ORCUTT, Calif. -- Public housing residents in Orcutt were shocked when they received a letter from the Housing Authority of The County Of Santa Barbara saying they might have to move.
A total of 16 families at Leland Park apartments got the letter warning them:
"You may be required to relocate from temporarily from your unit or be displaced," says Leland Park resident David Wright.
After living in his public housing unit for four years, Wright was very confused.
The Santa Barbara County Housing Authority owns the units in Orcutt and is applying for a federal program to get more funding.
If approved that program will require the Housing Authority to give up ownership of the units in exchange for money to improve them.
Repairs would include work on sewer lines, plumbing, electrical issues, flooring, bathrooms, kitchens and more.
Santa Barbara Housing Authority's Robert Havlicek says residents would only be relocated during construction repairs but not permanently.
"None of the residents will have to move on an involuntary basis. If they don't want to move they can stay in their units," says Havlicek.
A promise, Wright hopes the Housing Authority keeps.
"If I gotta relocate,"says Wright.
"I don't even know where I'm going to go."
The Housing Authority says nothing is set in stone yet and it hasn't even received approval into the federal program.
The program is designed to provide funds for housing authorities to improve its units but it's a completive program where only 60,000 units across the country will be selected.
