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Board approves purchase and 99‑year ground lease to enable 106‑unit workforce housing with priority for district employees
Summary
The board unanimously approved buying ~3.65 acres and a simultaneous 99‑year ground lease to allow a developer to build 106 affordable units (97 prioritized for district staff). The developer will finance construction; the district provides land and housing priority; buildings revert to the district at term end.
The Santa Barbara Unified board on June 9 approved a purchase and simultaneous 99‑year ground lease of roughly 3.65 acres of district‑owned land to enable a developer‑funded 106‑unit affordable workforce housing project. Board members described the move as a long‑sought tool to address high local housing costs for teachers and school staff.
Under the approved structure the developer (Red Tail) will finance and construct the project with approximately $60 million in private financing; the district will contribute the land at closing but no cash leaves the district at closing. The district will ground‑lease the parcel for 99 years to the affordable housing developer; the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara will serve as property manager. After 99 years, the buildings revert to district ownership.
Project details recorded in the meeting: 106 units total; 97 units assigned a priority for district employees, with a secondary priority for employees from nearby school districts and qualifying nonprofits; eight units reserved for veterans and one manager unit. Income restrictions will be used to qualify applicants; units will be allocated by timestamped applications with district employees given priority within income‑eligible pools.
Board President Banning said the project “opens a door” for staff struggling with the region’s high cost of living: “Our teachers, classified staff, and other employees deserve to live in the community they serve,” he told the board. The proposal includes developer financing of construction and a ground‑lease structure that preserves long‑term district land ownership while transferring near‑term construction risk to the developer.
The board approved the purchase, ground lease and related documents by unanimous roll‑call vote.
Provenance: Motion and roll‑call vote recorded in the action portion of the meeting (discussion and vote SEG 5552–5984).
