Employee Housing Development
Santa Barbara Unified School District Housing Development Update
Santa Barbara Unified has spent more than three years working to develop housing for our teachers and staff. While the numbers are still being finalized, there could be as many as 426 housing units developed for staff housing.
This work began in January 2023 after District leaders heard feedback from staff members about the need for affordable workforce housing. Additionally, these projects aim to help improve staff recruitment and retention. In response, the SB Unified Board created a committee to review District-owned properties for potential housing developments on our own land.
At the start of this process, a survey was sent to all staff with more than 450 responses. Only 11% of our staff feel their housing is affordable and about 60% said they would be interested in living in a housing community of district staff.
The proposed housing projects are being developed with the help of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara and the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara, which are working to find tax credits and other funding methods to pay for the project so that there is no direct cost in their development. Additionally, these organizations will be handling the development and management of these facilities. Below is a recap of the current projects; however, the District is also assessing other sites it owns for future projects.
San Simeon Oaks Village
In July 2026, work began on the San Simeon Oaks housing development near San Marcos High School.
The District Partnered with the Housing Authority of Santa Barbara County and Red Tail Multifamily Land Development, LLC, to develop a new affordable housing development that will provide 106 affordable homes. Santa Barbara Unified employees will have first access to the units if they meet income requirements.
San Simeon Oaks Village will consist of five residential buildings featuring a mix of one-, two-,and three-bedroom apartments designed to serve low-income individuals and families. Of the 106 total units, 105 will be affordable rental homes.
Parma School
As previously shared, the District is also building roughly 30 units of housing at the Parma School site. This project is still in development, but the District and Housing Authority are in the permitting process.
Glen Annie
The developers of the Glen Annie housing development across from Dos Pueblos High School have offered 7.7 acres of land to build approximately 200-300 units.
The project has received rezoning approval from the County Board of Supervisors and will now move through both the next steps of the county’s planning process and the design phase. During this part of the project, questions like exactly how many units, types of buildings, rules around occupancy, and more will need to be worked out. Additionally, developers will be working with the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Goleta about questions like infrastructure and exact designs of the whole project. We know there are a lot of questions about the project. The project is being proposed regardless of the District’s participation. By participating, SBUSD has the opportunity to help expand affordable housing options for its staff.