821 State Street Workforce Studio Apartments Nearing Completion

At the Housing Santa Barbara Day event in October, the public, including interested employees who worked downtown, toured 821 State Street, a new approach for affordable rentals in former retail space. Construction is expected to be completed in November, and tenants might be moving in by December 1.

The mixed use commercial/residential project will have 14 studio apartments, managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara. Based on income requirements, tenants will pay monthly rents of $965, $1,610, or $1,850. The landlord pays all utilities.

• Three of the apartments will be for low-income households (with annual income no more than 80 percent of the area median income, which means $82,950 for one person or $94,800 for a two-person household). Rent will be $965.
• One of the apartments will be for a moderate-income household (with annual income of no more than 120 percent of the area median income, which means $90,132 for one person or $103,008 for a two-person household). Rent will be $1,610.
• Ten units will be for moderate-middle income households (with annual income of no more than 160 percent of the area median income, which means $165,760 for one person or $189,440 for a two-person household). Rent will be $1,850.

Based on these ranges of the income requirements, the property has been described as “workforce housing.”

No more than two people can live in each of the studio apartments, which are an average of 356 net square feet. One pet is considered with an additional pet deposit. No household that rents the apartments at 821 State Street can have income higher than 160 percent of the area median income.

 In December 2022, 821 State LLC, which included local businessman Jason Yardi, transferred ownership of the property to 2^nd Story Associates, the non-profit affiliate of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara. Then 2^nd Story Associates secured a construction/permanent loan to cover the costs of redeveloping the building.

The commercial zoning would have allowed nine total apartments, but the State of California’s density bonus allowed there to be five additional apartments because of the income restrictions and rents affordable to those income levels. The City of Santa Barbara Average Unit Density (AUD) ordinance allowed a configuration with small-sized residential units and 3,000 square feed of commercial space on the ground level. The second floor will have a community space of 600 square feet that looks out over State Street.

There are no changes to the building’s exterior, but the design by architects the Cearnal Collective, placed the apartment windows to face the hallway and get natural light from skylights.

For more information about all the properties managed by the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, see hacsb.org/properties.

Affordable Housing Resources

These workforce housing studio apartments were just one of a wide range of housing solutions discussed at the Housing Santa Barbara Day.

More than 30 local affordable housing agencies and service providers had information tables. The latest resources are available at the Santa Barbara Affordable Housing Resource Guide 2023-2024, with a few highlights in the sections below.

Are you a renter?

If you’re a renter with low, moderate, and even above-moderate income levels and looking for a more affordable place to rent, there are several providers you can register with and get on waiting lists.

• Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara hacsb.org/properties and hacsb.org/income-limits and hacsb.org/apply-for-housing.
• Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara (includes Goleta, Isla Vista, unincorporated Santa Barbara County) https://www.hasbarco.org/locations/list and www.hasbarco.org/wait-list.
• The Santa Barbara Community Housing Corporation, rentals for low and moderate incomes throughout Santa Barbara County: www.chcsb.com/housing.html and www.chcsb.com/application.html.
• People’s Self-Help Housing, rentalproperties in Santa Barbara County: www.pshhc.org/sb-county.
• St. Vincent’s housing for low-income families and seniors: www.stvincents-sb.org/programs/affordable-housing

Are you worried about losing your place to live?

• If you or someone you know is at risk of losing housing, Good Samaritan Shelter has a hotline: 805-519-1302 in English and 805-518-2679 in Spanish. Also, if you receive a Notice to Vacate from your landlord, you might be able to get relocation assistance that pays for security deposits and next month’s rent for your next rental.
• If you are having a hard time paying utility bills, reach out to CommUnify: www.communifysb.org/community-services/utility-payment-assistance
• The Santa Barbara Tenants Union has resources online and a weekly help desk on Thursdays for issues tenants face: sbtu.org/contact.
• The City of Santa Barbara has a Rental Housing and Mediation Program. See Rental Housing Mediation Resources for everything from Legal Aid to Mobile Home Parks.

Do you need emergency shelter and assistance to pay rent?

• Transition House offers emergency shelter to families, transitional housing, and permanent supportive housing: www.transitionhouse.com.
• PATH Santa Barbara provides services including housing search and navigation to find sustainable housing opportunities, interim housing, and a rapid-rehousing program (housing placement assistance, security deposit and short-term rental assistance, and intensive case management): epath.org.

Are you living in your vehicle?

• New Beginnings has a Safe Parking Program for families and individuals living in their vehicles, while working to return to stable housing: sbnbcc.org/safe-parking. Participants receive comprehensive case management and goal planning for income, housing, health, and wellness services.

Are you between the ages of 12-24 and need shelter?

• Noah’s Anchorage provides temporary shelter and basic needs for youth, as well as drop-in services and short-term mental health counseling services for families: www.ciymca.org/locations/noahs-anchorage-ymca.

Are you 60 or older?

• CommUnify provides Seniors Safe at Home resources such as handrails and grab bars for bathrooms: www.communifysb.org/community-services/senior-home-repair.
• The In-Home Supportive Services program with Santa Barbara County Social Services provides support so that low-income seniors and people with disabilities can remain safely in their homes. www.countyofsb.org/3606/In-Home-Supportive-Services-IHSS
• Garden Court on De La Vina has affordable rentals for people over 62 with annual incomes under $22,320: www.gardencourt.org/income-qualification.
• The Home Safe program offers support for people who are 60 or older who are at risk of losing their homes or are homeless. Call 844-751-6729 or learn more at www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/housing-programs/home-safe-program.

Do you have a disability?

• The Independent Living Resource Center provides assistance locating, applying for, and obtaining affordable and accessible housing for people with disabilities: ilrc-trico.org/our-services.
• The Tri-Counties Regional Center works with people with developmental disabilities on housing issues www.tri-counties.org/what-we-do/living-in-the-community.
• The Coalition for Housing Accessibility, Needs, Choices & Equality (CHANCE) helps people intellectual, cognitive, and developmental disabilities find and maintain affordable, accessible community-based housing: chancehousing.org.

Do you want to buy a home?

• The Ventura County Community Development Corporation serves people with low-to-moderate incomes in Ventura, Santa Barbara, and, Kern Counties with homebuyer education and lending products to make home ownership possible. Homebuyer workshops are at https://vccdc.org/events.
• The City of Santa Barbara has a Home Ownership Affordable Housing program for low, moderate, middle, and upper-middle income households that meet requirements described in Eligibility Requirements. See the Interest List form.
• People’s Self-Help Housing has a home-ownership program www.pshhc.org/homeownership-faq.
• Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County plans six homes on Cota Street, across from Santa Barbara Junior High: www.sbhabitat.org/about-us/faq.

Are you a landlord?

Several organizations are looking for landlords who want to partner for voucher programs or other incentives:

• Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara landlord page: hacsb.org/landlords.
• Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara landlord page: www.hasbarco.org/landlords.
• Partners and Housing Solutions: www.partnersinhousingsolutions.org/homeless-housing-programs-partners-santa-barbara-county.
• The Coalition for Housing Accessibility, Needs, Choices & Equality (CHANCE): chancehousing.org.
• New Beginnings Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF): sbnbcc.org/landlords.

Are you a concerned citizen who wants to help people without homes?

• City of Santa Barbara Homelessness Response Directory