Affordable housing development moves forward in Santa Ynez

SANTA YNEZ, Calif. - More affordable housing is on the way in the Santa Ynez Valley.

The Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County announced this week that it received funding to acquire a site for a new affordable studio apartment complex in Santa Ynez.

There will be 21 units at Sagunto Place, located on the northwest corner of Sagunto Street and Meadowvale Road. The studios are each 375.5 square feet and will have a kitchenette, bathroom, and private balcony or patio.

The housing complex is designed to serve very low and low-income households. Up to 30 percent of the units will be reserved for people with physical or developmental disabilities.

The housing organization says it will be a two-story building with 14 units on the second floor, and six units and a manager's unit on the ground floor. There will also be a meeting room, office areas, and laundry room. The building will have an "old-west" design, and the landscaping will feature plants native to the area.

The project is expected to cost $4.4 million.

The Housing Trust Fund did not release a timeline for construction.