Committee Advances Jacaranda Court Project to Address Moderate Income Housing Shortage

During the recent Finance Committee meeting on August 12, 2025, city officials highlighted the urgent need for affordable housing in Santa Barbara, particularly focusing on the Jacaranda Court project. This initiative aims to address significant gaps in the city’s housing production, especially for moderate-income residents.

Chair Friedman and committee members discussed the city’s performance in meeting regional housing needs. In the last housing cycle, Santa Barbara exceeded its goals for above moderate market-rate housing, achieving 109%. However, the city fell short in providing affordable options, meeting only 16% of its low and very low-income targets and a mere 2% for moderate-income housing. Alarmingly, no moderate-income units were constructed during that cycle.

The current cycle shows little improvement, with projections indicating that only 70.8% of the above moderate target will be met, alongside just 8.6% for low and very low-income housing, and 7% for moderate-income housing. The Jacaranda Court project is designed to directly address these shortcomings by providing 63 new permanently affordable homes, including 55 deed-restricted moderate-income units and 7 project-based Section 8 units.

The project is strategically located at the gateway to downtown, making it an ideal site for residents. The city’s contribution of land for this development is a significant public investment that supports the initiative's viability. As the committee emphasized, the Jacaranda Court project represents a critical step toward fulfilling the community's housing needs and ensuring that more residents have access to affordable living options.

This meeting underscored the city’s commitment to tackling the housing crisis and the importance of collaborative efforts to create sustainable solutions for all Santa Barbara residents.