By Patricia Martellotti
Published January 10, 2024
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Dignity Moves is breaking ground on its third Santa Barbara County Location at La Posada Village.
Construction of La Posada, an interim supportive housing community gets underway in Santa Barbara.
Located at the former County Juvenile Hall Site on Hollister Avenue, La Posada will be an 80 unit temporary supportive housing community.
The facility will service those experiencing unsheltered homelessness in South Santa Barbara County.
Dignity Moves is hoping this project will serve as model for California to end homelessness.
Permanent housing is the longer-term goal, and La Posada is meant to close the gap between living outdoors and housing stability, where residents can be safe and receive the critical services needed.
La Posada is a public-private collaboration between DignityMoves, the County of Santa Barbara, and Good Samaritan Shelter, the service provider and operator.
During an upcoming ribbon cutting ceremony, those expected to attend in support of the project will include: Duane Henry, Co-Host Meredith Baxter, Co-Host Laura Capps, Second District Supervisor, County of Santa Barbara Hafsa Kaka, Senior Advisor on Homelessness, Officer of Governor Gavin Newsom Mark Hartwig, Chief, Santa Barbara County Fire Department Kirsten Cahoon, Director of Homeless Services, Good Samaritan Shelter Toni Navarro, Director of Behavioral Wellness, County of Santa Barbara Aaron Edelheit, Santa Barbara Regional Council, DignityMoves Balay Ko, Balay Ko Foundation Kirsten McLaughlin, Market Vice President, and Cox Communications.
Advisors of DignityMoves said its community in downtown Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Street Village has been a proven success for both housing and supporting those who were previously homeless.
Last year, the County Board of Supervisors voted to partner with DignityMoves to build an additional 300 rooms County-wide – enough interim supportive housing to help close the “shelter gap” in the county.
La Posada Village follows the most recent groundbreaking of Hope Village in Santa Maria with 94 rooms for adult individuals and couples and youth experiencing homelessness.
The balance of the rooms is for those experiencing chronic homelessness, mostly coming directly out of encampments nearby.
Hope Village is slated to open its doors for residents on February 25, 2024.
La Posada Village, at 4500 Hollister, will house individuals living in encampments near the 101 and railroad tracks in the immediate area.
This community will have 80 rooms, provide 24-hour security, intensive case management for each resident, three meals a day, and mental and physical health care services and transportation.
DignityMoves anticipates opening doors to residents on April 1.
As with the Santa Barbara Street Village, La Posada is a public-private collaboration between DignityMoves, the County of Santa Barbara, and Good Samaritan Shelter, which will serve as the service provider and operator.
At La Posada, each person or couple will have their own private cabin with a lock-in door.
This sense of safety, privacy, and dignity allows people to move forward with the services needed to end their homelessness.
La Posada will allow individuals to get off the streets, out of encampments, and focus on longer-term stable housing solutions.
Interim supportive housing gives our community members a chance to connect to mental health care, addiction services, career counseling, Social Security, and other benefits.
The cabins at La Posada will be similar to those at DignityMoves developments in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, and will provide 24/7 staffing, including professional security.
DignityMoves works to end unsheltered street homelessness in our communities through the construction of Interim Supportive Housing as a rapid, cost-effective, scalable solution.
TynanGroup is the Project Manager for multiple Dignity Moves projects.
