Canon Perdido Project Receives Support of Santa Barbara Planning Commission

In case you missed today's Noozhawk article, the Santa Barbara Planning Commission yesterday voiced support for the 12 new homes that Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County plans to build on Canon Perdido Street. This was just an initial meeting and we're thrilled to have their support for this project which we are confident will successfully transform the lives of 12 hardworking and deserving low-income families in Santa Barbara. 

Habitat for Humanity Condo Project Receives Support of Santa Barbara Planning Commission

"[Commissioner John] Jostes said the project fit in “quite well” into the neighborhood and didn’t have issues with the height. “There’s clear support for this project because it zeroes in and fills a need,” Jostes said. “You’ve got a reputation as you come to the table here, and I think we’re all looking forward to seeing you folks involved in making it happen....'"

Read the full article:
Habitat for Humanity Condo Project Receives Support of Santa Barbara Planning Commission - Noozhawk.com

Related post: Blueprints to 12 new sustainable homes for families in need

A Brush with Kindness: Completed Driveway

The new driveway at Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County's first A Brush with Kindness home repair is now complete! Thanks to a donation of driveway pavers from the Deconstruction and ReUse Network, Suzanna and her sister Tina now have a beautiful - and functional - new driveway!

Who doesn't love before and after pictures? They really are some of the best way to visually see the impact that a few days of service really make. This driveway was completed thanks to some very hardworking volunteers. It's not easy to lay pavers but somehow they made it look like a breeze.

Driveway before and after A Brush with Kindness.

Volunteers making it look easy.

A Brush with Kindness is a program that assists low-income homeowners in repairing their homes so they can continue to live in a safe, decent home. The program was created to fill a need among families trying to fix up their deteriorating homes. We at Habitat for Humanity Santa Barbara are committed to walking alongside struggling families to offer them a hand up and hope for a brighter future. 

Related posts: Volunteer photos from A Brush with Kindness

2010: A Year to Celebrate for Habitat

2010 was a tremendous year for Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County and our new homeowners. We began the year with a plot of land on the lower west side of Santa Barbara, in June began the above ground construction, and in December we handed our partner families keys to their new homes! It was a whirlwind of a year and on top of that we closed escrow on a piece of land which will be the future site of 12 new homes. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of our volunteers, sponsors, donors, partner families, and board members.  

Below is a year in photos - this is by no means all of the Habitat happenings of 2010.

January: We began the year with an empty lot and a huge slope!

February: the Partner Families and mentors met for their first work day at the site.

March: We invited the community to celebrate the start of construction.

April: The massive retaining wall was built.

May: we celebrated spring with a sale at our ReStore!

June: Above ground construction began on the four homes!

July: Thrivent Builds volunteers helped with the framing.

August: SB Community Church, one of our Apostle Build churches, sent a group of volunteers.

September: We welcomed people of all faiths during an Interfaith Build Day.

October: Representative Lois Capps met the partner families during the Tour of Green Homes fundraiser.

November: All Saints-By-The-Sea Church sent a work crew.

December: The homes were complete and the ribbon was cut!

Board Build Day

We love welcoming groups of volunteers to the Habitat build site. It's a wonderful time of camaraderie for the group, and we get a full day of dedicated volunteers helping us build the four affordable homes on San Pascual Street. Last Saturday we were lucky to welcome the board of Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County for a full day of construction work. What a dedicated group!

Construction Update at San Pascual affordable housing site

Progress is being made over at Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County's affordable housing build site.  Siding is almost 100% complete, doors are hung, vanities are installed, and all four units are now a beautiful shade of green! 

This past week we welcomed a full crew from Emanuel Lutheran Church on October 23rd and Citrix Online on the 28th. We really appreciate our church and corporate sponsors as well as the time and dedication they put into helping Habitat build homes for low-income families.

A big thanks is also due to David Chapman, Joe Sevilla, Michael Vining Construction, Ben Ewart Construction, Jeri Moulder, Joe Veile, Bruce Matthews and Dennis Smith, who all helped at the site this week. Construction remains on schedule because of their help!

Construction Update on San Pascual Street

Thanks to our wonderful individual volunteers and groups from Bank of America, the Interfaith Community, and Faith Lutheran Church we are making great progress at the San Pascual construction site.

We are pleased to share that the San Pascual affordable housing project is now 3/4 of the way done. Drywall was installed in September and the trenching for the sewer and water connections is almost complete. Painting and finish carpentry will start within the next week or two.