DignityMoves will host the grand opening of its La Posada Interim Supportive Housing Community, 4500 Hollister Ave., 5 p.m. Friday, April 12.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be hosted by Santa Barbara resident and actor Duane Henry of “NCIS” fame who said he was once homeless.

La Posada Village will house individuals living in encampments near the 101 freeway and railroad tracks in the immediate area. The community will have 80 rooms, provide 24/7 security, intensive case management for each resident, three meals a day, transportation, and mental and physical health care services. 

Interim supportive housing allows individuals to get off the streets, out of encampments, and focus on longer-term stable housing solutions, DignityMoves said. It gives community members a chance to connect to mental health care, addiction services, career counseling, Social Security, and other benefits.

Henry said his past experience being homeless has always stuck with him and he says no matter what ‘s going on in his life, he will always feel an affinity with the homeless community.

“I was homeless,” he said. “The first year I got to California was very tough. I met a couple of friends, you know, couch surfing, trying to figure it out.”

Hollywood wasn’t as glamorous as he thought it would be, and the actor even resorted to sleeping in a rented U-haul for a time.

“There are a lot of people struggling and going through it, and I’d been homeless previously in England for a while,” Henry said. “Many people go through this. It’s not just me. I’m not special.”

La Posada is a public-private collaboration between DignityMoves, the county of Santa Barbara, and Good Samaritan Shelter, which will serve as the service provider and operator.

To learn more about La Posada and DignityMoves please go to https://dignitymoves.org/.