Plans are afoot to build four more "tiny home" villages in Santa Barbara County to house chronically homeless and vulnerable individuals. Wraparound services will be provided to help residents "lift off" to independence within 6-12 months.
The plans build on the success of the pilot project for this type of supportive housing: a 34-unit tiny home village in the 1000 block of State Street in Santa Barbara. It was built in collaboration among Dignity Moves, the County of Santa Barbara, and the Good Samaritan homeless shelter.
When completed, the four additional villages will add a total of 300 homes. The County is providing the land free of charge. The largest of the four will be in Santa Maria, with over 90 units.
Helping to fund the project are $2.5 million from the federal American Rescue Plan Act. Also key are recent changes to cost-recovery formulas under Medi-Cal, which allow the federal government to underwrite many of the service and administrative costs.
