CDBG & Human Services

For more than three decades, the City of Santa Barbara has allocated General Funds to support organizations that provide direct human services to low-income City residents. Until 1986, the Federal government provided funds for this purpose through the Federal Revenue Sharing Program. When Federal support was eliminated, the City Council continued its commitment to this endeavor with the Human Services grant program.

Funding Priorities for the Human Services program are:

• 1st Priority – Programs that help meet basic human needs, specifically food, shelter/housing, medical (physical and mental); and
• 2nd Priority – Proposals that reduce the impact of violence, including the prevention of gun violence and suicide; and/or are preventive in nature; and/or promote the highest degree of functioning the individual is capable of achieving.

Human Service grant funds shall be used to provide direct services; funds shall not be used for capital improvements, equipment purchases, mortgage payments, or programs that are inherently of an artistic/cultural nature. Art or cultural organizations may visit the Santa Barbara Arts Commission to learn about funding opportunities.

Each year since 1975 the City of Santa Barbara has received an entitlement allocation of federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

National Objectives of the CDBG Program are:

Benefit low and moderate-income persons;
Eliminate slums and urban blight;
Meet community needs of an urgent emergency.

The primary objective of the CDBG program is the development of a viable urban community by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment.

The City's CDBG goals and objectives are presented in the federally-mandated 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan .

The City’s accomplishments are reported in the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report.

Funding Priorities for the CDBG program per the City’s Consolidated Plan are:

1. Homeless Assistance – Support of programs that provide services to homeless individuals and families, and victims of domestic violence.
    
2. Decent Housing – Support of local housing partners to enable them to rehabilitate affordable multi-family rental housing.
    
3. Public Facilities and Infrastructure – Support capital projects that improve facilities of organizations that serve low and moderate income residents, and public infrastructure and parks improvements in low and moderate income neighborhoods.
    
4. Economic Development – Support of programs that provide self employment training and small business loans.

This thirteen-member Committee is appointed by the City Council to make recommendations on which organizations should be granted Human Services and CDBG funds. As part of the recommendation process, the committee conducts site visits of currently-funded organizations, reviews funding applications, and interviews applicants.

Their recommendations are presented to the City Council, which makes the final decisions on funding. The Committee also meets on a monthly basis to monitor program compliance, review mandatory reports to HUD, hold public hearings, and discuss issues related to community development and human service needs within the community. They meet twice weekly during the funding recommendation process in February.

To learn more about the Community Development and Human Services Committee, you can click here to watch the Recruitment PSA.

To learn more about the CDHSC and find a meeting agendas and minutes please click here.

CDBG and Human Services Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Recommendation Report

2025-2029 Consolidated Plan

2026 Annual Action Plan

Santa Barbara Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice

Construction Projects Manual

Davis Bacon Manual

City of Santa Barbara Section 3 Plan