Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County has been awarded $150,000 to help build its second affordable housing neighborhood in Santa Barbara in 2010 — San Pascual, at 618 San Pascual St.

The grant was awarded by Minneapolis-based Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, through its partnership with Habitat for Humanity International, now in its fourth year, called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity.

On Thursday, Habitat for Humanity announced it received its building permits for the project. Site preparation will begin in January.

Habitat for Humanity is celebrating this award in conjunction with an international milestone that was observed Dec. 4 in Minneapolis, Minn., when the 2,000th Thrivent Builds home (worldwide) was dedicated. Construction also began on the 2,001st home, kicking off the start of the 2010 partnership between the two entities.

“The Thrivent Builds alliance is helping Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County increase the number of families served in our community,” Executive Director Joyce McCullough said. “We are so grateful for Thrivent’s support of our efforts to provide decent, affordable homes in partnership with families in need.”

Since its incorporation in 2000, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County has completed its own home building projects in addition to collaborations with other nonprofits on rehabilitation projects for homeless shelters, senior housing and day-care centers, and renovated homes of residents who were too infirm to make needed upgrades.

In March, it announced the Building Homes — Building Dreams Campaign for Habitat, which includes goals to raise the funds to:

» Build four homes on San Pascual Street in Santa Barbara

» Provide the funds to purchase its next site to build more affordable homes

» Establish the ReStore, an environmentally-friendly recycling store for building materials (6725 Hollister Ave. in Goleta)

» Create a permanent endowment fund to safeguard their ability to serve families in Santa Barbara. 

The total campaign goal to meet those needs is a little more than $3.53 million. Despite the challenges of the economic climate, and thanks to support from the community and foundations, it has raised 65 percent of its goal.

The San Pascual building project will consist of three two-bedroom, 1.5-bath homes and a one-bedroom, one-bath home. The homes will be Energy Star qualified, and will use quality recycled building materials from the Habitat ReStore.

“We have completed all design and predevelopment activities for the homes we will build on San Pascual,” McCullough said. “Once our subdivision maps have been recorded, we expect to receive permits and begin construction. We look forward to welcoming volunteers on the site next year, including our friends in local Lutheran congregations.”

— Jennifer Guess is a publicist.