Santa Barbara County has taken the first step toward converting the former probation building into workforce housing.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 to direct staff to begin negotiations with a Los Angeles-based real estate developer to turn the location into housing units for county employees. Supervisors Bob Nelson and Joan Hartmann were not present for the vote.

Jesús Armas, director of the Community Services Department, said that despite the idea that government moves slowly, he and his staff were there to challenge that idea. Armas said his department was already past the research and study phase and ready to act.

“Specifically, today, we seek the board’s authorization to embark on negotiations that we trust will ultimately lead to the construction of an affordable workforce housing development in downtown Santa Barbara,” Armas said.

The board asked staff to begin looking for proposals for the old probation building, at 117 E. Carrillo St., in December 2025. The building was the former site of the Santa Barbara County Probation Department, which is set to move into a new building at 1019 Garden St.

County staff presented three options to the Board of Supervisors. The options featured proposals for the number of units, apartment types and construction timelines.

The three companies mentioned during the presentation were SoLA Impact LLC, the Pacific Companies and National Community Renaissance.

Staff recommended that the board approve negotiations with SoLa Impact LLC, which presented a plan for up to 104 modular units. Modular units are prefabricated apartments built at a different location and transported to the site.

SoLa Impact also submitted a completion date of February 2029. The total estimated cost of the plan would be $47 million, with each unit costing $450,000.

The lack of housing has been an ongoing issue for Santa Barbara County, which has seen a lack of housing drive up prices throughout the county.

According to a Rental Housing Survey by the county, the annual income to afford the median monthly rent of $2,883 for a one-bedroom apartment is $115,300. The hourly wage to afford that price would be $55.43.

Second District Supervisor Laura Capps has been a proponent of using county property to develop workforce housing. Capps said there is a need for quality housing in Santa Barbara, and the county has not been doing a good job of providing it.

“Affordable housing is our biggest challenge, and we haven’t been doing it as well as we could be, and people are suffering as a result,” Capps said. “So, this is a good step forward.”

Despite her support for the project, Capps expressed concern that the proposal did not include local housing nonprofit organizations as part of the plan.

First District Supervisor Roy Lee ultimately supported the proposal but expressed concern about the location of the plan and the county’s authority. Lee said he has criticized the state for forcing cities to build more housing and was concerned about the county building new housing in downtown Santa Barbara.

Lee said he would support Capps in voting for the project, but asked that SoLa Impact work with local housing nonprofit organizations moving forward.  

The board ended the discussion by asking staff to begin negotiations with SoLa Impact but also negotiate with the other candidates if talks with SoLa Impact fall through. SoLa was also directed to partner with a local housing organization before moving forward.

Public Comment

Linda Homikman, who was representing Strong Towns Santa Barbara, expressed gratitude for past supervisors who helped lay the groundwork for county workforce housing.

After discussing the pros and cons of the proposals, Homikman said there is no perfect project and that the county should consider different approaches. She also encouraged the county to work with the City of Santa Barbara to consider how to produce similar housing projects.

“If this project is to serve as a model, it should also serve as a learning opportunity for how to deliver high-quality housing at lower cost,” Homickman said.

Rob Fredericks, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, criticized the project and the number of units being proposed. Fredericks said he rarely speaks at county meetings, but he said he felt compelled to speak out.

“The top-ranked proposal pushes too much density with the units that are simply too small — resulting in compromised livability,” Fredericks told the board. “That’s not housing people thrive in. That’s housing that people tolerate.”

Fredericks also raised concerns about the SoLa Impact’s finances.

He added that the county should strive to build something the community can be proud of, not merely tolerate.

“If you get this wrong, you don’t get a do-over at this site. This building will be here long after we’re all gone,” Fredericks told the board.

He ended his comments by asking the board to send the item to the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission for two reviews.