sB City Council panel backs home repair program

By NEIL HARTSTEIN NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Low-income Santa Barbara residents could soon get assistance to make essential repairs to their homes.

The Santa Barbara City Council’s Finance Committee last week unanimously endorsed the establishment of a rehabilitation pilot program for low-income homeowners to work with contractors vetted by Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County.

Under the pilot program, up to $50,000 in grant funding from city Inclusionary Housing Reserve Funds would be allocated to Habitat for Humanity to operate the program.

“This is an exciting opportunity to assist some of our city’s most vulnerable residents, many of whom are seniors on fixed incomes, make necessary repairs to their homes,”