GUADALUPE, Calif. (KSBY) — A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Friday by the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County, along with other officials, as they announced a new affordable housing project called ‘Escalante Meadows.’
The new housing development will consist of 80 affordable housing units, a child development center, and a community center hub.
County leaders say since the 1950s, 50 affordable housing units previously stood along Escalante Street in the City of Guadalupe.
As of right now, those 50 homes were recently demolished for the new ‘Escalante Meadows' project the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County is making way for.
“This housing project, the old one I grew up on, there was a lot of good families that lived here, and I know it was sad for them to see the old housing go down because they had a lot of good memories here,” said Marlene Escalante, a Guadalupe resident. ‘It was a really close-knit family that lived here. Now with the plans, I mean, it’s gorgeous.”
Former residents are currently living in temporary homes while construction takes place onsite.
“Some of them had to leave and some of them are coming back,” said Ariston Julian, the mayor of the City of Guadalupe. “There’s a list of individuals that are on transition in terms of getting here.”
The new homes being built are for families who are registered and qualified within the housing authority of Santa Barbara County.
Some have previously used the county’s assistance as a stepping stone to move on to their next chapter in life.
“I was on Section 8 (housing) for years until I could afford to stand on my own feet and buy my own house,” said Rick Escalante Quintana, a Guadalupe resident. “Then when we took the certificate back, they were looking at me like we were crazy, and they told my wife, 'Are you sure? I never heard of anyone returning their certificate.' I told them, 'Thank you. I don’t need it anymore. You were my stepping stone,' and I started stepping.”
Officials believe this new development will help out many families who are contributing to the local economy.
“A lot of folks that we house are workers, but they work in lower-paying sectors of the economy that are still important to Santa Barbara County,” said John Polansky, director of housing development for the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County. “You have the agriculture, and you have the service sector, so it’s really vital that we provide housing that's affordable to people that are not making much as others are but are still contributing to the economy.”
The state of California contributed over $3 million to the project through multiple grants.
The idea behind the investment is to provide families on the Central Coast the opportunity to build a new foundation from the ground up.
“It really is bringing in so many elements that are needed in the community of Guadalupe, right here, and we’re excited to be able to kick it off with state, federal, city, county, and so many other non-profit partners,” said State Senator Monique Limón.
The name behind the project is dedicated to a World War II veteran, Sgt. Agustine Escalante, who formerly lived on the property before passing away.
“We’re celebrating this development with his continued name ‘Escalante Meadows’ that's going to provide extraordinary housing for so many individuals in our community, but the fact that it carries his name I think reflects the heritage of our community, the heroism of the community, and his work and death did not go in vain,” said Congressman Salud Carbajal.
The Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County predicts that the construction of ‘Escalante Meadows’ is expected to be complete a little over a year from now.
