Who We Are

About Us

Established in 2000, Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County (Habitat Santa Barbara) is a local nonprofit that helps families build and improve a place to call home. We work towards our vision by building strength, stability, and self-reliance in partnership with individuals and families in need of decent and affordable housing.

Habitat Santa Barbara’s vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to live. We recognize that systemic racism has contributed to unfair affordable housing practices. We are committed to creating a community where affordable, safe, and healthy homes are available to all and strongly condemn any form of discrimination.

We are an organization that follows the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity protections. These protections and rights stem from the the Fair Housing Act which protects people from discrimination when they are renting or buying a home, getting a mortgage, seeking housing assistance, or engaging in other housing-related activities.We also continue to train our staff and volunteers on these protections, as well as review and improve upon our own internal practices to create an inclusive and diverse community.

Our Impact

With the support of volunteers and donors, Habitat Santa Barbara has built 22 new homes for 84 people, 50% of which are children, as well as helped rebuild and repair more than 150 homes across Santa Barbara’s south county.

ReStore
Habitat Santa Barbara operates a ReStore, the nonprofit home improvement store that sells new and gently used building materials, appliances, furniture, home décor, and more. All inventory is donated and sold at a fraction of the retail price. The ReStore is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All proceeds benefit Habitat Santa Barbara.

Disaster Response
In response to the January 2018 Montecito Debris Flow, Habitat Santa Barbara supported disaster recovery by mobilizing nearly 2,000 volunteers to support approximately 110 devastated homes in the area – rebuilding neighborhoods and transforming communities. Habitat Santa Barbara’s work is made possible from the generosity and dedication of donors, volunteers, and community partners.

Our Mission: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope.

Our Vision: A world where everyone has a decent place to live.

All Are Welcome: We have an open-door policy. All who believe that everyone needs a decent, affordable place to live are welcome to help with the work, regardless of race, religion, age, gender, political views or any of the other distinctions that too often divide people. In short, Habitat welcomes volunteers and supporters from all backgrounds and also serves people in need of decent housing regardless of race or religion.