Family Digital Literacy Day Held by Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara

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Santa Barbara, CA, May 8, 2023 – The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) hosted its inaugural Family Digital Literacy Day on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at Presidio Springs Community Room located at 721 Laguna St, Santa Barbara, CA. The purpose of the event, hosted in collaboration with Partners in Education, was to provide Housing Authority families and youth with free computers, assistance in accessing low-cost internet services, technical support, and online safety instruction.

“Digital technology can help enhance education and promote socioeconomic development, but for families to benefit from these opportunities they must have access to technology and affordable connectivity,” said Alice Villarreal Redit, HACSB Resident Programs Supervisor. “And while the internet is a powerful tool with many advantages, it is also important to teach youth how to safely navigate online spaces.”

Two Family Digital Literacy Day workshops were provided– one in English and one in Spanish. Attendees were able to ask questions and share personal stories, as well as learn from each other and walk through a few basic tools. 

Thanks to Partners in Education (PIE), the first 50 families who signed up were provided with a refurbished computer or tablet. Event partners included HACSB, Partners in Education (PIE), Santa Barbara Public Library, SBCC School of Extended Learning, and Cox. 

HACSB was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from the Federal Communications Commission as part of its Affordable Connectivity Outreach Grant Program.  The Your Home, Your Internet Pilot Program grant provides funding to eligible housing agencies for outreach activities to increase awareness and participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) for low-income households receiving federal housing assistance. 

ACP provides qualifying low-income households discounts on broadband service and connected devices, and is instrumental in bridging the digital divide. This grant will help to support HACSB’s commitment to ensuring that families have access to the support they need to to create a foundation for success and self-sufficiency.

About Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara 

The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara is a local public agency created for the purpose of providing safe, decent, and quality affordable housing and supportive services to eligible persons with limited incomes, through a variety of federal, state, local and private resources. Since 1969, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara has developed and/or secured over 4,000 units of affordable rental housing for Santa Barbara through a variety of federal, state, local and private funding sources. For more information, please visit hacsb.org.