Monday, April 30, 2012

Did You Know: ReStore edition

Did you know....the Habitat ReStore in Santa Barbara continues to break records. 

  • Net profits at the ReStore are up 72% for the first six months of the current fiscal year, over the same period for 2010;
  • The ReStore has redirected over 500 tons of usable building material from our local landfills; 
  • 100% of the proceeds from the ReStore go to Habitat for Humanity.
  • Donating to, and shopping at the ReStore is another way that you can help support Habitat for Humanity's mission to provide affordable housing in Santa Barbara.

The ReStore is a wonderful and sustainable revenue source for our local affiliate. All material sold in the ReStore is donated from the community and the proceeds go directly back to Habitat and help cover our administrative costs. This allows Habitat for direct a large majority of the funds we raise to our low-income building projects. 




Come visit the ReStore. New inventory arrives daily. 


6725 Hollister Avenue in Goleta. Open Tuesday - Friday from 12-5pm; Saturdays from 9am to 5pm.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Need for Affordable Housing in Santa Barbara

The need for affordable housing in Santa Barbara was glaringly apparent at Saturday's first homeownership opportunity meeting that Habitat for Humanity held at the Eastside Library. We expected 20-30 families to attend the first of six meetings. All told, over 150 families attended the meeting and received a full application.

This means that these 150 families showed: a) their need for adequate housing (meaning they currently live in overcrowded apartments, transitional housing, or are considered "cost-burdened" and spend over 50% of their income on rent; b) are US citizens; c) have lived and or worked in Santa Barbara for the past year. 

And this was just the first of six meetings that Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County will hold this week for interested applicants of the 12 new homes which will be built on Canon Perdido Street.  The dates and times of the remaining meetings can be found here.

An article in today's Noozhawk by Craig Allen: "Escalating Rents Make It Tough on Renters Who Can't Afford to Buy" sheds light on why so many in our community currently live in substandard housing (which we define as overcrowded, cost-burdened, or transitional). In the article Allen reports that while home prices have fallen since 2008, one side effect is that rental prices have increased. And we have seen that this drastically affects the low and very-low income families in Santa Barbara the hardest.
"The median rent asked in Santa Barbara is $2,053, which is about 53 percent higher than the median rent in California as a whole"
"A good rule of thumb is that renters should spend no more than 30 percent of their net earnings on their rent expense. So, for every $500 in rent, the renter should earn at least $1,667 after tax. According to a recent report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, only renters in 37 of the nation’s 582 metropolitan regions considered in the report meet this goal. In fact, according to the report, in most parts of the country, rental prices vastly exceed the 30 percent threshold of the average renter’s wages."
The need for affordable housing and Habitat for Humanity homes in our community is apparent. We hope you'll join Habitat in making affordable and permanent housing accessible for the many families in Santa Barbara who are priced out of a traditional mortgage and out of decent rental prices.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Looking for Qualified Homeowners in Santa Barbara

Later this week Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County will begin a series of six informational meetings for interested Habitat homeowners. We're thankful that many local news outlets have helped spread the word about this great opportunity for low-income families and individuals. Here are a few from the weekend:

"Habitat for Humanity Looking For Qualified Homeowners for Eastside Project" --Noozhawk.com

"Habitat for Humanity Looking For Applicants For Affordable Homes" --KETY-TV


Interested applicants must attend one of the following meetings, which will be held in English and Spanish. No RSVP required. 

Saturday, April 14 at 9:00 AM
East Side Library, 1102 East Montecito St., Santa Barbara

Wednesday, April 18th at 6:00 PM
Westside Community Center, 423 W. Victoria Street, Santa Barbara

Thursday, April 19th at 6:00 PM

Grace Lutheran Church, 3869 State Street, Santa Barbara
  
Friday, April 20th at 6:00 PM
Main Family Resource Center, Auditorium, 5201 Eighth Street, Carpinteria 
 
Saturday, April 21st at 9:00 AM
Isla Vista Teen Center, 889 Camino del Sur, Isla Vista 

Monday, April 23rd at 6:00 PM
St. Raphaels Catholic Church, 5444 Hollister Avenue, Goleta

Contact Habitat for Humanity at 805-692-2226 or mail@sbhabitat.org with any questions. 

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Free Electronic Waste Recycling

Looking to get rid of your electronic waste? In honor of Earth Day, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County will be collecting your e-waste in exchange for a 20% off coupon to the ReStore on Saturday, April 21st. 

 We are only able to accept smaller electronics, including:
  • cameras
  • batteries
  • printer cartridges
  • e-book readers
  • chargers
  • ipads, ipods, iphones
  • video games and consules
  • and other small items (no larger than an ipad)


Drop off your e-waste at the ReStore: 6725 Hollister Avenue, Goleta. The ReStore will be open on April 21st from 9am to 5pm.