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Local News for a Global Village | www.VoiceSB.com
December 22, 2023
DignityMoves, Good Samaritan, and Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara Provide Continuum of Support Leading to Independence for Area Homeless.
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By Christopher Davis / Special to VOICE
HE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS HAS REACHED RECORD LEVELS in recent years nationwide, and Santa Barbara is no exception. Only a third of people without housing have spots at shelters, leaving the majority of them in a constant state of instability and on the streets. However, with the help of organizations like DignityMoves, Good Samaritan, and the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, more and more people are able to move from the streets to interim housing to permanent housing, setting them on a course to drastically improve their lives and to become contributing members of their communities. This year, the partnership results of these three organizations saw fruition when Vera Cruz Village of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara opened in downtown Santa Barbara and 14 people moved from interim housing to permanent housing. These 14 residents of DignityMoves who moved into Vera Cruz included eight females and six males, all with some level of physical or mental health disability including drug addiction and alcoholism. They represent a wide range of ethnicities including Hispanic, Native-American, Asian, African American, and Caucasian and are from 38 to 76 years of age. All were previously homeless or at severe risk of homelessness. One of those residents is Jesus Alfaro. “I lived in cars and living in the cars was tough . . . really tough,” Alfaro said. Outreach representatives ran across Alfaro and helped him get a space in DignityMoves, a tiny village consisting of 34 private rooms in Santa Barbara. DignityMoves is an organization that provides interim supportive housing as a stop-over between the streets and permanent housing. Their goal is to help people go from survival-style living to stable living where they can take a breath, have their own private room, get access to showers and laundry facilities, internet and cell phone charging, and all the necessary components to getting a job and moving forward with their lives. DignityMoves Santa Barbara offers 34 private rooms for individuals experiencing homelessness. Each room has a bed, a desk and chair, heating and air conditioning, and a lock on the door. Most importantly, DignityMoves removes all the barriers that prevent homeless individuals from accepting help including allowing them to take their possessions, their pets, and even their
partners. Unlike most other congregate care facilities, DingityMoves offers each resident their own room to give them privacy. All residents have access to shared bathrooms, kitchens, and supportive care/case management staff provided by DignityMoves’ partner, Good Samaritan. There, Alfaro enjoyed a period of peace as he adjusted to being housed once more. He was supported by the range of services provided by Good Samaritan including alcoholism counseling and medical assistance. Good Samaritan provides an array of wraparound case management support services that are specific to the needs of each DignityMoves resident. These include mental health services, drug and alcohol treatment, and community education services, helping to end the cycle that drives homelessness. Additionally, Good Samaritan coordinates food services, job training and guidance, and on-site medical care, along with their partners. Good Samaritan also provides on-site support for individuals working to combat alcohol and drug abuse, as well as mental health issues. All of these programs and services facilitate wellness and wholeness in an environment of hope and dignity. This part of the three-pronged partnership is key because it is with the Good Samaritan support that residents are empowered to enter the next phase of their journey with more permanent housing. With the time, attention, respect and dignity shown to these residents, Good Samaritan assists many in turning their lives around. Through these comprehensive and substantive programs, Alfaro began to feel his life shift in a positive and profound way. In August of 2023, Alfaro was chosen as one of 14 DignityMoves residents who would move into new permanent studio apartment housing in downtown Santa Barbara: Vera Cruz Village. And this is where the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB) steps in. This year, between the interim housing provided by DignityMoves and the support services provided by Good Samaritan and their partners, 14 individuals were prepared to move from interim to permanent housing when the HACSB’s Vera Cruz Village opened its doors at the end of August 2023. The day before the move-in, Alfaro was asked
about what his thoughts were about moving into his new lodgings. “Tomorrow, when I get in here (into Vera Cruz Apartments), is the reality,” Alfaro said. “I’ve been dreaming. I mean, I’ve been coming here every night looking. The place is beautiful. I haven’t been inside yet, but, you know, it’s a great opportunity for me and all the other people that are going to come here.” Vera Cruz Village, located at 116 East Cota Street, provides 28 new, affordable rental studio units to people who would otherwise face significant barriers to permanent housing in Santa Barbara County. All units are subsidized by Project-Based Vouchers, reducing the rent to 30 percent of each resident’s income. Besides offering private, secure housing, the 28 unit property also provides parking, a full-time on-site manager, free internet, laundry rooms on each floor, a community room for group activities, and on-site support services with New Beginnings Counseling Center, including case management and free instructor-led educational and health and wellness classes. Alfaro’s apartment is on the fourth floor, where the views are most expansive. Looking around from his new home, Alfaro got a little choked up. This comprehensive partnership to house and provide a continuum of care and support for formerly homeless in our community is just the beginning in Santa Barbara County. This model of assistance is also being studied by other counties in California and beyond. After three months in his new apartment, Alfaro has plans to return to the world of music and television. If his dream of getting permanent housing after all these years can come true, who’s to say his other dreams won’t come true, as well?