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LWVSB BOARD RECOMMENDS HOUSING POSITIONS UPDATE!




The Santa Barbara area’s housing crisis is one of the worst in the country because of the popularity of the area, loss of redevelopment funding, escalating land and building costs, a history of “managed growth”, limited water supply and recent fires and mudslides. The high cost of rents due to the low vacancy rate has negatively impacted the security, carbon footprint and diversity of residents (decline in families with children, younger workforce and cultural variety). The lack of housing also threatens the economic vitality of the South Coast since businesses are unable to recruit the workforce they need and many workers live outside of the area. To improve these imbalances, we will need a focused area-wide effort.

LWVSB BOARD RECOMMENDED HOUSING POSITIONS FOR ADOPTION BY MEMBERS:

Housing Goals for the South Coast (1979, 1981, 1999, update 2021)

Support efforts to preserve and significantly increase low- and moderate-income housing supply for all ages, family size and disabilities.

Support prioritizing local residents and workers for new housing units.

Support policies that increase housing security for all, especially renters.

Support policies that improve the sustainability of housing units and neighborhoods.

Strategies to Achieve these Goals include:
  • Alternatives such as mobile homes, manufactured housing, accessory dwelling units and cooperatives on a community land trust property to accommodate varying needs and low to moderate incomes.
  • Exploration of funding mechanisms and incentives to generate more affordable housing for low and moderate income such as density bonuses, large grant applications, housing bonds and community benefit portfolios.
  • Vacant properties and buildings should be prioritized for residential use where appropriate.
  • Subsidized rental and purchase with limited equity programs by governments or employers.
  • Housing production goals based on State and regional mandates (RHNA - Regional Housing Needs Allocation) should be used for new construction targets for the low and very low income local residents and workers.
  • “Community benefit project” designation for housing should require a substantial percentage of deed restricted affordable units for local residents and workers.
  • Measures to assure that any publicly subsidized low and moderate income housing built or otherwise created in the South Coast remains affordable to those income groups permanently.
  • Improvement of substandard housing and systematic code enforcement, especially for rental housing.
  • Construction methods and building codes that use sustainable materials and support sustainable results.
  • innovative techniques that could reduce building and maintenance costs.
  • Considerations of density adjustments where appropriate, within environmental constraints such as water supply, air quality, transportation, energy use and dangers of climate change including sea level rise, wildfires and flooding.
  • Zoning and planning for large projects that locate housing close to job centers, transportation hubs and areas that can accommodate schools, parks and services such as access to healthy food.

(Existing Housing Positions can be found on Page 10 of the LWVSB Directory)

When:
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Additional Info:
Category:
Events
Registration is not Required
Payment In Full In Advance Only

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League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara
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Santa Barbara, CA 93105  


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