What Are Those Little Houses on Santa Barbara Street?

Small house-like buildings have shown up on Santa Barbara Street between Figueroa and Carrillo. What are they? —F.

Those are temporary housing for the homeless, due to open any day now on a county parking lot at 1016 Santa Barbara Street. The project was spearheaded by DignityMoves, a Bay Area organization, with help from the county and many other entities. (This post is cobbled together from a forthcoming press release to be timed to the opening; the two interior photos below are by Alex Siegel.)

Each of the 35 rooms includes a bed, window (more than you can say about UCSB’s Munger Hall!), a desk, heating and air conditioning, and a lockable door. Locals contributed decorative items. Elsewhere on the property is a communal structure with bathrooms, laundry machines, a dining area, and a computer lab.

The county is funding operations, including meals and security, while Good Samaritan Shelter will provide support services. There are plans to construct permanent housing on that lot, at which point the units can be used somewhere else. Now why don’t we all donate to DignityMoves and Good Samaritan?

Got a question you’d like investigated? Email [email protected] or text 917-209-6473.

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Previous Burning Questions:
••• Which Highway 101 exits are getting renamed?
••• Why is so much of the Macy’s store empty?
••• Will Delta Air Lines ever reinstate service to Santa Barbara Airport?
••• Is the Music Academy of the West adding pedestrian gates?
••• Is the county really taking private property for trailhead parking?
••• Why does the Coast Village Road median look so bad?
••• Is Santa Barbara going to introduce residential compost bins?
••• When will Santa Barbara Junior High’s flagpole be replaced?
••• What’s the point of this light pole near the freeway?
••• Why is the Hermosillo exit on the 101 closed?
••• Has Victor the Florist closed for good?
••• Why are the city’s parking lots scanning license plates?
••• What’s inside Paseo Nuevo’s State Street tower?
••• What’s the point of these markings on Laguna Street?
↓↓↓ Why is there a giant red shoe off Highway 101?
••• Will the Dorinda Triangle ever get beautified?
••• Are we no longer allowed on the SBHS baseball field?
••• What does “SBTP” on this post mean?
••• What’s up with the “no e-bike” signs on local trails?
••• Why is Franceschi House in a holding pattern?
••• Why is there a train station inside this State Street storefront?
••• What’s happening with this derelict house in Summerland?
••• Is there a story behind Lucky Penny’s bell?
••• Why is there wood on some power lines?
••• Can you explain how sundowner winds work?
••• Why is there a pressure cooker attached to this utility pole?
••• What’s this concrete ramp thing on East Beach?
••• Why does “USA” get written on the street?
••• What are those poles in the ocean near the Ritz-Carlton Bacara?
••• Are people really allowed to set fires in the middle of Montecito?
••• What’s the story with the half-finished lot next to the Montecito Country Mart? 

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