More than $5.8 million went to the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara from California’s Homekey+ program last week to purchase the Quality Inn at the corner of De la Vina and State streets and convert it into 32 supportive housing units for extremely low-income individuals. The City Council had approved a $6 million loan in January 2024 toward the $9.5 million purchase. Some work went on during the interim, with a small skip loader perched atop a mound of sand visible over the fencing as the swimming pool was demolished and filled in, said Rob Fredericks, who leads the city Housing Authority.
California’s Homekey+ program gets its funding from Proposition 1, which passed in March 2024 to support housing stability for veterans, individuals with mental-health or substance-use challenges, and people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. With $2 million donated by the Santa Barbara Foundation, the location will be able to provide “onsite case management, health-care navigation, and other tailored supportive services to meet residents’ needs,” the Housing Authority reported in a press release. It will accept Section 8 tenants, charging them no more than 30 percent of their income.
“Receiving this Homekey+ award is transformative for our community. By turning a vacant motel into quality supportive housing, we’re creating stability and opportunity for individuals who need it most,” said Fredericks in a press statement.
The motel — formerly known as the Mountain View Inn — is on the State Street bus lines and within walking distance to the San Roque neighborhood’s markets, shops, parks, and pharmacies. An onsite manager will live in a one-bedroom apartment created by joining two of the units. The project adds a dedicated community room and an outdoor area that will be landscaped to provide common areas. The construction includes a red-tiled-roof Colonial Revival facade and should be completed in 2026.
