Firefighters scale new heights using nine-story crane for climbing practice at Sanctuary Centers in Santa Barbara
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Firefighters are scaling new heights in Santa Barbara. Nine stories to be exact. “We’ve been looking at this thing out of our station one window … all talking about what we would do if something happened,” said fire training captain Jeremy Denton of Santa Barbara Public Safety. The Santa Barbara City Fire is practicing their climbing skills at Sanctuary Centers’ new building project site, located in the lot behind West Anapamu Street. “Round of people that were coming through with just getting up there … seeing what would happen if maybe the operator had a medical aid and we had to go up there and get them down,” said Denton.
New homeless housing facility under construction in Santa Barbara
Construction is well underway on a new five-story building in downtown Santa Barbara that will house Sanctuary Centers’ newest development. The $30 million project at 115 W. Anapamu St. will provide 34 units of handicap-accessible permanent housing and 4,500 square feet of on-site medical, dental, and mental health services. The project was made possible by state, county, and federal funds in addition to donations. Barry R. Schoer, the president and CEO of Sanctuary Centers, says it’s just one step toward solving homelessness in Santa Barbara.
Sanctuary Centers Gets $1 Million Toward Project in Downtown Santa Barbara
Not far from where a tall red crane towers over Anapamu and Chapala streets, Congressmember Salud Carbajal presented a large check for a million dollars to Sanctuary Centers CEO Barry Schoer on Tuesday, part of the $29 million being raised to build 34 studios for individuals with very low incomes. The future residents will have access to Sanctuary’s mental health outpatient clinic, which has occupied a blue Victorian on the corner at De la Vina Street for more than 25 years, as well as round-the-clock care for residents of the top two floors of the five-story building.
Demolition of the parking area and cottages behind the Sanctuary Centers’ 115 West Anapamu Street apartment building has already taken place, said Lola Ban West, Sanctuary Centers’ Marketing & Development Director. Excavation will ensue for a basement-level clinic that will offer medical and dental care, and behavioral health clinics for residents with mental health, substance abuse, and other health concerns.
Sanctuary Centers Builds on Its Vision for Holistic Mental Health Services
Congressman Salud Carbajal (CA-24) visited the future site of more than 30 new apartments and a health clinic in downtown Santa Barbara to present Sanctuary Centers and the County of Santa Barbara with the $1,000,000 investment he secured in this year’s federal budget to support the project.
“This is an example of great partnerships in action helping to address the Central Coast’s greatest issues,” said Rep. Carbajal. “It tackles housing: 34 new affordable units for Central Coast families, which are much needed. It tackles health: creating a new clinic to address mental health, substance use, and other ailments. And it does both right in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara.”
Sanctuary Centers Builds on Its Vision for Holistic Mental Health Services
Nestled between the vineyards of the Santa Ynez mountains and the glittering Pacific Ocean is the city of Santa Barbara. Known as the “American Riviera,” it’s not just a tourist draw. College students, snowbirds, and locals all enjoy the vacation vibe of this city that feels like a town. Given the serene landscape, it makes sense that Sanctuary Centers, a leading nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing mental illness, would situate itself here.
Montecito Journal Philanthropy- Sanctuary Centers
Last month’s groundbreaking ceremony marked Sanctuary Centers’ initiation of its forthcoming new building. To witness the launch of this transformative community benefit project was, of course, a thrilling moment. The project, which will provide 34 units of new housing along with co-located medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics, represents a milestone moment in the nonprofit’s 50-year history of addressing the holistic needs of individuals experiencing mental illness.
The 34 housing units are more than simply structures for clients to live in – they represent the promise of a secure, supportive home and community space for individuals that fall between requiring in-patient care and being able to sustain fully independent living – where the latter may yet need an extra level of support. The new building will be a shining example of the Behavioral Health Home Model, one that provides head-to-toe care for people with mental health and substance abuse issues.