La Casa de la Raza Again Inches Toward Auction

The Santa Barbara Foundation left the table last week as an effort to save the financially embattled La Casa de la Raza once again approached the auction block, according to trustee Tomas Castelo, who cofounded the lower Eastside community center in 1971. “We thought we were going to sort things out, but the foundation turned them down,” he said, adding that La Casa leaders have refused to reveal the extent of its financial woes, which can turn away potential lenders and community outreach. Tax and recordkeeping problems have been compounded by safety issues in portions of La Casa’s 26,000-square-foot multipurpose building, preventing it from gathering much-needed rent.