Santa Barbara Housing Authority Head Rob Fredericks Retiring

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This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.

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Rob Fredericks, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara’s executive director and CEO, sometimes dons a black T-shirt that says in blocky white text, “Everyone Deserves a Home.” It’s a mantra Fredericks has championed during his past decade leading the organization. But after 10 years at the helm and another 21 working for the city’s Housing Authority, Fredericks has announced he plans to retire at the end of 2027. That gives Fredericks and the Housing Authority plenty of time to find a new CEO. It’s no small task for an organization working to build and preserve affordable units in one of the country’s most expensive housing markets.

In a September 3 press release, Fredericks said serving the city’s Housing Authority has been the honor of his professional life.

“This work has never just been a job to me. It has been a calling. I believe deeply that housing is the foundation for dignity, stability, opportunity, and hope,” he said in the press release.

Fredericks started working at the Housing Authority in December 1995 and held several roles, from housing inspector to director of administrative services, before taking the top job in 2016 after his predecessor, Rob Pearson, retired. Fredericks’s tenure as CEO began as prices in Santa Barbara continued to climb and the federal government under the first Trump administration aimed to cut funding to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by $6 billion. Five years earlier, the State of California had shut down local redevelopment agencies, including Santa Barbara’s, removing a local loan source for affordable housing projects.

Fredericks led the Housing Authority through the COVID-19 pandemic, which halted construction, and through 2021 and 2022, when materials, construction, and labor costs jumped through the roof, meaning building was more expensive than ever before.

Under Fredericks’s leadership, the Housing Authority built five affordable housing projects for a total of 207 new units. It currently has three more affordable housing projects (a total of 143 affordable units) under construction. Three other projects in the redevelopment process (but not yet at the construction stage) will offer 410 affordable homes.

Development came through partnerships, including with financial institutions and investors. Fredericks understands funding, including how to get local financial support to be more competitive for greater funding sums.

The resulting buildings have been recognized for their design as well as utility. In 2022, the Housing Authority was awarded the inaugural Gindroz Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art — a point of pride, Fredericks said. The national award celebrates the Housing Authority for building affordable units in the “classical tradition,” by collaborating with local architects and community members.

That’s not to say the Housing Authority hasn’t faced pushback from the community. In November 2018, the City of Santa Barbara approved pursuing a grant to build 40 temporary tiny homes for unhoused individuals – plans expressed in part by the Housing Authority. Neighbors pushed back at the lack of notice and the prospect of the project itself. Before the year’s end, however, the plan was scrapped. Eventually, the lot became home to people living in their vehicles.

Five years later, the Housing Authority returned, this time with a plan to build 63 units for moderate income earners — a chance to fill what’s dubbed the “missing” middle. It was met with praise and approval from the City Council.

Fredericks told the Independent that it’s important to look beyond the new construction numbers when it comes to the Housing Authority’s accomplishments.

“Preserving existing affordable housing is just as critical in a community where the loss of even a few affordable homes can have a lasting impact,” he said.

In the past decade, the Housing Authority acquired 10 properties to either preserve or create more affordable housing. Across those 10 properties, that came out to 143 more affordable homes.

When asked what accomplishments he takes the most pride in, Fredericks said it’s seeing the impact housing people can make.

“At El Carrillo, residents who had previously experienced homelessness have told me that providing them with a home literally saved their lives,” he said.

Fredericks said he also takes pride in the Housing Authority’s family self-sufficiency program, a voluntary program where low-income families can receive coaching and resources to help set them up for economic self-sufficiency, and the authority’s annual Tools for School program, providing backpacks with school supplies to local children.

The Housing Authority’s next CEO has their work cut out for them. Fredericks said that, compared to when he first started at the Housing Authority, developing new affordable housing is more complicated, requiring multiple layers of financing and longer approval process timelines. Coupled with this, he said the Housing Authority must also comply with an expanding set of state, federal, and local requirements — all while need grows.

In 2025, a one-bedroom in the city averaged approximately $2,900 a month, compared to approximately $1,700 per month in 2016, according to city data.

“The greatest challenge is that the need for affordable housing continues to grow much faster than the resources available to address it,” Fredericks told the Independent.

Land is scarce and expensive, Fredericks said, and construction costs and financing costs remain high. Then there’s the federal government’s changes to funding for rental assistance. The Department of Housing and Urban Development funds Section 8 low-income housing vouchers, as well as other housing vouchers. This year the Trump administration announced it would push for a nearly $11 billion cut to HUD.

It’s outside of the Housing Authority’s control, Fredericks said, but cuts affect people here in Santa Barbara.

Still, Fredericks isn’t going anywhere yet.

“There is still a great deal of work ahead between now and the end of 2027,” he said in the Housing Authority’s September 3 press release. “We have important projects in the pipeline, residents and participants depending on us, resources to fight for, and a community that urgently needs more affordable housing.”

In the press release, he said he has been blessed to “stand on the shoulders” of leaders and mentors — such as former CEO Rob Pearson, who held the job for two decades before him. Now, Fredericks said his first priority is to make sure the organization remains strong and keeps its forward momentum.

“That means thoughtful, successful planning, supporting the Commission through the Executive Director/CEO recruitment process, and ensuring our leadership team and staff are prepared for a seamless transition,” he said.

Fredericks said he’s also excited to see the opening of four of the Housing Authority’s current projects: Bella Vista, 3055 De la Vina, Jacaranda Court, and the project at 15 South Hope Avenue before he retires.

“Ultimately, I hope my efforts during more than 30 years with the Housing Authority have helped leave Santa Barbara a better place than it was when I started. Safe, decent, and affordable housing is one of life’s most basic needs,” Fredericks said.

The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara’s commission will ultimately create a recruitment and transition plan for the Housing Authority. The commission’s next meeting is October 7.