Sanctuary Centers’ New Building Project reaches Halfway Mark in Santa Barbara

Patricia Martellotti

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara is getting closer to making its latest initiative a reality. 

“This is the first time I’m getting to see the basement for the clinic as we finally put stairs in … and now we’ll start building it with doctors offices and dentist offices,” said president and CEO Barry Schoer of Sanctuary Centers.

Located on the 100 block Anapamu Street, this transformative community project will bring 34 units of affordable, supportive housing.

The units are being built along with a state-of-the-art 4-thousand 500 square foot integrated health clinic.

The best part? 

It’s all being built under one roof. 

“There is no other integrative clinic in Santa Barbara that specifically focuses on the physical health needs of individuals with mental illness and substance abuse. That is what we specialize in and what we’ve been doing for ten years,” said Schoer.

The next step is crews will be installing the fourth floor of housing with one more floor to go after that.

“We’re almost at capacity now in the small building so we are bursting at the seams right now and it’s just gonna get busier,” said physician’s assistant Mark Cohoon of Sanctuary Centers. “My hope is that this will be a home for 34 more clients. This will be a hub for outpatient mental health services.”

“The prevalence is very high in Santa Barbara and this facility will help a lot in need,” said Schoer.

Sanctuary Centers’ new building is expected to be complete by 2026.

This transformative community project brings 34 units of affordable, supportive housing together with a state-of-the-art 4,500 square foot integrated health clinic, all under one roof. 

This project directly addresses the critical shortage of affordable housing and the urgent need for timely, accessible behavioral health care.

The center’s team says the timing couldn’t be more urgent, as Santa Barbara’s rates of serious mental illness are nearly triple the national average.

Sanctuary Centers, which has served the region since 1976, has seen these challenges up close for decades.

This project is their answer.

They believe this isn’t about quick fixes. It’s about removing barriers for people who’ve been turned away too many times. 

Once open, the building will become a living example of what happens when health care, housing, and human connection work together, side-by-side.

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