Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
An affordable housing apartment project in Santa Barbara has received final design approval from the city of Santa Barbara’s Architectural Board of Review this week.
The proposed project named “Bella Vista,” is located at 220 N. La Cumbre Road and will consist entirely of affordable housing for families with low and very low incomes. The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara and architectural firm Cearnal Collective collaborated on the project, which aims to address the pressing need for accessible and affordable housing options for local families.
The Housing Authority hopes to receive the state’s low-income Housing Tax Credit funding begin construction in July of next year as the project aims to serve low and very-low income families.
The construction will involve the demolition of existing commercial buildings, which mostly consist of medical offices, to make way for the new development. It will include 47 new rent controlled apartment, and one manager apartment that is not rent controlled, in a two and stree story building built on top of a podium with a semi-subterranean garage with 59 parking spaces for the tenants and a 10 space surface parking lot for the guests accessed off Via Lucerno.
The project also includes a community room, on-site communal laundry, lobby, and outdoor courtyard spaces for the residents.
The location is within walking distance to Monte Vista Elementary, La Colina Junior High, and Bishop Diego High School as well as several bus routes, grocery stores, and pharmacies.
Bella Vista’s design is inspired by nearby farmhouse-style architecture and will incorporate elements like a barn-red community room and a three-story exterior stair reminiscent of a farm silo.
The final design approval of the affordable housing apartment project marks a significant milestone for Santa Barbara and represents a step forward in meeting the housing needs of low and very low-income families. The project’s design and focus on community benefit have received positive feedback from the local Architectural Board of Review.
More details regarding the project can be found here.
Renderings of Bella Vista (courtesy)
