Santa Barbara Opens 48 Subsidized Apartments

Income-qualified renters can pay 30% of their income toward rent at the new Bella Vista development.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Apartments

Gouache-painted editorial illustration of a low-rise stucco apartment block with a tile roof and courtyard garden in warm afternoon light. — The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara opened Bella Vista, 48 subsidized apartments where residents pay 30% of their income toward rent. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Should your city build more subsidized housing for low-income families?

The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara opened Bella Vista, a 48-unit subsidized housing development at 200 North La Cumbre Road. Every unit is subsidized through Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers, so residents pay 30% of their income toward rent.

Why it matters

For Santa Barbara families, Bella Vista adds 48 rental homes where rent is tied to income rather than the open market, with one-, two- and three-bedroom options. HACSB bought the site in 2019 to create more affordable housing opportunities for local families.

Bella Vista offers 48 subsidized units across one-, two- and three-bedroom layouts on a 1.34-acre site with 68 parking spaces. Rent is set at 30% of each household's income under Section 8 Project-Based Vouchers.

The players

Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (HACSB)

The local public agency that owns and operates Bella Vista and administers the Section 8 vouchers that keep its rents tied to household income.

City of Santa Barbara

The municipal government that partnered on the Bella Vista development alongside HACSB and private affordable-housing developers.

The details

Each Bella Vista unit is covered by a Section 8 Project-Based Voucher, which ties the subsidy to the apartment itself rather than to a tenant. Residents contribute 30% of their income toward rent, and the authority covers the rest under the voucher program. The development includes community rooms, on-site laundry facilities and outdoor courtyard areas, and it was built with all-electric systems and photovoltaic panels.

HACSB purchased the 1.34-acre property in 2019.
Bella Vista's grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on November 1, 2026.

The Home Front

Bella Vista is built under the Section 8 Project-Based Voucher model, which fixes subsidies to individual buildings instead of portable vouchers that follow tenants. The project joins Santa Barbara's effort to add affordable rental stock as local rents remain high.

If you are looking for a subsidized rental in Santa Barbara, contact the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara directly to ask about Bella Vista availability and application steps. Keep your household income documents current, since the 30% rent calculation depends on them.

The takeaway

Bella Vista shows how a public housing authority can convert a purchased site into long-term affordable homes with rent tied to income. If you are weighing subsidized housing, ask the housing authority for its current waitlist status and the documents it requires before you apply.