My late father, Harry, taught me long ago to, “Always try to give back to someone else who may need a helping hand.”
I’m very proud that my father’s lesson has served me well, especially back in 2000, after caring for him as he aged and his health failed. That’s when I decided to lend my voice to help address the most critical challenges faced by seniors, particularly low-income, vulnerable seniors.
Through the next few years, the Rona Barrett Foundation supported many programs serving low-income seniors. But I wanted to do more. Thus, I envisioned the Golden Inn & Village (GIV).
Today, you can readily see the fruit of the Foundation’s board of directors, GIV’s community partners’ and supporters’ commitment, time and money, as the dream of Golden Inn & Village becomes reality.
GIV’s partners, the Housing Authority of the Santa Barbara County and Surf Development Co., were instrumental in applying for and obtaining the $23 million in tax credits for the project. The tax credits are a function of the low-income housing tax credits program that provides substantial, but not all, equity funding for affordable housing construction.
GIV’s architect, RRM Design Group, is a recognized leader in the design and development of mixed-use, multi-family and senior housing, with a special emphasis on affordability. Detlev Peikert, a principal of RRM, recognizes that “One of the needs that is particularly acute and growing in our community is the need to provide dignified and well-designed affordable housing for our seniors.”
GIV’s generous supporters are those in our community who share GIV’s dedication to providing a solution to affordable housing and supportive services for seniors in need with a variety of care that meets their needs as they age in place.
GIV, which state law mandates as a condition of equity funding, must remain at Refugio Road and Highway 246 as a senior facility for a minimum of 55 years. It is the Rona Barrett Foundation’s intention that it remain a viable alternative to our most vulnerable seniors who find their resources dwindling and who are surviving on little more than Social Security. These are the folks — our friends, neighbors and loved ones — who are unable to avail themselves of the variety of retirement community options with multiple levels of care and support at market rates the more affluent of our community can afford.
For most of you this is not news. So you can imagine my dismay when I read a recent letter to the editor from a community member to whom it does appear to be news. He apparently does not understand for whom GIV was conceived and realized. I hope I have helped him to re-evaluate his understanding of what we’ve always envisioned for GIV and the community.
But if there remain any questions or concerns about GIV, I invite everyone to take a few moments to go to our website at ronabarrettfoundation.org for the latest information about our vision for and commitment to our most vulnerable seniors.
And, if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us directly by phone at 688-8887, or by mail at P.O. Box 1559, Santa Ynez, CA 93460.
Rona Barrett is a Santa Ynez Valley resident.
