The Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara (HACSB) is the largest property management organization for affordable housing in Santa Barbara County and a leader in supporting low-income families to improve their lives. For nearly 80 years, the HACSB has functioned primarily to build, acquire, manage, and maintain rental units for persons of extremely low income (less than 30% of the area median income), very low income (less than 50% of the area median income) and to obtain rental payment assistance for similar households in the private real estate market.
HACSB is redeveloping Escalante Meadows, an affordable housing project on Escalante Street, off 11th Street in Guadalupe (Santa Barbara County), which will entail the demolition of 52 old Public Housing units and construction of 80 low-income housing tax credit affordable residential units. Most units will be set aside to house extremely low-income households and individuals experiencing homelessness. Construction of the Escalante Meadows development is anticipated to begin in October of 2022 with completion expected in June 2024.
The City, surrounding neighborhood and the current residents see this as revitalizing this part of the City. While HACSB has done its best to maintain the Public Housing on this site, this cinder block Public Housing was built in different phases from 1951 to 1965 and is at the end of its useful life, as is the infrastructure.
To support the economic growth and quality of life for all Guadalupe community residents, HACSB is adding a 20,000 square foot building to the Escalante Meadows project that includes a 4,500 square foot Community Services Center and an 8,000 square foot Child Development Center.
HACSB will provide the space for services, and local organizations will provide specific programming based on identified community need. The Child Development Center will have the capacity to serve 100 children ages 2 through 5 annually, partnering with parents to provide a safe, high-quality, warm, and educational environment that will prepare children for success in school and life. Childcare spaces will be made available to primarily low-income families, with some spaces open to parents of all backgrounds and income levels, and inclusion of children of all ability levels
. An operator has been engaged who has a long history of contracting with the State for tuition subsidies and serving communities like Guadalupe’s. The Center will provide model programming, data sharing, and intensive collaboration with the Guadalupe Union School District on community engagement, enrollment, and achievement of district goals and outcomes. The Child Development Center will not only provide desperately needed high-quality childcare spaces but will be a foundational partner for the district’s Universal Preschool efforts. The Community Services Center will provide a place for Guadalupe residents to access trusted, local, and culturally competent resources and activities around health, adult education, and workforce development and training in an area of the County that has a great need for such services.
Service partnerships are being developed with strong community organizations such as Family Service Agency, Community Health Centers, the Workforce Development Board, the Guadalupe Business Association, Allan Hancock College, and others. Examples of services and resources to be offered include medical screenings, counseling, nutrition education, and adult education as well as training on leadership development, financial literacy, job skills, entrepreneurship, and parenting.
The Escalante Meadows redevelopment and Community Center reflects 4 essential pillars of economic opportunity for families – quality education, health and wellness, jobs, and stable housing. All four are interconnected and required for a community to thrive economically and socially and help ensure equitable access to economic vitality and opportunity. + Construction of a 19,958 SF community center that will include an early childhood learning center, wellness center and community space. The center is part of a larger $53MM phased project that includes 80 LIHTC units. The center will support a community in which 96% of students are Hispanic and 89% of students receive free/reduced price lunch.