Habitat Santa Barbara Dedicates Their 23rd Habitat Home, and Breaks Ground on Two More

Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County (Habitat Santa Barbara) celebrated several major milestones on Tuesday, July 15th when they dedicated the local affiliate’s 23rd Habitat home, and broke ground on what will become their 24th and 25th homes.

The home dedication was in honor of a rehabilitated home and the family taking ownership of it: Rocio and her son Pablo. The home, originally built in 1921, was previously a rental unit, and thoroughly renovated and improved under the direction of local general contractor and former Habitat Santa Barbara Board member Ann Burgard. Burgard spoke about the process: “…thanks to the hard work of our team, volunteers, and most importantly Rocio herself, it’s been completely transformed into a safe, welcoming, and beautiful home.”

More than 60 people gathered in Ortega Park to celebrate the home dedication and ground breaking, within view of the homes on Cota Street: the first where Rocio and her son cut a giant blue ribbon to represent officially purchasing their home, and another where the assembled crowd gathered after the ceremony to watch the two future homeowner families grab shovels to officially break ground on the project that will soon become their forever homes.

Burgard presented Rocio with a Habitat hammer, and praised the newest Habitat Santa Barbara homeowner for her dedication to completing her 250 hours of “sweat equity,” which is part of Habitat’s model and a requirement for the homeownership program. “I want to take a moment to talk about Rocio’s journey,” Burgard said. “When she started this project, she didn’t have any background in construction—zero. But week after week, hour after hour, she showed up. She asked questions, rolled up her sleeves, and learned.”

Habitat Santa Barbara CEO Jessica Wishan de L’Arbre presented Rocio and Pablo with a series of gifts to mark the occasion before presenting them with a key to officially mark the completion of their journey to becoming homeowners. “Moments like this are exactly why we’re a part of Habitat for Humanity,” de L’Arbre reflected. “They remind us what’s possible when a community comes together with compassion and determination and the belief that decent, affordable housing is something everyone deserves.”

Tracy Stouffer, Habitat Santa Barbara Board member and Chair of the volunteer-led Family Selection Committee spoke about the next milestone: “Today isn’t just about celebrating what has been accomplished—it’s also about welcoming what’s ahead. I’m thrilled to introduce the two newest families selected to join our Habitat homeownership program for the property two doors away: the Torres family and the Lopez family.”

The two local families, both of whom are part of the local workforce, will each work to complete 250 hours of sweat equity as part of the process of rehabilitating or finishing their home or that of their future neighbor.

“Thanks to the skilled leadership of Ann Burgard, Habitat will now lead the Lopez and Torres families, along with groups of volunteers, in upgrading a historic home and constructing an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) behind it,” de L’Arbre explained. “This site will be one of our first to use an innovative Tenants in Common model, allowing the new ADU to be sold rather than rented, as well as our first modular home design constructed offsite but still allowing room for sweat equity and volunteer support.”

About Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County:

Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County (Habitat Santa Barbara) is a local nonprofit established in 2000, committed to building strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. Habitat Santa Barbara serves communities from Carpinteria to Gaviota. Habitat homeowners build or rehabilitate their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Habitat Santa Barbara has built or rehabilitated 23 new local homes for 86 people, 50 percent of whom are children, as well as helped rebuild and repaired over 225 homes in Santa Barbara’s south county.

Currently celebrating their 25th anniversary as an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, Habitat Santa Barbara is locally funded and locally governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors.

Habitat Santa Barbara is a Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity organization. For more information, visit www.sbhabitat.org, or contact Susan Renehan, at (805) 456-9548 or susan@sbhabitat.org.