Special Online Meeting Focuses on Affordable Housing and Homelessness in Goleta
GOLETA, Calif. (KEYT) - The City of Goleta is helping those looking for affordable housing and those hoping to rise out of homelessness.
A collaborative meeting with The Santa Barbara Alliance for Community Transformation (SB ACT) took place Monday at noon via zoom.
There was information on navigating the affordable housing process based on your income or with the help of a subsidy. Local experts shared the options around the Goleta Valley.
The meeting was intended to help those who are interested in cutting through some of the process challenges.
Affordable housing is a serious concern in Goleta and the South County as a whole. It was referenced in the recent Goleta State of the City address.
City of Goleta Homeless Services Coordinator Chuck Flacks said there are positive signs. "Over the last year we have seen a 50% reduction in people experiencing homelessness in Goleta."
Landon Ranck with SB ACT said, "this is a partnership with the city of Goleta as part of our broader efforts throughout South Santa Barbara County to try address homelessness."
For Goleta the outreach efforts and services help to reach the homeless and start conversations that lead to housing in many cases. Flacks said, "we have a tremendous amount of resources dedicated to Goleta and people know about it and people are finding ways to get out of homelessness. My hope is it is better for them. "
The city says the drop in the number of homeless people is not only in the camps but also the number of people living in their cars which has been a concern that required more law enforcement efforts and signage.
There's been more housing built in Goleta and nearby in Santa Barbara and that brings the number of those living on the streets into a safer environment..
Flacks said, "and part of the reason we have seen a decline in March is people started to move into the Patterson Point housing project out of the shelters. The people living in encampments and over the last few months we have seen a decline there as well ."
The Heritage Ridge project off of Los Carneros in Goleta when finished will have 41 low income senior units and 63 family units. It is expected to be open in summer of 2027.
The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Goleta say Heritage Ridge, is a 104-unit affordable housing project and is the biggest affordable housing project in the city of Goleta’s history.
Community organizations helping people out of homelessness also joined the meeting and said someone looking for housing help should try all options. It takes only one opportunity to be the right fit.
Alexis Nshamamba with Good Samaritan Family Supportive Services Coordinator said, "when we think housing I think of it as a.big old dart board and when we are looking for of housing we have to throw a lot of darts. "
The first step is to get into the system and people on the other end are there to help.
Alma Harmsen with Partners in Housing Solution said, "a lot of what we do is geared towards accessing private rentals. We do also help folks navigate the affordable housing the traditional public housing options."
The Goleta web page has a special area just for Homeless Services which is a resource guide.
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