WillBridge of Santa Barbara celebrated the one-year anniversary on July 1 for its new permanent supportive housing residence, State Street Suites.
WillBridge serves the greater Santa Barbara South County. It is mission driven and serves the community with three residences providing transitional and permanent supportive housing. WillBridge provides an environment that is safe, caring, practical and cost effective. WillBridge mobilizes significant resources that many homeless people do not know exists or cannot get to on their own. WillBridge believes serving the homeless community is for the common good of the community.
WillBridge is eight years old and continues to expand the needed housing for homeless people. Its latest is State Street Suites. WillBridge started State Street Suites utilizing its past experience and success in providing permanent supportive and transitional housing.
“In spite of the homeless challenge each person faces entering State Street Suites, they also meet a non-negotiable strict eligibility criteria that needs to be considered in order to be accepted into this specialized program,” executive officer and founder Lynnelle Williams said. “Each resident has a private studio-style-unit allowing space for each to develop and grow, breaking their cycle of homelessness to one of opportunity.”
The State Street Suites established the importance of “housing” for people wanting to continue their personal and professional development through psychological and spiritual growth. Each person living at State Street Suites must attend school or be employed.
Three residents finished a year at Santa Barbara City College, with grade point averages of 3.28, 3.5 and 4.0. This helps give them an opportunity to move back into the community with confidence and stability, creating a desire to “live and be seen.”
Click here for more information on the nonprofit WillBridge of Santa Barbara, or call 805.564.1911. Click here to make an online donation.
— Gloria Regan is with WillBridge of Santa Barbara.