Rep. Carbajal Highlights Securing $1,000,000 Investment for New Housing Options, Health Clinic in Downtown Santa Barbara

Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) visited the future site of more than 30 new apartments and a health clinic in downtown Santa Barbara to present Sanctuary Centers and the County of Santa Barbara with the $1,000,000 investment he secured in this year's federal budget to support the project.

"This is an example of great partnerships in action helping to address the Central Coast's greatest issues," said Rep. Carbajal. "It tackles housing: 34 new affordable units for Central Coast families, which are much needed. It tackles health: creating a new clinic to address mental health, substance use, and other ailments. And it does both right in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara."

"Congressman Carbajal's decisive leadership in securing federal funding to support the construction of 34 units of affordable housing is a beacon of hope for Santa Barbara County," said Sanctuary Centers President and CEO Barry Schoer. "This funding will have a profound impact on residents with mental illness who wish to live independently while receiving supportive behavioral health services."

"Having an 100% affordable project in the middle of downtown is vital and serves a real need for the many folks in our working class who are working to survive," said Santa Barbara County Supervisor Das Williams.

"We are grateful to Representative Carbajal for his support in securing the Community Project Funding grant to create housing units for the chronically mentally ill," stated Jesús Armas, Director of the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department. "The residents will receive comprehensive services to address their ongoing mental health needs. We also thank Barry Schoer and the Sanctuary Centers Board for their vision to expand critical housing and services for the County's most vulnerable population."

The $1,000,000 in funding that Rep. Carbajal worked to secure in the 2024 federal budget signed into law last month supports the construction of 34 new studio apartments along with an on-site clinic at 115 West Anapamu Street in Santa Barbara.

The clinic will give residents access to supportive services for those struggling with mental health, substance abuse, and other health concerns. The mixed-use development will also include 10 units set aside for 24/7 supportive care from the Sanctuary Centers team.

Construction on the project began in December 2023. Additional funding for the project was provided by Santa Barbara County, the State of California, and private donations.

The funding is part of $13,446,901 secured by Carbajal for 14 Central Coast projectswhich he championed over the course of the past year's federal budget negotiations. The projects range from public safety and infrastructure upgrades to water system improvements.

In the spring of 2023, Rep. Carbajal began to push for funding for these projects through formal requests to the House Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year 2024. Rep. Carbajal has previously secured funding for 23 different community projects, totaling nearly $40 million over the past two years.

The funding was secured through the Community Project Funding (CPF) initiative first launched in 2022. Projects must be in the public interest, be good uses of taxpayer dollars, and be certified to not conflict with the representative's personal financial interests. More information on the rules governing what projects could be requested can be found here.

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