The Santa Barbara County Action Network (SB CAN) has received a $7,737 grant from The Fund for Santa Barbara to develop a Sustainable Community and H.O.T. (Housing/ Open Space/ Transportation) Advocacy program in Santa Maria.

This program will help residents become more involved in community planning by offering a series of bilingual workshops and forums on creating sustainable communities. Workshop topics will include information on renewable energy and green building practices, and planning policies that integrate the need for affordable and workforce housing, alternative and public transportation, and protecting open space and agricultural lands. The workshops will give community members the tools they need to provide input on land-use and planning decisions to ensure that future growth will match their vision for their community.

“SB CAN recognizes that there is a crisis in Santa Barbara County regarding the availability of affordable housing, the loss of open space and agricultural lands, and lack of funding for alternative transportation to ease traffic congestion on our streets and highways,” said SB CAN executive director Deborah Brasket.

“SB CAN advocates a holistic approach to community planning that integrates Housing, Open space and Transportation, based on our widely circulated ‘H.O.T. Principles,’ developed in 2006. Planning and implementation of land use policy can only be effective if all three issues are approached together, as interrelated.”

Joann Marmolejo, SB CAN president, added: “We are so fortunate to have a nonprofit foundation like The Fund for Santa Barbara that supports grassroots organizations working for social, economic and environmental justice in Santa Barbara County. The Fund’s motto, ‘Change, not Charity,’ recognizes the importance of involving community members in creating the changes needed to protect their quality of life and improve their communities.”

Click here for more information, or contact Deborah Brasket at 805.722.5094 or deborah@sbcan.org.