The Housing Authority Of The City Of Santa Barbara (HACSB) came together with the community recently to celebrate the grand opening of Johnson Court, the first housing development in Santa Barbara County specifically for veterans.

The event on Feb. 14 opened with the National Anthem sung by Tina Schlieske, a local rock artist from Santa Barbara, and followed with a Presentation of Colors by the Vandenberg Air Force Base Honor Guard.

Moving speeches were made by Rob Fredericks, HACSB CEO and executive director; a daughter from the Johnson family; U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal; and Donna Williams, whose late husband Ken Williams inspired the name of the onsite community room.

Williams was a local hero who walked the streets of Santa Barbara for more than three decades, reaching out to the poor and the marginalized in the Santa Barbara community. He was also a U.S. Marine and a Vietnam veteran.

Johnson Court will have 16 studio units for very low- and low-income veterans, a two-bedroom manager unit, and common area and office space to accommodate the provision of services and activities onsite. Veterans will begin moving in this week.

To learn more about HACSB, visit hacsb.org.