidized housing on the South Coast, including ALL of these housing organizations! Also included in that survey there should be a profile of these subdidized renters, and how they qualified to recieve “subsidized housing” and who qualified them.

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