GRACE HOUSING, INC.

PRESS RELEASE 5/17/2016

Grace Housing, Inc. Featured on KCLU Radio

Grace Housing was interviewed for KCLU radio by Lance Orozco. Listen to the interview here.

http://kclu.org/post/south-coast-church-closes-its-doors-keeps-giving-community

PRESS RELEASE 5/12/2016

Grace Housing, Inc. Releases First Round of Allocations 

Nonprofit Grace Housing Begins to Fulfill Legacy of Grace Lutheran Church with First Community Contributions; Disbursements Top $60K Ceremony included update on construction timeline for Grace Village for Seniors affordable housing Grace Housing, Inc. Board members, award recipients and representatives of partner organizations at the May 12 reception (captioned below). Santa Barbara, Calif., May 17, 2016

Continuing the legacy of the former Grace Lutheran Church,Santa Barbara, a 113 year ministry that held its final service in 2015, nonprofit Grace Housing, Inc.awarded its first funding allocations -- totaling more than $60,000 -- to four local causes at a May 12reception.Held at the Grace Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall, the reception recognized the recipients chosen forthis initial wave of funding: Transition House, Habitat for Humanity, Southwest California Synod ofELCA and Trinity Lutheran Church’s Grace Food Pantry.“Since its inception in the early 1900s, the Grace Lutheran Church membership has always looked forways to support the most critical basic human needs,” said Laurie Small, Grace Housing, Inc. BoardPresident. “Grace Housing is honored to begin fulfilling this legacy, by helping to sustain fourorganizations which have long served in the same spirit of giving and compassion."

The church established the nonprofit Grace Housing, Inc. to continue to provide financial support toprograms and organizations that have been long supported by the former Grace Lutheran Churchcongregation, and that address the basic needs of families and individuals in the greater Santa Barbaracommunity. Primary funding comes from revenue from leasehold agreements established decades agoby Grace Lutheran Church.

The reception also included an update on construction status of Grace Village for Seniors, an affordablesenior housing development to be built on land gifted by Grace Lutheran Church to the HousingAuthority of the City of Santa Barbara and California Lutheran Homes. The development has obtaineddiscretionary approvals from the City of Santa Barbara and is progressing through additional reviewsincluding a National Environmental Protection Act review process and application for Low-Income TaxCredits (LIHTC). Construction is currently anticipated to begin in early 2017, and is expected to takeapproximately 12 months to complete.

As additional funding is realized through leases and through private contributions, Grace Housing, Inc.will be able to fund additional community services directed to basic needs of families and individuals,including future programs at Grace Village for Seniors.In addition to the charitable disbursements, Grace Housing, Inc. has gifted the 3869 State St. churchsite to establish Grace Village for Seniors, a subsidized senior housing project. The Housing Authority ofthe City of Santa Barbara and Front Porch Communities and Services are jointly developing GraceVillage for Seniors, with construction expected to begin this year. RRM Design Group is the projectarchitect.