A bike tour of Santa Barbara’s affordable housing

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When you pass by an affordable housing project in Santa Barbara, you often won’t know it. Some look like hotels. Others, architectural treasures. Most retain the Spanish Colonial style you see throughout Santa Barbara. In other words, they blend in.

Most are owned and operated by the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara. Some are owned by nonprofits, like Peoples Self-Help Housing. Others are owned by private for-profit parties, which the city oversees. The wait list for one of these units is around ten years.

Map of all the current affordable housing developments that serve very low to moderate income households

Map by Adam Nares, Santa Barbara City Community Development Department)

KCRW took a bike tour of some of these properties