Nearly 20% of the people who moved into Buena Tierra, the Goleta building that houses formerly homeless individuals, are no longer in the program.

Two individuals are in jail, one was served with an unlawful detainer due to drug possession and other drug-related charges, and two people were served unlawful detainers because they assaulted another tenant or a staff member.

One resident was evicted after they failed to pay rent for eight months. Three residents were relocated to shelters as they weren’t ready for permanent supportive housing, said John Polanskey, the director of development for the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County.

Two residents passed away, one from cancer and one after being hit by a vehicle while crossing the street on Hollister Avenue.

Polanskey presented an update on the status of Buena Tierra at Tuesday’s Goleta City Council meeting. Eleven of 59 residents left the program in the first year.

“Being housed in permanent supportive housing with the rules, with the responsibilities, that all of us in the community accept, is a stressor, it really is,” Polanskey said. “Trying to get your life back on track even though you have the support services there, is a stressor.”

Buena Tierra used to be a Super 8 motel and is Goleta’s first permanent supportive housing development. Although several residents who began the program are no longer living there, success stories exist.

Residents are reconnecting with family members, working on sobriety, getting jobs, and getting medical care after years, and in some cases decades, of living on the streets. 

“You may think it’s all rainbows and lollipops when people who are unhoused get housing; it is a stressor on individuals who have for maybe years, maybe a decade or so, been unhoused,” Polanskey said.

Buena Tierra has given Desttiny Colunga, 25, a place of her own to save money, work on her sobriety, and plan for her future. 

“I did get what I wanted, which was to get my spot by myself, not having to consistently worry about getting kicked out, not having to consistently worry about having to feel wanted or unwanted or unsafe,” Colunga told Noozhawk.

Originally from Santa Maria, Colunga moved into Buena Tierra in January 2024. Before that she was struggling with housing insecurity since she got kicked out at 16, forcing her to stay with other people, live in her car, or stay at a shelter.

She was working on a criminal justice degree at Allan Hancock College, but after she got a concussion from a car accident she fell into heavy drug use and suffered from self-harm and suicidal thoughts. 

“The choices I made weren’t good,” Colunga said. “I did learn a lot, but I can say that someone can’t change unless they want to change.”

She’s been sober for two years and is working two jobs to pay off her debt while she decides what she wants to do next.

“If it wasn’t for this building, I don’t even know where the heck I’d be,” Colunga said. “I don’t know if I would have left the shelter and maybe gone back to where I was at because I eventually felt like I wasn’t gonna live anywhere.”

Colunga says she doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do, but she dreams of owning her own home, finishing school, and taking care of her family.

“I don’t have many bad things to say about here,” Colunga said. “It’s really good. It’s just how people use the program and how they see the program.”

Hilda Rios de la Cruz, program manager at Buena Tierra, said they have three on-site case managers, a medical coordinator, and a substance abuse specialist for residents. Residents can also get transportation to medical appointments, as well as alcoholic and narcotics anonymous meetings. The services are optional, but De la Cruz said challenges arise when residents don’t engage in the services. 

Last summer, a resident of the building allegedly assaulted another tenant then barricaded himself in his room. He used a chair to bust out the window of his unit, and authorities eventually subdued him by throwing tear gas and using a flash-bang device.

The incident shook up the neighborhood, forced the closure of a portion of Hollister Avenue, and prompted a full-on response from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Special Enforcement Team.

“The hope for Good Samaritan [Shelter Programs] and the supportive services is that the residents know that we’re here to show up every day, whether they want to meet us or not,” De la Cruz said. 

There is also a music group for residents run by housing retention case manager Jaan Landheer. Residents can bring their guitar, or just their voice, listen and talk about the music they love. 

“It’s great to see people expressing their thoughts and feelings in a relaxed way, where maybe in the past, they didn’t have that opportunity, being unhoused, to let down their guard and get to know others on a deeper level,” Landheer said.

Landheer said he believes strongly in the housing first model, but it does take time for residents to adjust and find themselves in the community. 

“It takes time for there to be a sense of security and a place to call home to be able to then pursue goals such as going to school, finding employment, doing community events, being a part of the Goleta community,” Landheer said. “It’s great to see people start thriving after being here over a year.”