Rob Fredericks believes that everyone deserves a home.
It’s a mantra that he wears on his T-shirt, and his heart.
“I am a devout poverty abolitionist, and one of the most effective ways to help lift people out of poverty is to help provide them an affordable place to call home, so they are not burdened with paying a vast majority of their income to keep a roof over their head,” said Fredericks, executive director of Santa Barbara’s Housing Authority.
He spoke at Friday’s ceremonial groundbreaking of the 48-unit Bella Vista apartments, 220 N. La Cumbre Road. The commercial buildings that once occupied the site have been demolished, paving the way for the 48-unit apartment building.
The development will be fully below market, intended for people with low- and very-low incomes.
Residents will use Section 8 vouchers to live at the building, and those who live there will make less than 60% of the area median income, which is about $110,000 for Santa Barbara.
The mix will consist of 15 one-bedroom units, 21 two-bedroom units and 12 three-bedroom units. The one-bedrooms are about 627 square feet, the two-bedrooms are 800 square feet, and the three-bedrooms are 1,050 square feet.
The Housing Authority purchased the 1.3-acre property in 2019 for $5.9 million. It will cost $38 million to construct the new apartments, another $2.5 million in developer fees and soft costs of $4.83 million.
“This will help to fulfill a great and growing need in Santa Barbara for affordable family housing and will help us uplift these families out of poverty,” Fredericks said. “When the development is complete it will be something we all cherish.”
The Housing Authority will honor former Santa Barbara Mayor and longtime planning commission Sheila Lodge by naming the community room “The Lodge.”
“This is another gem for our community,” Fredericks said.
About 75 people attended the groundbreaking. Among those who attended were Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse, former Santa Barbara Mayor Helene Schneider, and Santa Barbara City Councilmember Wendy Santamaria.
Several Housing Authority officials involved with the project were also in attendance, including the project’s architect, Christine Pierron.
The development will have about 71 vehicle parking spaces, including 10 designated for guest parking. The proposal will reach 48 feet at its highest point.
The Housing Authority received federal tax credits to fund the project, and the city provided $5 million to help finance the project.
“I am so grateful, proud and humbled to be a part of this project,” Pierron said.
Pierron said she is looking forward to what the project will become.
“Bella Vista will be home for countless families for many generations to come, so many children will grow up there, play in the courtyards, eat dinners with family in the kitchens, and dream of their futures in their bedrooms,” Pierron said. “That is what makes designing a building so magic, the people who live there.”
