80 Affordable Housing Units in Guadalupe Represent Inspirational Local Family
Jarrod Zinn
GUADALUPE, Calif. – Guadalupe has a new affordable housing complex.
The complex is named after a prominent local family.
The Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County (HASBARCO) has been working on this site for no less than eight years and this morning, a young member of the Escalante family got to cut the ribbon.
It was a proud moment for the city of Guadalupe at the Escalante Meadows ribbon cutting on Friday.
“The US Department of Housing and Urban Development or HUD has a Rental Assistance Demonstration program, or RAD for short,” says Bob Havlicek, HASBARCO’s executive director. “And it allows agencies like ours to convert what used to be public housing into affordable housing.”
The site has undergone dramatic changes over the course of 8 years.
The new complex is named after World War II veteran Augustin Escalante, rooting this project in history, family, and quality of life for the future.
“We had to redevelop or tear down everything that was existing here and then rebuild in its place units for affordable housing,” says Havlicek. “There’s a very rigorous process that agencies like ours have to go through to get permission to redevelop a property.”
High efficiency, climate-smart features such as e.v. charging, a community center open for use by non-profits, and a children’s center specializing in early childhood development are the crown jewels of Escalante Meadows.
“I was a field worker for many years,” Escalante Meadows resident Anita Avilez said in Spanish. “I feel very peaceful, secure in these apartments. And, well, my life is very happy.”
Additionally, 15 units are reserved for qualified individuals with increased health needs under H.H.C., or Housing for a Healthy California.
“It’s funded by the state of California, and it’s for residents who were formerly high occupancy of medical facilities like emergency rooms and are now in stable housing,” says Havlicek.
Congressman Salud Carbajal spoke with pride about the achievement, and many of the speakers commended the Escalante family and HASBARCO for the collaborative and unified effort to meet the needs of residents.
HASBARCO hopes this complex will act as a hub for the community to come together for mutual services for a long time to come.
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