The finishing touches are being put on the newest Dignity Moves housing program at 4500 Hollister Ave. in Santa Barbara.
"What you’re seeing here is what happens when a community comes together," said Aaron Edelheit, Dignity Moves Advisory Board Member.
The 80 fully-furnished tiny-home units of transitional supportive housing are specifically designed for homeless individuals and couples.
"This is about dignified housing. You’re treating the individuals as opposed to a formless person who is experiencing homelessness," Edelheit said.
According to Edelheit, La Posada Village is set up for people to have safe and secure housing for six months to a year while they seek more permanent housing. It's a one-stop shop for getting back on your feet.
"The people that move in here will have wrap-around mental health, case management, healthcare, job placement, and training" Edelheit continued.
The village was constructed in approximately nine months for $50,000 per unit. Santa Barbara County provided the land, Dignity Moves handled the fundraising, and the non-profit Good Samaritan operates the wrap-around services.
Kirsten Cahoon, Good Samaritan's Director of Shelter Operations, says these programs are effective because of their personalization.
"It's a very different model and I think that Santa Barbara County is on the cusp of this model and we have folks coming from all over the United States to tour our facility so they can create these in their communities," Cahoon said.
It’s Dignity Moves’ third tiny-home community in the county, thus creating 208 combined units for Santa Barbara County’s homeless population. The other program opened in March in Santa Maria and has 94 units. A downtown Santa Barbara community has 34 units.
In the future, Dignity Moves hopes to create communities that can also accommodate families.
To donate, visit www.goodsamaritanshelter.org.
