The city of Santa Barbara has received a $900,000 grant from the Santa Barbara Foundation to support the ongoing operations and critical facility upgrades at Casa Cacique, the city‑owned interim housing shelter serving individuals experiencing homelessness.
The major contribution will be split between program operations and needed repairs and upgrades to the facility at 816 Cacique St., ensuring Casa Cacique can continue providing safe, dignified, and service‑rich shelter to some of the community’s most vulnerable residents, the city said.
Funding will help strengthen daily programming, expand access to supportive services, and address essential building improvements, including deferred maintenance identified during recent facility assessments.
“We are deeply grateful to the Santa Barbara Foundation for this extraordinary investment in our community,” said Alelia Parenteau, acting deputy city administrator for the city of Santa Barbara.
“Casa Cacique plays a vital role in stabilizing individuals who are working toward long‑term housing,” Parenteau said. “This grant allows us not only to maintain strong operational capacity, but also to modernize the building so that the shelter can continue serving residents safely and effectively for years to come.”
Casa Cacique, operated by Mercy House, provides 100 year‑round beds along with case management, health and behavioral‑health support, daily meals, and a structured, trauma‑informed environment focused on helping residents transition to stability.
“The Santa Barbara Foundation is honored to steward the Francis and Marianna Masin Human Services Fund to ensure the Masins’ charitable goals continue to be met after they passed,” said Jackie Carrera, Santa Barbara Foundation president/CEO.
“Their care and commitment to serving those facing the greatest need in Santa Barbara inspires us, and we are pleased the funds will be used to support improvements and services at Casa Cacique,” Carrera said.
The Masins had a commitment to serving those experiencing poverty. Their own lives — coming to the United States after being liberated from a prison camp at the end of World War II — led to their desire to share all they had with others, the city said.
They gave through their work as physicians and medical researchers, as well as philanthropists. As they aged, they established a charitable fund through a trust to ensure their support for critical community service organizations would continue beyond their lifetimes.
The city began implementing upgrades in January 2026, but there is much work ahead, the city said. Improvements will be prioritized based on safety, accessibility, and long‑term facility resilience.
The operational portion of the grant will support staffing, service coordination, and expanded programming that helps residents build the skills and stability needed to secure housing, the city said.
For more about Casa Cacique and homelessness response efforts, visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Homelessness.