Leaders Break Ground on New 55+ Community Development in Santa Maria
Jarrod Zinn
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Santa Maria leaders broke ground on an affordable housing project today.
This project is for seniors.
The need for affordable housing on the Central Coast is a problem in both Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Adults over the age of 55 can feel the housing squeeze more acutely than others, as some are on fixed income.
Research has shown that by the year 2030, adults aged 60 and upwards will make up a quarter of Santa Barbara county’s population.
“The housing need is so great in the state of California to begin with,” says Santa Maria mayor Alice Patino. “And then for the people over 55, we certainly have to have a place for them to live. We’re getting more of those peeps all the time. Yeah!”
Over the last several years, Coastal Community Builders has developed several affordable housing sites on the Central Coast including Palladium and Encore in Arroyo Grande.
“The vast majority of 55 plus communities that have been built recently are for rent product, whether they’re senior apartments or otherwise,” says Cam Boyd, C.E.O. of Coastal Community Builders. “And what makes this unique is that it’s attainable in a for sale product. And so this is an opportunity to, own a single family home on its own lot in a community with all the amenities that, a retiring homeowner might hope for.”
Friday morning, Santa Maria city leaders held a golden-shovel groundbreaking at a new development called Bellecrest.
“Once you pull into the entry Gates is a nice wide boulevard,” says Boyd. “You’ll have a beautiful clubhouse. And towards the back of the community, there’s a small community park.”
The location of Bellecrest is ideal for those 55 and older, as it is merely a few blocks from Marian Regional Medical Center.
“We do a lot of the affordable housing, but we haven’t had anything at this level yet,” says mayor Patino. “We have apartments for people over 55, but there’s some people who don’t want to live in an apartment.”
This will be a gated community with single-family homes, a clubhouse, pool, and more.
“Government moves so slow it seems like it takes a lot of time to get this done,” says mayor Patino. “But from here on in, it’s going to be going up and it’ll be occupied before we know it.”
There’s six months of site work before construction really ramps up.
The project is expected to be finished about a year from now.
Coastal Community Builders has a process in place to make cashing out your current home and purchasing a home at Bellecrest a smooth transaction.
The Latest Breaking News, Weather Alerts, Sports and More Anytime On Our Mobile Apps. Keep Up With the Latest Articles by Signing Up for the News Channel 3-12 Newsletter.