(Photo: DignityMoves)
A groundbreaking ceremony was held at Hope Village, an interim supportive housing community near the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Building in the City of Santa Maria. Officials from the local government, representatives from DignityMoves, partners, and special guests attended the event on May 9.
Hope Village will be a safe and secure neighborhood where at least 10 homeless California Veterans, among dozens of others, will receive assistance with housing, treatment for drug abuse disorders, counseling and mental health care, education, job placement opportunities, and crucial medical respite/recuperative care. At Hope Village, people will have the chance to leave the streets and concentrate on getting back on their feet.
DignityMoves will provide 94 cabins on a vacant site owned by Santa Barbara County in Santa Maria under agreements approved by the Board of Supervisors. The initiative attempts to alleviate the current shortage of 133 beds for homeless individuals in Santa Maria, Orcutt, and Guadalupe. Hope Village will have 44 cabins for individuals and couples, 10 cabins for transitional-age youth, and 30 cabins for recuperative respite care. Ten of the cabins will be for homeless veterans. Some units will have their own bathroom. With 24-hour personnel and security services, the project will be remarkably similar to the one in the City of Santa Barbara.
A number of organizations are working together on the project, including DignityMoves, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, the Good Samaritan Shelter, The Balay Ko Family Foundation, Dignity Health’s Marian Regional Medical Center, and the County of Santa Barbara.
The initiative aims to demonstrate a successful solution for addressing homelessness and would establish a benchmark for the city’s approach to homelessness in the future.
Author: Rikki Almanza
Rikki is a Web Content Coordinator for the American Legion, Department of California. With a deep-rooted connection to the military, a spouse who is a Navy veteran, a father who served in the Air Force for 25 years, and a grandfather who proudly served, Rikki is committed to using her skills and knowledge to provide valuable assistance and resources to servicemembers and veterans.