Starting Thursday, Isla Vista residents on select blocks will be able claim free memberships at the Isla Vista Food Co-op, giving them access to discounted groceries. 

The Isla Vista Community Services District is spending $25,000 to pay for 166 memberships, hoping it will help decrease the need for residents to have their cars and to support the co-op during its financial crisis. 

The IVCSD Board of Directors approved the partnership with the co-op in March and on Tuesday it approved the distribution plan. 

Earlier this year Lisa Oglesby, president of the co-op’s Board of Directors, said the community-owned grocery store was at risk of closing unless it saw a 10% to 15% increase in sales. 

The store at 6575 Seville Road has seen a 35% decrease in sales during the past two years and has been struggling with the increased costs of insurance, payroll, taxes, and utilities. 

With the goal to decrease the usage of cars in Isla Vista, memberships will be allocated to households on blocks with over 85% parking congestion. 

Jonathan Abboud, General Manager of the IVCSD, said they will start with households on the 6500 and 6600 blocks of Del Playa Drive, 6500 and 6600 blocks of Sabado Tarde, and 6600 block of Trigo Road. 

Households on those blocks will have two weeks to claim their memberships in-person at the co-op.

After two weeks, five new blocks will be selected based on the next highest level of parking congestion. The cycle will continue until all the memberships have been claimed. 

Memberships will apply to specific households, not individuals. In the fall, IVCSD will go back to the households that claimed memberships and ask if they want to continue to maintain the memberships. Households will have to comply with an annual review process to maintain their membership, Abboud said.

Households selected for the program will receive the same benefits as other co-op members. Members earn co-op points with every purchase, exclusive access to promotions, monthly e-coupons, 15% off special orders and voting rights in board elections. 

Memberships usually require a one-time equity payment of $130, which can be paid in $30 installments.

The funding for these free memberships is coming from IVCSD’s cash reserves, which were invested into Santa Barbara County’s treasury pooled investment fund. 

If the program is successful, IVCSD could reinvest another $25,000 for more memberships. IVCSD will maintain control over its equity into the co-op, and can take back the investment at any time, essentially canceling the memberships. 

Households that include IVCSD board members or staff will be ineligible to receive a membership through the program.