Array
(
    [0] => Array
        (
            [id] => 7
            [date] => 2022-10-19
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => Opening a New Chapter at ACC
            [author] => Emily Bridges
            [article] => 
These past couple of years at the Access Central Coast have been a journey of community networking and consumer services. Some readers may know I started working at ACC in July 2020 as a Community Living Advocate (CLA) in Santa Barbara, working with people in Santa Barbara County who have disabilities of all ages to achieve their independence goals. Before that, I graduated with a Master of Public Health and Disability Studies Certificate, moved to California from the Southeast United States to start a newly married life as a California citizen, and spent several months Airbnb hopping. All the while, my husband and I were navigating the beginning stages of Covid and isolation. Talk about an eventful set of months!

 

After a few months as a CLA, I moved on to working as the Focused Population Case Manager in ACC’s Ventura office in November 2020. Through this role, I assisted people with or at risk of a dementia diagnosis and their live-in caregivers (i.e., spouses and family members) with case management and education about the various types of dementia. One of the key services was caregiver respite through a partnership with Channel Islands Social Services. However, I also have assisted with connecting to other services at ACC and within their communities. I would also help raise dementia awareness and acceptance throughout Ventura County. 

 

While I enjoyed the roles at ACC that I’ve had for the last couple of years, I am thrilled to start as the Public Health Advocate in October (next month)! This will merge my passion for health equity and access and my educational background into an exciting opportunity. I will help build disability representation on a State and Local level when responding to current and future public health issues. More details will come throughout my time in this position, and I would be happy to hear input from folks. All that to say, I look forward to what this next phase of the journey will hold!

        )

    [1] => Array
        (
            [id] => 29
            [date] => 2021-08-30
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => A Housing Consumer Success Story
            [author] => Petra Lowen, Community Living Advocate
            [article] => 
Our Community Living Advocate in Santa Barbara has worked with a consumer since 2017. He has been homeless since that time, sometimes sleeping on a couch at a friend’s apartment, sometimes sleeping in his car or just on the street. In 2017 we helped him sign up for all the waiting lists for subsidized housing that he was eligible for. We explained that the wait is typically several years long. We always let him know when a new opportunity for affordable housing came up. Finally in March of 2021 the consumer had reached the top of the City of Santa Barbara Housing Authority section 8 waiting list and received a voucher. This was a major milestone but the housing market in Santa Barbara is currently extremely tight, meaning there are very few apartments available that are under the current housing standard of $2015 for a 1-bedroom apartment. The ACC made multiple housing referrals from rental lists. Then the consumer on his own found a landlord who was willing to accept his voucher. Unfortunately, the Housing Authority turned it down because it did not meet their criteria. By this point, two months had passed and the Housing Authority gave him a 2-month extension. The ACC made more housing referrals. Then the consumer received a call that there was an opening at the Bradley Studios, a property built by the Housing Authority. The consumer was familiar with the property and was more than happy to accept the offer. He moved into the apartment in late June and is now more or less settled. He finally has stability in his life and can take care of several pressing health issues that require him to have secure housing for recovery. It has made a huge difference in his life.

        )

    [2] => Array
        (
            [id] => 2
            [date] => 2025-12-07
            [status] => Active
            [new] => 
            [title] => Kyle and His Journey Towards Independence
            [author] => Jacob Lesner-Buxton
            [article] => 

In 2020, at just 35 years old, Kyle was diagnosed with a condition that caused total paralysis and was told he might never live independently again. After three years of hard work in therapy, he was determined to regain his independence. By 2024, Kyle was living in a care home costing $7,000 a month, facing the possibility of being moved to a county facility because he had no family able to care for him. He needed housing that would allow him to continue therapy, cook, maintain hygiene, and work toward walking again—but every affordable or subsidized option he found was inaccessible. Narrow doorways, small bathrooms, inaccessible kitchens—most apartments listed as “accessible” were not truly accessible. 


After a year and a half of searching, Kyle finally found one apartment that worked: first floor, with wide hallways and doorways, and a kitchen and bathroom he could actually use with his wheelchair. The rent is $3,300—still far from affordable, but half of what the care home costs. With this housing, he has been able to build a workout space, cook for himself, and continue his recovery. 


Kyle’s experience highlights a critical gap: accessible housing is almost never aligned with affordable housing. People with disabilities are often excluded from low-income options simply because they aren’t built with accessibility in mind. Independence shouldn’t cost extra—it should be a baseline. Alongside ACC, Kyle was able to apply and receive in-home care, find an apartment, and be connected with continued supports to help him with his journey towards independence.

        )

)
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