The old Mom’s Restaurant building at 421 E. Cota St. in Santa Barbara, which operated at the location for 62 years, was torn down Tuesday to accommodate an an eight-unit housing project that will reach out to children and families.

The project, headed by the nonprofit Transition House, is designed for homeless families with children with special needs, such as a serious mental illness or physical disability.

An expanded 25-baby infant care facility also will be part of the project.

The project will cost about $3 million to build, with most of the funding coming from federal low-income housing tax credits. Funding will also come from Santa Barbara’s Community Development Department and the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara.

— Noozhawk staff writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.