Photo courtesy of Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara,
SANTA BARBARA — Rob Fredericks, Executive Director and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, has announced his intent to retire at the end of December 2027, following more than three decades of service to the Housing Authority and nearly twelve years as its Executive Director/CEO.
Fredericks shared his planned retirement with the Housing Authority Commission to provide ample time for a thoughtful, orderly, and successful leadership transition. The advance notice will allow the Commission to develop a recruitment and transition plan for the agency’s next Executive Director/CEO, while ensuring continued stability for the residents, participants, staff, partners, and community members who depend on the Housing Authority’s work.
“Serving the Housing Authority and the Santa Barbara community has been the honor of my professional life,” Fredericks said. “This work has never been just a job to me. It has been a calling. I believe deeply that housing is the foundation for dignity, stability, opportunity, and hope. Every home we create, every voucher we administer, every resident we support, and every family we help stabilize matters. That belief has guided my career, and it will continue to guide me through my final day with this extraordinary organization.”
Fredericks joined the Housing Authority in December 1995 and has served in multiple roles, including Housing Inspector, Information Systems Manager, Director of Administrative Services, Deputy Executive Director, and ultimately Executive Director/CEO beginning in January 2016. His career has been shaped by a lifelong commitment to affordable housing, public service, and the belief that communities are strongest when their most vulnerable residents are seen, valued, and housed.
Fredericks also acknowledged those who helped shape his leadership and the agency’s mission-driven culture.
“I have been blessed to stand on the shoulders of extraordinary mentors, colleagues, and public servants who helped shape who I am and how I lead,” Fredericks said. “People like Rob Pearson, Roberta Maccianti, and Skip Szymanski, to name a few, taught me that this work requires both heart and discipline. They showed me that affordable housing is not only about programs, financing, regulations, or buildings. It is about people, trust, integrity, and a deep responsibility to serve the community well. I carry their lessons with me, and I am profoundly grateful for the foundation they helped build.”
During Fredericks’ tenure as Executive Director/CEO, the Housing Authority significantly expanded and strengthened its affordable housing portfolio, preserved and repositioned former public housing communities, advanced new affordable, workforce, senior, and permanent supportive housing developments, and deepened partnerships with the City of Santa Barbara, nonprofit organizations, service providers, neighborhood leaders, and community stakeholders.
Under his leadership, the Housing Authority has continued to serve seniors, families, people with disabilities, veterans, formerly homeless individuals, local workers, and households participating in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. The agency has also continued to demonstrate that affordable housing can be thoughtfully designed, well managed, financially responsible, and deeply rooted in the character and needs of the Santa Barbara community.
“Affordable housing is not simply about buildings,” Fredericks said. “It is about people. It is about the senior who can age with dignity, the family that can remain in the community they love, the person who finally has a safe place to sleep, the local worker who can live near the place they serve, and the child who has the stability to dream about their future. That is what this work has always meant to me.”
While Fredericks said he looks forward to retirement, he emphasized that his work is far from finished.
“I am leaving on a high note, but I am not leaving yet,” Fredericks said. “There is still a great deal of work ahead between now and the end of 2027. We have important projects in the pipeline, residents and participants depending on us, resources to fight for, and a community that urgently needs more affordable housing. I intend to finish strong, support a smooth transition, and do everything I can to ensure the next Executive Director/CEO inherits an agency that is strong, mission-centered, and ready for the future.”
Fredericks credited the Housing Authority’s staff, leadership team, Commission, residents, and community partners as central to the agency’s success and future strength.
“The accomplishments of the Housing Authority have never belonged to one person,” Fredericks said. “They belong to the dedicated staff who show up every day with compassion, professionalism, and purpose. I have tremendous confidence in the team we have in place and in their ability to carry this mission forward.”
The Housing Authority Commission will begin developing the recruitment and transition process for Fredericks’ successor. The Commission’s goal will be to identify a leader who can build upon the agency’s strong foundation, continue its mission-centered culture, and guide the Housing Authority through the next chapter of affordable housing challenges and opportunities in Santa Barbara.
“The Commission is deeply grateful that Rob has devoted over thirty years to this agency, including twelve years at the helm as Executive Director/CEO,” said Lisa Carlos, Chair of the Housing Authority Commission. “Just as importantly, he is preparing to hand off a strong organization that is financially sound, well run, mission-driven, and trusted in this community. His advance notice is yet another reflection of his thoughtful stewardship and deep care for the agency, its staff, and the people it serves. It ensures that the important mission of the City’s Housing Authority can continue without interruption as we move forward with a thoughtful transition process.”
Fredericks said that although retirement will mark the end of his formal role with the Housing Authority, the mission will always remain close to his heart.
“The Housing Authority has been my professional home and my extended family,” Fredericks said. “I am deeply grateful for the privilege of serving this organization and this community. I am proud of what we have built together, proud of what we have endured together, and proud of the lives we have touched together. Most of all, I am proud that the Housing Authority will continue doing what it has always done best, fighting for housing, dignity, and opportunity for the people of Santa Barbara.”
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara will provide additional information regarding the recruitment process once it has been established by the Commission.
About the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara
The Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara, established as a local Public Housing Authority in 1969 by the City of Santa Barbara , is dedicated to providing safe, decent, and affordable housing opportunities and supportive services to low income individuals and families in the Santa Barbara community. Through rental assistance, affordable housing development, property management, and resident services, the Housing Authority works to promote housing stability, dignity, and opportunity for residents throughout the community.