Santa Maria, CA, December 4, 2023 – In preparation for its predicted late January/early February 2024 opening, Hope Village, a DignityMoves interim housing site in Santa Barbara County, has announced its Adopt-A-Room program. Volunteer community members will now have the chance to sponsor one of 94 rooms by providing toiletries, comfort items and welcome gifts for future residents.
Hope Village is located in the City of Santa Maria at the intersection of Centerpoint Parkway, Lakeside Parkway and Southside Parkway. The purpose of the project is to provide dignified, safe housing for unhoused individuals, bridging the gap between living on the streets and qualifying for permanent housing. Pets and partners are welcome to room together at the site, a distinct difference between Hope Village and traditional sheltered housing. With 24/7 staffing by Good Samaritan, an organization that connects clients with mental health care, addiction services, job placement resources, stable housing and more, the location is a promising step towards ending homelessness in Santa Barbara County.
Adopt-A-Room is asking volunteers to provide the following items for their adopted room(s):
- Sheets (fitted and flat) for a twin bed and two pillowcases
- Two sleeping pillows
- Duvet cover and duvet insert (twin)
- Colorful throw pillows
- A fleece blanket
- Small trash can
- Small area rug (3×5 or 4×4 and washable)
- Storage bins
- A welcome basket with toiletries and other treats
- Shower towel and hand towel
- Command hooks (with removable adhesive) for hand towel
- Bathrobe and slippers
- Shower caddy (showers are nearby)
- An outdoor plant and pot for the front doorstep (drought-resistant)
- A handwritten welcome note telling them the room has been decorated by a fellow community member who cares about them
- Anything else that would make the room welcoming
Every room is provided with a bed frame, mattress and mattress pad, a dresser and chair, and a lamp.
Hope Village addresses an important need in Santa Barbara County where lack of available housing, the exorbitant cost of existing homes, a shortage of land and a lack of new construction make it one of the most challenging locations in the country for people experiencing homelessness to find housing. In a single year, nearly 3500 people in Santa Barbara County may be unhoused for a period of time, greatly outnumbering the available beds in shelters and affordable housing sites.
In an effort to address the needs of the county’s most vulnerable populations, Hope Village will reserve 10 rooms for transition-age youth ages 18 to 24, 30 recuperative care rooms for individuals being discharged from the hospital, and 10 rooms for veterans.
Moving forward, DignityMoves plans to build three additional interim housing sites in Santa Barbara, effectively closing the gap between the number of unhoused individuals and available beds in the county.
To participate in the Adopt-A-Room program at Hope Village, contact Jack Lorenz at jack@dignitymoves.org today.
About DignityMoves
DignityMoves works to end unsheltered street homelessness in communities through the construction of Interim Supportive Housing as a rapid, cost-effective, scalable solution. Using innovative approaches such as prefabricated materials and modular housing, DignityMoves takes advantage of vacant parking lots or other underutilized sites to build temporary “pop-up” communities which can be relocated as necessary. DignityMoves also develops permanent sites such as those funded by California’s Project Homekey program.
For information on bringing a DignityMoves community to your city, or to donate to this work, please visit www.dignitymoves.org.
Leave a Response