Local
September 1, 2006
By Leana Orsua, News-Press Staff Writer
TAKING THE TOUR:
El Carrillo Studios to Accept Tenants Starting Next Month
State and local officials along with members of Santa Barbara's housing community got to tour the city's first apartments for the homeless on Wednesday.
El Carrillo Studios, at 315 W. Carrillo St., is a 61-unit complex designed to decrease the number of homeless residents on city streets and parks.
Developed by The Santa Barbara Housing Authority, the units are affordable studio apartments equipped with beds, kitchens and bathrooms. The project is part of a countywide 10-year plan with the goal of targeting the city's "chronically homeless" population. The federal government defines chronically homeless as someone who has a "diagnosable substance use disorder," a "serious mental illness," a "developmental disability," or "chronic physical illness," as well as someone who has been homeless at least four times over a period of three years.
"We knew that most of our residents would be coming in with little but the shirts on their backs," said Housing Authority Commissioner Barbara Allen, who addressed the crowd in El Carrillo's courtyard.
According to Robert Pearson, executive director of the Santa Barbara Housing Authority, 80 percent of the units have already been assigned. The Housing Authority received applications from 200 people, of which 150 were deemed eligible.
The SBHA will work in conjunction with Work Training Programs, a local nonprofit that provides social services and job training.
"The services we will provide will include medication management, the building of job skills, job placement, as well as alcohol and drug counseling," said Cynthia Burton, president of Work Training Programs. The nonprofit will also make available self-help training classes that could include classes on cooking and doing laundry.
"Our goal was to provide affordable housing combined with supportive services that are appropriate to this population," said Mr. Pearson. "We plan to do whatever we can to improve their income situation," he added. This will include helping those who qualify for Social Security fill out the proper paperwork as well as assist those who are physically or mentally ill to find jobs. |
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Rents for the units will range from $346 to $461. Federal rent subsidies will be provided to ensure each tenant pays no more than 30 percent of his or her income, which for some could be nothing. However, Mr. Pearson says, "In a bare minimum, most people can get some kind of general relief."
According to Santa Barbara Councilwoman Helene Schneider, 50 percent of the city's local resources are spent on homeless services. These resources include emergency-room care, shelter services and detox services as well as psychiatric care. Statistics provided by the Housing Authority show there are 6,150 homeless people living in Santa Barbara County.
Homelessness is a subject of concern for Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, who returned Wednesday after spending time touring the devastation in New Orleans.
"Whether it's a family who's lost everything in a hurricane or somebody who is just homeless, everyone deserves the opportunity to live life in a meaningful way," she said. "Homelessness is a paycheck away for a whole host of our work force."
El Carrillo applicants who have been accepted will move in on Sept. 15. |
