Santa Barbara Board Approved Friendship Manor Design
The board voted 3-1 to authorize a four-story facility that will house 156 units for senior residents.
Updated on Oct. 14, 2026 in Seniors
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The Santa Barbara Architectural Board of Review has approved the design for a new Friendship Manor facility. The project will replace a site in Isla Vista that has served seniors for over 50 years.
Why it matters
The relocation follows a proposal from UCSB to purchase the current Isla Vista lot for student housing. Providing new housing is critical as there are currently over 1,000 seniors on the local affordable housing wait list.
The proposed four-story building at 701 North Milpas Street will contain 156 units. Under the State Density Bonus Law, 10% of these units are mandated as low-income, though planners intend for the entire building to remain affordable.
The players
Architectural Board of Review
This local agency is responsible for evaluating the design and visual compatibility of new development projects within Santa Barbara.
Friendship Manor
This organization has operated as a senior residential facility in Isla Vista for more than five decades.
UCSB
The university is a major regional institution that has proposed purchasing the existing facility site for student housing.
The details
The board approved the design despite specific concerns raised regarding the building height and its visual compatibility with the neighborhood. This project allows for the relocation of approximately 200 senior residents currently living in Isla Vista.
Timeline
October 12, 2026: The Architectural Board of Review approved the project design.
2029: The new Friendship Manor facility is scheduled for completion.
Culture Shift
This development reflects an ongoing shift in Santa Barbara to accommodate aging populations through higher-density urban housing. The project follows the requirements set by the State Density Bonus Law to incorporate low-income housing units into its floor plan.
Current residents who pay between $900 and $1,100 per month in Isla Vista face a major transition as the facility moves downtown. The project aims to address the significant local shortage of affordable housing for the 1,000 seniors currently on wait lists.
The takeaway
The move underscores the growing pressure to redevelop long-standing senior facilities into more dense, urban-centered housing models. Residents should monitor local planning updates as the 2029 completion date approaches to understand how the new site impacts rental affordability.
Further reading
Learn more about local housing initiatives for the aging population in the Seniors section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Santa Barbara News-Press.
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