Santa Barbara Breaks Ground on Homeless Housing at De La Vina

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KEYT) - A long-empty motel on De La Vina Street in Santa Barbara is getting a new purpose.

The former Quality Inn is being transformed into 32 studio apartments for people leaving homelessness.

Each unit will include a kitchenette and access to on-site support services to help residents rebuild their lives.

The former motel office will be converted into a community room, and the old pool area will be repurposed for shared outdoor space.

Funding for the project comes from California’s Homekey+ program, a city loan, and local foundations.

City leaders believe the project marks a major step forward in addressing Santa Barbara’s ongoing housing and homelessness crisis.

“This is a good way to speed up construction and make housing available for low-income residents,” said Dennis Ullrich, a partner with Vortex Construction.

This project will soon give Santa Barbara’s most vulnerable a place to call home.