Housing Authority briefs Goleta council on vouchers, waitlists and new developments

Bob Havlicek, executive director of the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, gave a state‑of‑operations briefing to the Goleta City Council on Aug. 19, summarizing local voucher work, wait lists, supportive services and upcoming developments in South County.

Havlicek told council members the housing authority serves roughly 3,570 households in the South County area with high occupancy rates and that about a third of households are seniors, a third disabled and a third working families; many residents pay about 30% of their income in rent under project‑based subsidy arrangements. He said the authority manages wait lists: “In the Goleta area we have over 1,100 names on the wait list,” and that demand “far outstrips supply.”

Havlicek discussed federal program funding and near‑term constraints. He said the nationwide housing choice voucher program had seen proposed federal cuts but that congressional appropriators largely rejected deep cuts, so funding remains in place. Still, he said rising market rents…