Construction is well underway on a new five-story building in downtown Santa Barbara that will house Sanctuary Centers' newest development.
The $30 million project at 115 W. Anapamu St. will provide 34 units of handicap-accessible permanent housing and 4,500 square feet of on-site medical, dental, and mental health services.
The project was made possible by state, county, and federal funds in addition to donations.
Barry R. Schoer, the president and CEO of Sanctuary Centers, says it's just one step toward solving homelessness in Santa Barbara.
"So we hope that other agencies will step forward, both government agencies and other nonprofits, and partner with us to do this more and repeat it, and let's do it again and again and keep building housing and support services to get our homeless mentally ill off the street," Schoer said.
He adds that rent is based on tenant income with most paying under $300 a month including utilities through Section 8 housing vouchers.
To qualify for the new building, a person must be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless and be diagnosed with a mental health disability.
Schoer says the project should be completed in September of 2026.
